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I am so excited about sharing this recipe with you today for Mary Berry's Sage & Onion Stuffing. I don't know about you, but the stuffing is my favourite part of any holiday meal.  I could eat just a plate of stuffing and nothing else.

I had always made my mother's stuffing and loved it, but I discovered Mary Berry's stuffing a few years ago and fell in love with it. I have been making it Mary's way ever since! 

Mary Berry is not only an expert baker, as her reputation from the GBBO suggests.  She is also an expert in all types of cooking.  I trust her recipes implicitly.  They are impeccable.

I don't know about you, but I miss her on the GBBO. In my opinion, although it is still a good show, it just has not been the same without her on it.  She was the best.

  

One reason I have fallen in love with this stuffing is because of the simplicity of its preparation.  It takes relatively few ingredients and goes together very quickly.

Simple ingredients put together in an incredibly delicious way, but then again, you would expect nothing less from Mary Berry. Just the name implies perfection.

 

For this you will need to peel and chop some onions. One pound to be exact, which may sound like a lot, but trust me, this is the perfect amount.  These are covered with cold water and brought to the boil.

You then simmer them for about 15 minutes, until they are meltingly soft.  You will need to drain them at that point. Make sure you drain them really well so that you don't end up with soggy stuffing.

 

Stuffing should be moist, but never soggy.  Soggy is a big no, no.  I return the well drained onions to the saucepan and then I add the butter, melting it into the onions.  Perfection . . .

I make my own soft light bread crumbs. You can remove the crusts if you want, but I never do. I have never minded the crusts.  I make them into crumbs in my small food processor, crumbing about 2 slices at a time.

 

Other than that all you need is some fresh sage, salt and pepper.  Simple. You can use dried sage if you want to.  I have had to before.  Dried sage works very well actually. Just use half the amount as fresh.

I always taste and then season or add sage according to my taste. Sometimes it will need more. I am not sure why that is.

 

Most of the time I cook my stuffing in a buttered casserole dish rather than inside the bird. I have read that it is safer to do that. But in all honesty that is not why I choose to do this.

I like the crispy edges that the stuffing gets when you bake it in a casserole dish.  It gets a buttery crispness on the bottom and on the top.

 

On this particular day I didn't, but I can assure you it is very delicious with potato in it as well, although it is not as dry. It will be much moister.  And heavier.

I suppose they started doing that to help to extend the amount of stuffing and then enjoyed it so much that they just kept doing it.

Although it was still quite good, I preferred the sage and onion simple bread stuffing.  It is what I grew up with and it is the flavour I think goes the best with a roasted bird.  Its that simple.

In any case I hope you will try this sage and onion stuffing this year!  I think you will agree, it is phenomenal.  You just cannot go wrong with a Mary Berry recipe.  You realy can't!

So what is your favourite way to stuff a bird? Do you cook your stuffing inside  or on the outside of the bird? Why is this your choice?  I really want to know! 

Note - One potato mashed can be stirred into the bread crumbs along with the onion and then you have Bread, Sage & Onion Stuffing.  This is as my mother always made it.

• use the proper potato. You want a floury type of potato, that is to say one that breaks down well once cooked. You do not want a waxy type of potato, or one that holds it's shape well when cooked. Some great examples of floury potatoes are Maris Piper, Estima, King Edward or Desiree (In North America use a Russet, Idaho or baking potato)
• Do not make the mistake of not cooking the potatoes long enough. Better to err on the side of overcooking than undercooking. You cannot mash a hard lump no matter how hard you try!
• Never add cold butter or milk to cooked potatoes. Always use room temperature or melted butter and gently warmed milk or cream
• Add any liquid to the cooked potatoes slowly. Some days you may need more, some days you may need less. How much can only be determined by adding it slowly.

*Perfect Mashed Potatoes*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Simple and perfect!

2 pounds of large floury potatoes (In the UK a Maris Piper is ideal, in North America
I would use a russet or idaho)
4 ounces unsalted butter (1/2 cup, or one stick)
4 fluid ounces of single cream or full fat milk (1/2 cup) gently warmed
fine seasalt, freshly ground pepper and freshly grated nutmeg

Peel and quarter the potatoes then place the potatoes into a pot of lightly salted water to cover.  Bring to the boil and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until fork tender.  Drain well in a colander and then return them to the hot pot.  Cover with the lid and give them a good shake, which will help to break them up.  Add the butter and warmed cream or milk, adding the latter a little at a time, whilst mashing the potatoes, only adding as much as is needed to give you the correct consistency.  Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.  The potatoes should be light, fluffy, creamy and  ready to eat.

Note - I often use my electric handwhisk to mash the potatoes.  This helps to insure a smooth mixture without lumps.  I also have a potato ricer, which does a fabulous lump free job.