Turkey Dressing
Traditional Version:
Two loaves good quality white bread or egg bread
Sage
Summer savory
Thyme
1 finely chopped large onion
2-4 eggs
1 cube butter
Broth from boiled turkey giblets (alternatives can be chicken or vegetable broth, either can be used without fear of being struck by lightning. But the use of vegetable broth is iffy in that regard...proceed with caution if doing so.)
Tear the two loaves of bread into chunks, let dry (in low oven if necessary)
Boil turkey giblets about an hour, save juice
Place bread chunks in large bowl, season to taste with sage, summer savory, and thyme, add finely chopped onion, mix.
Add 2-4 eggs, beaten, and one cube of butter, melted or chopped up in small chunks.
Add juice from giblets, just enough to make the mixture mushy, about the consistency of mashed potatoes. Mix well. If desired, add finely minced giblets. If you get it too mushy, add commerical dried bread crumbs to absorb the extra liquid. No one will ever know....
Heresy Version* (for Iconoclasts and Trouble-Makers):
12-16 ounces of bacon, cut up in small pieces. Fry
until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towel to drain off excess
grease. Save the bacon grease.
Sauté the chopped onion in
the bacon grease until lightly colored. Remove from grease and drain. Discard
grease.
Add the bacon bits, cooked onion and 4-6 ounces of pine
nuts to the dressing mix just before baking, following the
family recipe.
With both versions, divide between two well-greased pie-pans, or bake in one greased glass cassarole dish. Bake at 350° until browned and crusty, 45 min to an hour.
Pull out the pans halfway through the cooking time, and stir up the dressing (mixing the top and bottom into the center) so that the bottom doesn't get burned.
* The heretic in this case being one Patricia Lynn Soule Kendrick.