Old-fashioned stuffing (Holiday menus for the family)

Make your favorite stuffing, or try a new one !!!

• 1½ cups chopped celery (stalks and leaves)
• ¾ cup chopped onion
• 1 cup margarine or butter
• 9 cups soft bread cubes (about 15 slices)
• 1½ teaspoons dried sage leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

1. Cook celery and onion in margarine in 10-inch skillet, stirring frequently, until onion is tender.
2. Stir in about one-third of the bread cubes, place in a deep bowl.
3. Add remaining bread cubes and ingrédients ; toss.
4. Stuffed turkey just before roasting (9 cups stuffing is enough for a 12-pound turkey).

Note : To bake stuffing separately, place in greased 3-quart casserole or baking dish, 13x9x2 inches. Cover and bake in 325F oven 30 minutes. Uncovered and bake 15 minutes longer.

Corn bread stuffing : Substitute corn bread for the soft bread cubes.

Oyster stuffing : Decrease bread cubes to 8 cups and add 2 cans (8 ounces each) oysters, drained and chopped, with the remaining ingrédients.

Sausage stuffing : Decrease bread cubes to 8 cups and omit salt. Cook 1 pound bulk pork sausage until Brown ; drain, reserving fat. Substitute fat for part of the margarine. Crumble sausage and add with the remaining ingrédients.

BON APPETIT