Monday, November 19, 2007

It's almost Thanksgiving ...

You know what that means: It's time to rerun the post on my Scottish grandma's oatmeal stuffing recipe:

My mom used to make her mom's oatmeal stuffing every Thanksgiving. Since my sister took over T-day duties and doesn't like the oatmeal stuffing (she makes the bread variety), well, I miss it a lot. The stuffing's not bad in a chicken--I've done it--but somehow it's tastier in a turkey.

The recipe is simplicity itself: Saute a chopped medium onion (or, if you're feeling fancy, a big shallot) and rib of celery in oil. Add salt and pepper and two cups of oatmeal rolled oats or quick-cooking oats and continue sauteing until the oatmeal gets toasty. Then stuff the turkey. (Obviously, you can cut this in half for a chicken. Or bake it in a covered dish alongside the bird with some chicken stock to keep it moist.)

That's it.

Maybe you had to grow up with this to love it, but I do.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

by "oatmeal," do you mean the uncooked rolled oats, or do you mean the cooked oatmeal?

I can see the flavors working really well together; I bet it *is* tastier w/ turkey.

Talley Sue

Jim Donahue said...

Talley--uncooked. The "regular" oatmeal or the quick-cooking kind (not instant).

Grammarian@mindspring.com said...

I thought that meant is was time to inflate the giant Santa.

punkinsmom said...

Again with the stuffing. You are quite stubborn about this refusal to concede "best stuffing" title. You could always try marketing it as a heart-healthy stuffing. Do you think the same recipe would work with Cheerios? Give it all up and bow to the master of Best Stuffing: My Nana.

Jim Donahue said...

Punkinsmom: That's it--we need to have a stuffing-off.

God: Oddly, the Christmas decorations aren't up in my neighborhood as early as last year. I remember the inflatable Santas up before Thanksgiving, but not this year.

Anonymous said...

I bet it is good. Someday I'll have to try it--when I next bother w/ turkey, that is. Probably when I'm a Grandma.

punkinsmom said...

Bring it.