While you are waiting for that ham, you need munchies - mix 2 parts by volume cream cheese with 1 part slightly drained crushed pineapple - stuff into celery sticks, but press a groove in the middle of the cream cheese mixture. Put some red hot pepper jelly in a small ziplock bag, massaage enough to make "flowy", cut off a snip on one corner and pipe along the groove. (If playing with your jelly bothers you, you can melt the jelly a little in a microwave instead)
MIDWEST SAUSAGE AND DRIED CHERRY STUFFING
* 6 cups country style white bread, cubed and toasted
Ingredients
* 1 pound bulk pork sausage
* 1 stick of butter
* 2 chopped onions
* 4 ribs of chopped celery
* 2 1/2 tablespoons of crumbled sage leaves
* 1 1/2 teaspoons crumbled thyme leaves
* 1 cup dried cherries (purchase them dried)
* 1 cup toasted and chopped walnuts
* 1 cup of chicken stock (canned)
* salt and pepper (to taste)
Directions
1. Toast the 6 cups of bread cubes for 10 - 15 minutes in a 325 degree oven until golden. Transfer toasted cubes into a large bowl.
2. In a skillet, sauté the sausage, until brown. Drain grease and transfer it the bread bowl.
3. In the same skillet, using 1 stick of butter, sauté all of the vegetables for 10 minutes, until soft. Remove vegetables and place in bowl.
4. Now, in your bowl, combine the sausage, vegetables, cherries breadcrumbs and the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT for the chicken stock. Mix the ingredients until well combined.
5. Now add just enough chicken stock to moisten the bread mixture. You do not want it soaking wet.
6. If packing the turkey, stuff the neck and cavity loosely with stuffing, folding the neck skin under and fastening with a skewer. If not, lightly pack stuffing into a large, shallow stoneware-baking dish.
7. If you bake the stuffing inside the bird, roast the bird at 325 degrees for 15 minutes per pound, or until the temperature of the bird reaches 180 degrees and the juices run clear when thigh is pierced with fork. * If you back in a separate dish, drizzle the stuffing with a little bit of stock (do not soak). Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.