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Stuff it.

December 1, 1996 |

Dear Garrison,

I spoke with you at the reception following your show here in Tucson, and mentioned that I had a recipe for Southwestern-style stuffing for Thanksgiving. (I'm the microbiologist who used to have a Minnesotan roommate, Eric Olson) I got the recipe from my sister in Santa Fe, who got it from a local restaurant there. It really is great, good luck,

stuffing recipe: 2 medium onions
2 cups chopped mushrooms
1 large green chili pepper, chopped (mild to medium hot)
2 cups colorful bell peppers (red and yellow preferred, green okay)
2- 16 oz packages frozen whole kernel corn
3/4 to 1 lb grated mozarella cheese
2 medium to large, ripe tomatoes, chopped
16 oz frozen green chili (thawed of course)
8 oz frozen red chili (thawed, as above)
2 and 1/2 cups bread crumbs
1 Tbs butter
2 Tbs sesame oil
salt, tamari, and garlic to taste

In a large skillet melt 1 Tbs butter and add 2 Tbs sesame oil. Then saute onions, fresh green chili and mushrooms until tender. In a large bowl, mix the onions, chili and mushrooms with the bell peppers, corn, and tomatoes. Then add spices, remaining chili, bread crumbs and cheese. A touch of parmesan is good, too. Adjust spices to taste.

This recipe will stuff a large turkey, with leftovers for pan stuffing.

For added flavor, try adding pinon nuts

Marc Orbach
Department of Plant Pathology
University of Arizona
Tucson

Dear Marc,

I have a new theory of turkey stuffing, which is: never stuff a turkey with anything that the turkey himself would not have enjoyed eating. Turkeys eat bread crumbs and sage, and maybe onions and peppers, but turkeys don't eat cheese. I will bet you my hat they don't. Oh, maybe one or two turkeys will, but not the majority of turkeys.

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