Wild Mushroom Stuffing

The stuffing of the Pacific Northwest! You can fill your turkey with this stuffing, or bake it separately.

Step: 1

Soak porcini mushrooms in 2 cups hot water until the mushrooms are soft, about 30 minutes. Reserve soaking liquid, and chop mushrooms coarsely.

Step: 2

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Arrange bread cubes on baking sheets in a single layer. Bake until beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Spread hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Step: 3

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook leeks, shallots, and crimini and shiitake mushrooms in the butter until tender, about 15 minutes. Mix in celery and porcini mushrooms, and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, and mix with toasted bread cubes and nuts. Season with parsley, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper. Stir in beaten eggs. Combine broth and 3/4 cup reserved porcini soaking liquid; add just enough broth mixture to the stuffing to moisten.

Step: 4

Transfer stuffing to a buttered 10x15 inch baking dish. Cover with buttered foil, and bake in preheated oven until heated through, about 1 hour. Uncover, and bake until top is crisp, about 15 minutes.

Per Serving: 281 calories; protein 9.9g; carbohydrates 31.8g; fat 13.2g; cholesterol 60mg; sodium 434.4mg.

The most obvious way to choose a side dish is to look at your main dish (pasta, chicken, seared tofu) and pick something different. If you’re cooking pasta, go for a simple healthy dish . Made steak? Go for something light. If you’re making stir-fry with rice, it must not a good idea to adjust with make a rice salad.

This also can apply to cooking method . You don’t want to push more often your oven by scheduling three dishes at once in there, or be juggling four pans on the cooking items . But sometimes you can make a dish do double-duty .