Roasted Garlic Savory DRESSING - 52 Holiday Side Dishes

I am posting the dishes that I made for my Holiday meal this week.  What would a turkey meal be like without a big pan of dressing.

Dressing is nothing more than a simple savory bread pudding.  Always use stale bread when making dressing.  the staleness lets  the bread absorb the seasoned liquid better, adding flavor thorughout every bite.

There are dozens fo dressing recipes out there.  This is a simple savory style, heavy with fresh herb flavors.  I add a little bit of Parmesan cheese for a nutty aroma and a ticker almost alfredo built in gravy.  There are people who do not like their dressing very moist.  That's OK for this recipe, just continue to bake until desired doneness... About 20 minutes extra with the dressing covered to prevent the top from over browning.

I like the "timing of this recipe.  You can roast the garlic ahead of time, then about an hour before dinner do most of the work on the dressing on top of the stove.  Once you remove the turkey from the oven, allow the bird to rest for 20 minutes or so before you carve the bird, pop the dressing into the oven and it will be done just as the bird is carved and everything is ready to serve.

Fresh and hot from the oven and very aromatic

This is what holidays smell like!

ENJOY and Merry Christmas!

 OK... Here;s what I did...

Roasted Garlic Savory DRESSING

Ingredients

• FOR THE ROASTED GARLIC - 1 head Garlic, top cut off
• 1 TBS Olive Oil
• Large Pinch of Sea Salt
• FOR THE DRESSING - 1 Large Sweet Onion
• 4 TBS Butter, Melted
• 4 TBS Flour
• 3 Cups Chicken Stock
• 1 Cup Half and Half
• 1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• OPTIONAL You can add extra vegetables if you like, diced Celery, Carrots, Peppers, Cook's Choice. Saute in butter to soften
• 1 Cup Fresh cut Herbs Mix of Traditional Herbs like Sage, Thyme, Parsley... I like Basil and Rosemary as well... Can substitute 1/2 cup Dried Herbs
• 2 Pound Ciabatta Bread (Left out cut in half dollar size pieces to get stale for a full day
• Optional Chopped Parsley for garnish

Cooking Directions

1. First, FOR THE ROASTED GARLIC... Use whole heads of garlic. Rub off the loose paper like skins, but leave some intact. Slice off about 1/4 inch of the top, exposing the garlic heads...get a large sheet of aluminum foil and center the garlic on the foil... And generously drizzle olive oil over each of the heads,being sure to coat each individual exposed clove.Add a pinch of Kosher Sea Salt to bring out the flavor...And finally, a few turns of a fresh peppercorn grinder...wrap and seal the aluminum foil. The Olive oil will steam the garlic, so put the seam side up or the oil will seep out into your oven....
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
3. Roast the aluminum pouch for 45 minutes
4. Pop out of the oven, open the pouch to cool slightly. As soon as the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the bulb and each roasted garlic clove will just pop out. No need to remove skins or anything more.
5. FOR THE DRESSING... Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
6. In a LARGE HEAVY Cast Iron Skillet, over medium high heat, melt butter. Add the Onion and saute for about 5 minutes until the Onions begin to soften.
7. Turn heat to low, add flour and stir continuously for 5 minutes until the ROUX takes on a nutty smell. Add the Chicken Stock, Half and Half and stir to mix.
8. Turn heat back up to medium high and heat to a low simmer. Meanwhile, mince the roasted garlic. Add this to the simmering liquid. Add the Parmesan Cheese and herbs and stir to mix.
9. Add the bread cubes and stir to combine. Everything should be well coated.
10. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and delicious. For a crispier dressing, cover with aluminum foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
11. Serve warm with a little Turkey gravy in the side and ENJOY!

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Ways to Cook Side Dish Recipes"!!!

Sure the meat gets all the glory but real cooks know it's the spread... the specialty Side Dishes that makes a meal rise or fall. Here's a few of my favorite recipes that will help to create that illusive COMPLETE MENU!

LOTS of Potato Sides, Vegetable Sides, Specialty Salads, Bread and MORE!

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