apple and onion stuffing

This is my aunts go to recipe, such to the extent that now I just call it her stuffing. She normally makes these in muffin cups, "stuffin' muffins", and they develop a perfect crispy shell all over that you can't get in a pan. You can adjust this recipe based on your preferences– my aunt always adds sausage. Her stuffing is always what I look forward to eating around Thanksgiving, yet now I have no excuse to wait till November rolls around to eat her stuffing – I can make it myself!

What you need: Makes about 2 9-inch pans of stuffing

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan

• 1 stick butter, softened

• 1 fresh bay leaf, available in produce department

• 4 ribs celery and greens, from the heart, chopped (save time and purchase celery already washed, trimmed and cut into sticks, this makes chopping fast work)

• 1 medium to large yellow skinned onion, chopped

• 3 McIntosh apples, quartered and chopped

• Salt and pepper

• 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

• 8 cups cubed stuffing mix (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)

• 2 to 3 cups chicken stock, available in paper containers on the soup aisle

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil to skillet and 4 tablespoons butter. When butter melts, add bay leaf and add the vegetables as you chop them, celery, onions then apples.

3. Sprinkle the vegetables and apples with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.

4. Cook 5 to 6 minutes to begin to soften vegetables and apples then add parsley and stuffing cubes to the pan and combine. Moisten the stuffing with chicken broth until all of the bread is soft but not wet.

5. Butter two dishes, with remaining butter. Remove the bay leaf as you scoop the stuffing when you come upon it. Bake until set and crisp on top, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove stuffing serve hot or room temperature.

Recipe from: Rachel Ray