Wellie's Sage & Walnut Stuffing (my own recipe - all measurements approximate)
1 stick of butter (8 tbsp)
2 bags of Martin's potato bread cubes (get at least a week in advance and let it go stale)
1 - 2 cups crushed walnuts (you want it small and chunky, not powdery)
2 tbsp dried sage
1 - 2 cups chopped celery
Make as much as "looks right" for the celery and walnuts. I never really measure it, just fill up the bottom of my skillet. Also, you can add chopped mushrooms to this and that's pretty good, too. If you add mushrooms put it in the skillet at the same time as the walnuts and celery. Also, I'd decrease the amount of celery and walnuts just a tich so you have the same amount of "additions" total.
Melt butter in a *large* skillet. (If your skillet isn't big enough to do it all at once, just put in half of each item.) Once butter is melted add celery and walnuts to pan until celery is clear and walnuts toasted (a couple minutes, stirring frequently). In a separate bowl mix sage and bread cubes (A brown paper bag is a good alternative, letting you shake it so the sage gets evenly distributed with the bread.) Slowly add bread skillet stirring often to coat all the bread with the butter mixture.
This usually gives me plenty of stuffing to put in the bird and to put in a dish to bake. For the stuff going in the bird I like
this method for ensuring food safety and still getting that awesome "cooked in the turkey" taste. I bake the non-turkey-stuffed as my turkey is resting and I'm making the gravy. It goes in the oven at a 350* oven for about 45 minutes. I cover it the first 35 minutes with aluminum foil and take the foil off for the last 10 so you get a nicely browned and crisp top.
