Stuff - ing

I love stuffing.

I know. Thanksgiving is over. I know.

I am going there. I am going to rave about stuffing.

We didn't have stuffing on T-day and were craving a fix. It seems that we reserve the savory bread pudding for this time of year. Absurd. The weather is cold. Some people are dreaming of lots of time in the local mountains. Other of us can't get enough yoga and this other silly workout. We need stuffing.

I am really trying to increase the amount of veggies I eat. It is called "less-meat-atarian"

A rather healthy stuffing that is.

I am about to share with you the best stuffing I have ever had.

There are some people out there who know me and my eating habits all too well that are thinking that this is BS. But I do, I love stuffing.

I had three helpings. The proof is in the pudding! (sorry)

My love was not around for the holiday, but we all make sacrifices, I ate stuffing for the warmth. I believe that some times we are put in situations for some greater good, I needed to make the perfect stuffing and I needed to hang out with my brother even more. My brother was here from the west side, my sweets was across the country. Things change. I learned that brother has grown up. We have arrived. We are pals. He made us breakfast every day. He brought us a truck load of fire wood.

Tonight was the first time that I had made my own stuffing. I am converted. I love the stuff-ing.

There is a secret to not making it a heart attack disguised as a casserole. Lots of soft vegtables.

Artichoke stuffing. There were vegetables everywhere, some bread, an egg, seasoning, beef broth. I will live another day after way too much of the stuff - ing.

Here is what we came up with.

Perfect!

Parmesan Artichoke Stuffing

Serves 4 as a light side

2 cups sourdough bread, cubed and toasted
1 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
salt and pepper to taste
1 can of artichoke hearts, drained
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion finely, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup diced celery, diced
1 cup diced mushrooms, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups beef broth

1. Toast 2 cups bread. We used sourdough which gave the finished dish a bit of tang. Use what you have on hand and be really excited if it is sourdough. To crisp up the bread, it is okay if it is stale, 300 degrees for about 20 minutes. Don't worry, this is not an exact science, just dry the bread out. That is all.

2. Saute the onions, mushrooms, celery, and garlic in the butter. Cook them down until nice and soft, playing together well.

3. In a nice sized mixing bowl, toss the crutons,  1 cup of cheese, salt and pepper together. Add the vegtables, mix. Add the broth and the beaten egg, mix it all together.

4. In a lightly greased baking dish, pour the batter evenly across the pan. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for about an hour, the top should be nice and brown.

Enjoy!