Bread Stuffing (Nova Scotia)

A classic potato and bread stuffing from the Maritimes. We call it dressing whether you cook it in or outside the turkey.

12 cups white bread, torn and stale
3 large russet potatoes
1 Tbsp. garlic salt
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 large onions, diced
½ cup unsalted butter, divided
2 Tbsp. dried summer savoury

Three days before cooking, tear 12 slices of bread and put on a baking sheet to dry out. If you don't have time, lightly toast the bread and tear before making the stuffing.

Preheat an oven to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5).

Boil the potatoes and coarsely mash with 2 Tbsp. butter and garlic salt.

Over medium heat melt ¼ cup butter, add onion and summer savoury. Sauté 3 minutes. Add remaining ¼ cup butter and remove from heat when it is melted.

In a large bowl combine mashed potatoes, bread and onion mixture. Do not overmix as it will get gummy.

Put in a glass baking dish and cover. Cook for 40 minutes. Then remove the cover and cook a final 20 minutes.

Makes 14 servings.

Cook's Notes:

• Savoury: If you do not have summer savoury you can substitute equal parts dried sage and thyme. Or whatever dried herbs you prefer. However, the real taste of the Maritimes is to use summer savoury. Savoury has a unique flavour and is an important ingredient in this dish.
• Potatoes: Russet potatoes are best, also known as PEI potatoes or baking potatoes. You want something starchy. Red potatoes are too waxy as are many other potato varieties but thankfully russets are easy to find.
• Butter Unsalted: At room temperature.
• Garlic Salt: I know this sounds weird but trust me. If you’re really opposed to it I would say just make mashed potatoes as you like them. However do not whip them. This is a rustic dish and the potatoes need to be coarse.
• Stale Bread: We use white bread because this isn’t even close to a healthy recipe so why pretend. But if you want to use whole wheat bread, sourdough or gluten-free bread go ahead. Three days before you plan to make the turkey dressing tear the bread into small pieces (~ 1"). Let it sit out on a baking tray and turn over each day. If you forget to take out the bread don’t worry. Just lightly toast it and tear it into pieces. The idea is that you want to take the moisture out of the bread. I’ve done it both ways and no one notices.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Is it Safe to Cook Dressing in the Turkey? Well it is if you use a kitchen thermometer and the centre of the dressing registers 165°F. I recommend this digital cooking thermometer, which is cheap and reliable. My issue is that you have to cook the turkey so long for it to reach that temperature that the turkey breast is too dry.
• Can You Make Turkey Dressing in Advance? I have cooked it the night before and heated it up without any issue. If you feel like the dressing is a bit dry I would melt butter and drizzle it on then cover it when you reheat it.
• Can You Freeze Dressing? Short answer yes. But I don’t like it. I find when the dressing thaws the bread gets a bit soggy. It does hold up if you put it in turkey pot pies but on its own it doesn’t do well.