I have two recipes I use -- one more traditional than the other. People seem to enjoy both, so I keep making two recipes each year. Country-Bread Stuffing with Parmesan, Raisins, and Pine Nuts (Note: I omit the raisins!) Serves 12 Nonstick veg. oil spray 2 - 14 1/2 oz loaves country-style white sourdough bread, crusts trimmed, bread cut into 3/4 inch pieces (about 16 cups) 8 Tbs olive oil 1 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 1/2 ozs) 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter 2 very large red onions, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 ozs) 3 1/2 c. coarsely chopped celery 2 large red bell peppers, coarsely chopped 8 garlic cloves, chopped 4 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary 4 tsp. dried oregano 3/4 c raisins (I omit) 3/4 c pine nuts, toasted 1/2 - 3/4 c thinly sliced fresh basil 4 large eggs, beaten to blend extra broth Preheat oven to 400. Spray 2 large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray. Place half of bread pieces in large bowl. Add 3 Tbs. oil and toss to coat, then add 1/2 c Parmesan cheese and toss. Spread bread in single layer on 1 prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining bread, 3 Tbs oil, and 1/2 c cheese; spread on second sheet. Bake bread until golden, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheets. Transfer to very large bowl. (I do this the night before and store in air-proof container until next day.) Melt 1/4 c. butter with remaining 2 Tbs. oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, and bell peppers; saute until vegetables begin to brown and are almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add chopped garlic, rosemary, and oregano; stir 1 minute. Add raisins and pine nuts; stir 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread. Stir 1/2 c. basil and remaining 1/2 c Parmesan into stuffing. Season generously with salt and pepper. Mix eggs into stuffing. Preheat oven to 350. Generously butter 15x10x2 inch glass baking dish. Add enough extra broth to moisten (3/4 c to 1 1/4 cups) Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake untiil heated through, about 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 20 minutes longer. (from Bon Appetit 2001) This is a new version of a traditional recipe for a slow cooker: Old-Fashioned Sage Stuffing Casserole Setting and Cooking Times: HIGH for one hour, then LOW for 5-6 hours Serves 6 1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, or 1/2 c olive oil 2 large yellow onions, minced 4 ribs celery, chopped 1 tart apple, peeled, cored, and chopped; or 1 large carrot, chopped 1 small loaf French bread, cut into small cubes One 7-oz package seasoned stuffing mix, or 2 c crumbled day-old cornbread 1/2 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 1/2 tsp. dried sage 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1 1/2 tsp dried marjoram 1 tsp salt A few grinds of black or white pepper 1 large egg (optional), beaten 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 c turkey or chicken broth, as needed 2 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces In a large skillet, heat the butter until melted over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and apple and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Put the bread and stuffing mix in a large bowl. Add the parsley, dried herbs, salt, and pepper and toss to combine. Pour the sauteed vegetables over the bread cubes and mix together. Add the egg and enough of the broth, stirring, until the ingredients are evenly moistened. Taste to adjust the seasonings. Coat the slow cooker with butter, olive oil, or nonstick cooking spray. Pack the stuffing lightly into the cooker. Dot with the butter pieces and sprinkle with a few more tablespoons of chicken broth. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to LOW and cook until puffy and nicely borwn around the edges, 4-5 hours. The dressing can sit in the cooker, covered, on KEEP WARM for 2-3 hours before serving. Serve hot right out of the crockpot. (from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook)

I agree, Louise, I want beef rare. Really rare. gyr, you won't get any flack here either. I often pour a can of Coke or Dr. Pepper over a ham, and then glaze it during the last hour, some of my family likes the really sweet and crunchy outside edges. meyati, I also don't feel that good beef needs any "help", other than salt and pepper. My own ham was nice and moist, with a crunchy outside layer of brown sugar and mustard. I like pineapple but The Princess does not, so I didn't use that. We are having a LOT of leftovers, including some in today's bean soup. dcarch, I'm not a huge fan of ham either, it's definitely something I can take or leave, but the family loves the stuff. My ham wasn't cheaper, though. I bought a whole hog locally for $1.29 a pound, and that included packaging. Since packaging is usually about 50 cents a pound, that made my pig 79 cents a pound, based on hanging weight. However, anything I wanted smoked was an additional 99 cents a pound, so ham costs me nearly $1 a pound more than fresh pork does. Same with bacon. Annie

I prefer a mix of breads, sourdough, wheat, rye, French/Italian, etc. Not into cornbread in there but I'll eat a little of it if nothing else is appealing. I know there's some who insist that cornbread must not be sweetened and to me that's about as arrogant as to insist that tea must be sweetened. I prefer both unsweetened but to each their own. Reminds me of some Youtube videos I've seen where people are saying "you don't want it to be ____..." or "you don't want large chunks (or small chunks or whatever)..." and I just think how the h#$% do YOU know what *I* want or like? Sheesh.

I just made stuffed pork chops last night. And bought a bag of the blue Pepperidge Farms stuffing cubes. I found all kinds of cool recipes for salmon dishes online, like shrimp stuffed or topped salmon, etc. but my husband is very traditional and likes plain food. He also doesn't like lemony things, which for me is a natural combo with fish. I've had salmon a couple of times for small Thanksgiving dinners, but didn't make dressing those times. I made roasted potatoes and other root vegetables for the starch, and wild or regular rice pilaf. Hubs doesn't want that. I don't mind indulging him. We are having to stay home by ourselves this year due to hubs recuperating from hip replacement surgery. His incision is still healing so he has limited mobility, but the worst thing is he is suffering from lack of sleep. He can't sleep on his back with his legs relatively immobile. He claims sleeping pills do not work. So he's stressed and not up to travel. Will be a couple more weeks before he can lay on his side, either side.