½ cup butter, softened 2 teaspoon snipped fresh sage 2 teaspoon snipped fresh rosemary 2 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme 1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper ⅓ cup honey

Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing

1 ½ cup chopped or sliced celery (3 stalks) 1 cup chopped onion (1 large) ½ cup butter or margarine 1 tablespoon snipped fresh sage or 1 tsp. poultry seasoning or ground sage ¼ teaspoon black pepper 12 cup dry bread cubes 1 cup chicken broth* Sage leaves (optional)

Buttery Herb-Rubbed Roast Turkey:

For herb-butter, in a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup softened butter; 3 tablespoons snipped fresh thyme, basil, oregano, and/or chives; and 2 cloves garlic, minced. Prepare turkey as directed, up to placing it in the roasting pan and stopping before brushing the skin with oil. Starting at the tail end of the turkey, loosen the skin on both breasts by sliding your fingers under the skin, being careful not to tear it. Slide your hand as far as you can toward the other end of the turkey, separating the skin from the meat. Rub about two-thirds of the herb-butter seasoning under the skin over the breasts. Rub the remaining herb-butter mixture over the entire turkey. If desired, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast as directed.

Turkey Aromatics

If you aren’t stuffing the turkey, fill the cavity with aromatics. As they heat, these fruits, vegetables, and herbs release scented steam into the turkey cavity, flavoring the meat from within. Aromatics are not eaten, so no need to remove peels and stems. After sprinkling the cavity with salt and pepper, insert 1 medium orange, cut into wedges; 1 medium apple, cored and cut into wedges; 1 medium onion, cut into wedges; 1 small bulb garlic, top and bottom cut off to expose cloves; and 3 sprigs fresh sage, thyme, and/or rosemary into the cavity. Continue as directed in Step 1. Discard aromatics after roasting

Test Kitchen Tip:*

If using to stuff a turkey, reduce broth to 3/4 to 1 cup. Try a mix of whole wheat, white, and multi-grain bread cubes for extra flavor.

Stuffing Addition Options:

  1. Stir 2 medium cored and chopped apples into bread cubes. 2) Omit 1 cup of the celery and substitute 2 cups sliced mushrooms. Cook mushrooms with the celery in Step 1, above. 3) Stir one 15-ounce can chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped, into bread cubes. 4) Stir 1 cup cooked wild rice into bread cubes.