STUFFING BALLS




This is an heirloom recipe made by many members of my family. It can be made ahead of the holidays and the balls frozen. One less job at the end. We always formed the stuffing into balls so they were easy to serve individually, easy to grab a cold stuffing ball as leftovers. My Grandma made extra to freeze and use for stuffed chicken breasts later. Grandma always said to try and get a little bit (a speck) of poultry seasoning on each piece of bread. If you like to stuff a bird with it, just place the stuffing balls in the cavity loosely.

Stuffing makes for a glorious Christmas side dish, this recipe can be made in advance to reduce stress on the big day. This is my must-have recipe for Thanksgiving, passed down to me by my grandmother. These delicious stuffing balls are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. She always used white bread for this recipe, but I like to use a nutty whole wheat bread for a little extra flavor.

My husband’s Mom discovered a version of this dish in a local recipe pamphlet in Norfolk, Virginia in the 80s. She made it, adapted it, and over the years it became a holiday staple. The stuffing balls come out of the oven crisp and delicious, but Frank swears that, like all the best holiday food, they are even better the next day.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 loaves white bread
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 small green pepper, chopped (optional)
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground sage
  • 1 1/2-2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
  • Turkey broth

DIRECTIONS
Open the loaves of bread and allow the bread to get stale for a day.
Tear the bread into 1-1/2″ pieces including the crusts.
Beat the eggs with the milk and water; sparingly, drizzle this mixture over the bread and mix it in just to moisten.
Saute the celery, onions, and green pepper in the butter until translucent. Salt and pepper to taste.
Add the warm celery and butter mixture to the bread.
Add the parsley and sprinkle in a little rubbed sage.
Cover lightly with poultry seasoning.
Gently toss with your hands.
Gently push the stuffing mixture into the corner of your mixing pan and allow to sit for 30 minutes to absorb the liquid in the bread.
Form the stuffing into small balls similar to a baseball.
You may freeze the balls at this point by arranging on a baking sheet and flash freezing.
When frozen, place stuffing balls in the bread bag wrappers.
When ready to bake, place balls in a 9 x 13 inch pan with about 1/4″ hot broth in the bottom of the pan.
You can bake them frozen or defrosted, adjust your time accordingly.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes, basting a few times until browned

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