Preparing for Thanksgiving dinner might seem overwhelming, whether it’s your first year hosting or you’ve been cooking the full meal for years. No matter where you fall, getting a head start on what can be prepared before the big day is essential. One question that always crops up: Can you make stuffing ahead of time? The short answer to whether you can making stuffing ahead of time is yes. “Making stuffing ahead saves time, allows stove and oven space for other things, and making it ahead gives time for the flavor to fully develop,” Chef David Tiner, director and chef-instructor at Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge, tells Southern Living. No matter your reasoning for prepping stuffing ahead of time, it’s important to take note of when to cook it, how to store it, how to reheat it, and most importantly, what’s the best make-ahead stuffing recipe. How Far In Advance To Make Stuffing Make-ahead stuffing can be prepared and fully cooked the day before serving, stored in the refrigerator, and reheated the next day. Or make it even farther ahead and freeze it. To make it ahead, you can combine the wet and dry ingredients and freeze them to cook later, but the U. S. Department of Agriculture does not recommend refrigerating the uncooked mixture since it can harbor bacteria. If you plan to make stuffing the day before, you must fully cook it, let it cool, then store it in the refrigerator. “Make-ahead stuffing freezes well and can be made as much as two months early if stored in the freezer properly,” Tiner says. Stuffing that is made ahead and refrigerated should be used within three to four days. How To Prep Make-Ahead Stuffing Now that you have the go-ahead to cook your stuffing in advance, it’s important to know what that timeline looks like to ensure stuffing remains moist and flavorful for the holiday meal. “Stuffing that is made ahead of time is usually cooked to some degree of doneness since it contains aromatic vegetables,” Tiner says. Here’s how to prep your holiday stuffing ahead of time. Cook Fully And Reheat If making the stuffing the day before, cook fully, cool, and reheat before the big meal. Two days before the meal, make the cornbread, cool completely, and crumble. Tear bread into cubes and dry the breadcrumbs on large baking trays one to two days before using. Store them in a ziplock bag. The day before serving, preheat oven and lightly grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Melt butter in a saucepan, and cook the aromatics, sausage, or other additions, along with fresh herbs and spices. In a large bowl, combine breadcrumbs, aromatics and other add-ins, egg, if using, and broth. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish and bake. Cool completely and refrigerate until ready to reheat. “If refrigerating the stuffing, simply store in an airtight container to prevent drying out,” says Tiner. Prep Ingredients Separately Another option is to make the wet and dry ingredients and store them separately in the fridge until it’s time to bake. A few days ahead, make the cornbread, cool completely, and crumble. Tear bread into cubes. Dry the breadcrumbs on large baking trays one to two days before using, and store them in a ziplock bag. Cook the aromatics, sausage, or other additions a day or two in advance, cool, and store them in an airtight container. The day of serving, assemble the dish and bake. Freeze The Stuffing If making stuffing farther in advance, freeze it for best results. You can freeze cooled, fully cooked stuffing or assemble the dish up until the point of baking and freeze it. Either way, store the stuffing in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. “If using a bag, flatten out to allow the mixture to freeze quicker and take up less space,” Tiner says. Whether baked or unbaked, stuffing can be frozen for two to six months. How To Reheat Make-Ahead Stuffing The big meal has arrived, and it’s finally time to reheat your make-ahead stuffing. But is it as simple as popping it in the oven? If your stuffing is frozen, make sure to thaw it completely first. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place stuffing in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake uncooked stuffing for the length of time stated in the recipe. Stuffing that has already been baked can be rewarmed for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. If your stuffing was stored in the refrigerator, set it out for 30 minutes before baking it in the oven at 350°F. “You may need to add a little broth or water to maintain the moistness of the stuffing while reheating,” Tiner says. “It is important that you reheat the stuffing to an internal temperature of 165°F before removing to serve.”.
https://www.southernliving.com/can-make-stuffing-ahead-11855250
Can You Make Stuffing Ahead Of Time For Thanksgiving?
