A Labor of Love

Have you ever used the term, “labor of love?” As in, the said work may not be fun or easy, but is done out of love? I feel it can apply to various challenges in life, but recently I’ve been using it when referring to cooking in the kitchen. The kind of cooking you do only a few times a year that leaves you sweaty and tired, yet proud and fulfilled.

These times of cooking generally only come for me during a holiday. Although cooking truly brings joy and life to me, I don’t always necessarily crave doing so. After all, it is tough stuff at times. Macaroni and cheese with cheese sauce made from scratch is a labor of love. Pot roast, homemade noodles, multi-tiered cakes, freshly made and baked bread…all examples of labor of loves.

This Thanksgiving

We’ve recently had Thanksgiving, and man, do I adore Thanksgiving food! It’s probably mostly because I love turkey, something you don’t hear many people say. Many critics out there quick to harshly judge the famous Thanksgiving protein, especially for its “lack of flavor” and “tendency to be dry”. However, I’ve always been a huge, raving fan of this plump, savory bird.

You could call me “a classic Thanksgiving food connoisseur”. When it comes to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, I want the tender, delectable turkey, creamy mashed potatoes and gravy, roasted green beans, homemade macaroni and cheese, and flavorful stuffing. No, I am not a fan of casseroles at Thanksgiving (or really ever, for that matter). Not being a casserole fan is probably an unpopular voice to have, but I just don’t believe casseroles are as good as a quality, single side dish. The real flavor of the food can’t shine when hidden in a sea of creamed soup, cheese, and sour cream.

So, if it’s up to me, we are casserole-free at Thanksgiving, and I make everything from scratch. It’s probably a good time to tell you that I only do a meal this extravagant about once a year. I am not someone who labors in the kitchen all day, every day to produce a Pinterest-perfect meal. If you’ve read any of my other posts, you understand this about me. Not that there is anything wrong with doing so, I simply prefer simpler, more timely meals, except this day.

My 2022 Thanksgiving was filled with fabulous food, simplicity, and family. We visited my brother and his wife, who live in Charleston, South Carolina. I spent the actual day of Thanksgiving cooking with my sister-in-law. We ate on stylish, Thanksgiving-themed paper plates around a long table that welcomed not only us, but some of their friends who needed somewhere to go for the holiday.

Different from my holiday festivities growing up, it was much smaller and quieter. My childhood Thanksgiving celebrations were very full: full of people, food, vibrancy, and noise. Our feast was potluck-style, and we ate on Styrofoam plates, packed in a house with only one bathroom for about 70 people. Oh, how different my holiday celebrations are today!

My Thanksgiving Dream

Now that we’re clear on my no-casserole policy, love for turkey, and my typical Thanksgivings of the past, I do want to share a Thanksgiving dream of mine. Along with God’s goodness and typing it here, maybe it will happen. I dream of hosting a more fancy Thanksgiving dinner. A real, sit-down, place-cards-and-linen-napkin dinner. One complete with a gorgeous table display worthy of Country Living Magazine praise.

You know what I’m dreaming of, right? My mental image portrays a classic photo of beautiful food and an even more beautifully decorated table, fashioned with all of the fall garb. For whatever reason, it simply speaks to my soul. A tangible symbol of my passion and love for food, and quality time spent with those I love.

I am not sure when this will happen, but it will. Even though my strengths do not lie in themed decor, having a visually beautiful Thanksgiving will be mine someday. I’ll make all the food from scratch, serve it on fancy serving plates, take photos of the perfect whipped cream swirls atop the pie slices, and wear a nice outfit. A nice outfit compared to the thrift store turkey shirt I wore this year.

When this dream happens, I’ll photograph everything. Every detail will be noticed and cherished. We see photos so often nowadays, that I believe we’ve lost some appreciation for the magic of photos and what they truly capture: the moment. A raw, real moment in its glory.

Photos encapsulate everything about a moment, the smell, feel, sound, and look, and allow you to relive it all when looking upon. These photos will be a lovely reminder of my dream come true. But for now, I’ll fantasize and relish my amazing most recent Thanksgiving. Partially because of my homemade stuffing; it was pretty close to perfect.

From Scratch Stuffing

In case you’re wondering about this close-to-perfect stuffing, I am here to share it with you! You have probably come to realize that sharing my recipes is one of my passions. Good food is meant to be shared. As a precursor, this stuffing is a labor of love. Even more so because this time, I chose to bake the bread from scratch. This is not a must-do, I simply wanted to.

All this to say, it was delicious. This stuffing had the exact balance of softness and crisp, with a superb blend of savory and herb. If you’re a fan of the boxed stuffing, (and you should be, because they really are pretty fantastic), you will love this recipe. It’s as aromatic and satisfying as the boxed stuff, but comes with a side of pride as a result of the time and energy spent on its formation.

Tips when it comes to the stuffing: plan it out ahead of time, and be prepared to wander from the recipe a bit if need be. For best results, lay out the chunks of bread to air-dry before toasting them in the oven. Using vegetable stock gives more flavor to everything, and I prefer to use salted butter versus unsalted. Fresh or dried herbs, or some of both can be used, and know that dried herbs pack more flavor.

Feel free to get creative and add other simply vegetables to yours, like kale, spinach, squash or zucchini. For us, this stuffing literally stuffed the bird, and was also served as a side dish because we had plenty of it to go around.

The Recipe

From Scratch Stuffing

Serves: 8-10

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour minutes

-1 loaf bread (ideally a fresh-baked from a bakery or homemade loaf—anything but sandwich bread)

-2 large carrots

-3 stalks celery

-1 onion

-4-5 garlic cloves (or 3-4 tsp pre-minced garlic)

-2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

-4 tbsp butter

-1 tbsp parsley (if dried, or 1 small bunch fresh)

-1 tsp sage (if dried, or 3-4 leaves finely chopped)

-1 tsp rosemary

-1 tsp thyme

-1 tsp salt

-1 tsp pepper

The loaf of bread is best when left out for a day in order to become less soft. Slice the loaf and cut into small chunks/pieces, about 1 inch in size. It’s okay, and even preferred if bread crumbles a bit here and there. Place the bread chunks evenly spaced on baking sheets, and bake for 30 minutes at 275 degrees. Turn once during the process.

When finished, allow them to cool before placing in a large baking dish. Melt butter in half of the broth (microwave is fine), and pour over bread chunks. Chop the celery, onions, and garlic, and stir into the bread chunks. Grate the carrots into the mixture and stir. Add all of the spices and herbs, and stir well.

Cover with foil and either place in fridge for later use (I recommend doing it the night before baking). Bake covered at 350 for at least 45 minutes, adding more broth once or twice during the baking process. Stir each time. Allow to bake uncovered the last 15 minutes. If too dry, add more broth, as different breads soak up more liquid than others.

*if using it to stuff the turkey or chicken, do so before it’s baked.

Final Thoughts

If you choose to make this dish, I hope you embrace it. It brings me joy to think of this dish as a masterpiece in your kitchen and on your table. Bread is always one of those comfort foods, in my opinion, so stuffing is simply bread surrounded by other comfort foods.

Taking on a labor of love isn’t always easy, and there’s bound to be a mistake or two. This is okay, and welcomed. Because just like other things in life produced from labor (children, a degree, a difficult relationship, a career, building a home, etc.) it is well worth it. Create your beautiful meals with love, my friends, and cherish this season!