Giblet Sage Dressing

1. The Flavor: The combination of giblets, sage, and other herbs creates a depth of flavor that’s hearty and satisfying, making it the perfect complement to any Thanksgiving feast.
2. Family Tradition: This giblet sage dressing has a long history in my family, having been passed down through generations since the early 1800s. It brings an unspoken sense of nostalgia and connection to our family gatherings.
3. Smell of the Holidays: The fresh sage and cooked giblets infuse the kitchen with an irresistible aroma that fills the house with warmth, setting the tone for a festive holiday gathering.

To successfully prepare this Candied Sweet Potatoes recipe, or any recipe for that matter, it’s important to have good organization. In cooking, this is known as “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its place.” Before you begin cooking, take a moment to read and understand the entire recipe, gather your tools, measure and prep all the ingredients. This helps streamline the cooking process and ensures you’re ready for each step with no surprises, making things far less stressful in the kitchen.

Ingredients for Giblet Sage Dressing

• Dried bread: Provides the base texture, perfect for soaking up the flavorful broth.
• Turkey giblets: Adds rich depth, bringing an authentic touch to the dressing.
• Celery: Adds a crisp texture and light, aromatic flavor.
• Yellow Onion: Brings a subtle sweetness and depth to the dressing.
• Fresh garlic: Enhances the savory profile with a mild pungency.
• Unsalted butter: Provides a creamy richness, helping to bind the dressing.
• Chicken Stock: Infuses moisture and richness, helping meld all the flavors together.
• Allspice: Introduces a blend of clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon notes, enhancing the complexity.
• Nutmeg: Adds a subtle warmth with its sweet, earthy spice.
• Kosher salt: Balances and elevates the flavors of the dish.
• Fresh ground pepper: Adds a gentle heat with a bright, sharp finish.

Bread – The Star of the Show

Lets face it.  Bread is the star of giblet sage dressing, soaking up rich flavors from the broth, herbs, and giblets to create a perfectly tender, almost custard-like texture. Its absorbent quality allows every bite to be infused with the savory deliciousness of the dish.

Choosing the Best Bread

When selecting bread for dressing, it’s key to think about texture. While whole-grain breads bring more flavor on their own, they can be too coarse for dressing. For a custardy, tender result, white bread—whether basic supermarket “Italian” or “French” bread, or even quality white sandwich bread—works best. Its finer hole structure allows it to absorb and hold onto flavorful stock better, which is essential in a dish like giblet sage dressing.

Drying Bread vs. Using Stale Bread

Recipes often call for stale bread, but drying is actually what we need. Stale bread becomes leathery as moisture redistributes within, leaving it chewy but not quite dry. Properly dried bread, however, becomes crisp and cracker-like, ready to soak up every bit of delicious stock.

To dry the bread, spread cubes on a baking sheet and toast them in a low oven (270°F) for about 45 minutes, tossing halfway through. This method transforms about two loaves into the perfect base, ready to soak up six full cups of broth for your dressing.

How to Make Giblet Sage Dressing

• Rinse the giblets, including the extra skin from around the neck.  Add chicken gizzards to make 16 ounces.  Simmer the giblets until fully cooked.  Save the broth to use later in the dressing.

• Preheat your oven to 270°F, while the oven is heating up, cut the bread into 1/2 inch cubes and spread evenly on two cookie sheets.

• Place the cookie sheets in the oven until the bread is dry – 45-60 minutes, depending upon how densely you pack the bread – turn the bread about half way through the cooking time.  When done, remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

• While the bread is drying, dice the celery and onion and place in a large mixing bowl.
• After you remove the bread rom the oven, set the oven temperature to 350°F.
• Place the dried bread cubes into the large mixing bowl with the celery and onion.  Evenly distribute the butter pats over the top of the bread cubes.  Add the garlic, sage, and allspice.  Then add 2 cups of the turkey broth and stir to combine.
• Add the eggs to the dressing and stir to combine.  Add 2 cups of chicken stock, stir to combine.  At this point, taste the dressing, the add seasoning (salt and pepper) to your taste.  The bread should be moist but not saturated.  Add up to 2 more cups of chicken stock if necessary taking care not to add so much stock that the dressing becomes mushy.
• Spray a 13 x 9 casserole dish with non-stick coating.  Add the dressing to the casserole dish and cook in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes.

Storing Leftovers

Refrigerator – Up to 3 days

If you have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator using an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freezer – Up to 3 months

You can freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.