Turkey and Stuffing Casserole

I will never make a whole turkey ever again. This is perfection. The stuffing was the best I'd ever had. Add a few sides dishes and some gravy, and Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner is done. Perfection.

I used a turkey London broil (boneless skinless turkey breast), that I cut into two halves, and 3 turkey legs.  The breast pieces definitely needed to be taken out a little earlier than the legs, only by about 15 minutes or so. Next time, I'm going to brine the turkey pieces and use breasts with the skin on. I'm telling you, this is perfection.

Turkey and Stuffing Casserole
A variation on this recipe from Budget Bytes



6 ounces bacon, diced
1/2 bunch celery, diced
2 medium apples, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 loaf French bread, cubed
1 teaspoon chicken base
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 pounds turkey pieces

Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crispy. Add the onion, apples, celery, and garlic to the cooked bacon. Sauté just until slightly softened (about five minutes). Turn off the heat and add the thyme, sage, freshly cracked pepper, and salt to taste.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. If your bread is fresh, slice it and place it in the oven as it heats up to dry it out. Or, buy the bread a couple of days ahead of time and allow it to dry out or get stale on your countertop. Once the bread is dry, cut it into small cubes. Add the cubed bread and parsley to the cooked vegetables and bacon. Stir until everything is well mixed.

Mix one teaspoon of chicken base with one cup of hot water. Pour this over the bread mixture and stir until everything is well coated. Transfer the stuffing mixture to a large 9x13 inch glass casserole dish.

Unwrap the turkey pieces and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Arrange the turkey pieces over the stuffing in the casserole dish. Place the whole dish in the oven and let roast, uncovered, for one and a half hours. The turkey skin should be brown and crispy and the stuffing should be bubbling around the edges. Transfer turkey pieces to a plate and let rest under tin foil for about 10 minutes. During that time, return stuffing to oven and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the stuffing to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.