Stuffing — The Side Dish I’m Bringing to Every New Table I’m Invited To

Hispanic Heritage Month again. Year two of my Lucas's-classroom tradition. Lucas, five years old now, in kindergarten this year, with a teacher named Ms. Okafor who is Nigerian and who also loves food, asked me to come in again. I said yes.

This time I brought arroz con pollo in mini bowls, thirty portions for thirty kindergarteners, plus two extras for Ms. Okafor and the teaching assistant. Lucas was sitting at his desk when I walked in with the big insulated bag. His face lit up. He said, "That is my Abuela! My Abuela is here! She makes the best food!" Ms. Okafor gave me a warm smile. The kids looked at me with the professional curiosity of five-year-olds.

I talked for four minutes about Puerto Rico. About how it is an island. About how it has a lot of sun. About how the food has chicken and rice and a special sauce called sofrito. I asked the kids if they had eaten chicken before. Every hand went up. I asked if they had eaten rice. Every hand went up. I asked if they had eaten them together. Most hands went up. I said, "Then you are ready for arroz con pollo." They laughed. I served the bowls.

The best comment came from a boy named Desmond, who took a bite and said, "This is better than my dad's chicken." The worst comment came from a girl named Olivia, who said, "My mom does not let me eat yellow rice." I said, "Baby, yellow rice is the same rice, just happier." She considered this. She ate three bites. Lucas was beaming the whole time. He kept turning to the kid next to him — a boy named Ahmed — and saying, "See? My Abuela."

Jenny picked Lucas up at 12:15. She said, "Ma, Ms. Okafor wants to be your friend. She said she wants to invite us to her family's post-Thanksgiving dinner." I said, "Jenny, I will host Thanksgiving." Jenny said, "I know. I am saying she is a friend now." I said, "Tell Ms. Okafor I will come if she wants. I will bring pernil." Jenny laughed. Jenny said, "She will love that."

Sunday dinner was the usual spread. Mami came. She asked about Lucas's classroom. I told her. She said, "Good. The children should eat their cultures in school. That is how you keep the cultures from dying." She has been unusually clear about the big things lately. Her little memories go; her principles stay. This is its own kind of grace. Wepa.

When Jenny told me Ms. Okafor wants to be my friend — that she wants to invite us to her family’s post-Thanksgiving dinner — I felt something open up in my chest. I already told Jenny I will host Thanksgiving and that I will bring pernil to Ms. Okafor’s, and I meant both of those things. But I also started thinking about what belongs on my Thanksgiving table that everyone already knows, that every hand in the room goes up for — the way every hand went up when I asked those kindergarteners if they had eaten chicken, if they had eaten rice. Stuffing is that dish. It is the one that says: you are welcome here, this table is yours, we all already know this food together.

Stuffing

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 1 loaf (about 14 oz) day-old white or sourdough bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 stalks celery, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, warmed
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Dry the bread. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on two large baking sheets. Let them sit out uncovered overnight, or toast in a 275°F oven for 30 minutes until dried through but not browned. Transfer to a very large mixing bowl.
2. Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray and set aside.
3. Sauté the aromatics. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute more until fragrant. Remove from heat.
4. Combine. Pour the vegetable and butter mixture over the dried bread cubes. Add the chopped parsley and toss gently to coat.
5. Add the liquid. Whisk the beaten eggs into the warm chicken broth. Pour the mixture over the bread, starting with 2 cups. Toss gently — the bread should be moist throughout but not soggy. Add remaining broth a few tablespoons at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
6. Bake covered. Transfer stuffing to the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Bake uncovered. Remove the foil and continue baking for 15 minutes, until the top is golden and lightly crisp at the edges. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 275 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 460mg