Marceline Lasater's ~ Amazing Apricot Stuffing

Betty's note: Marceline is one of (us) great cooks who starts with a basic recipe for her template.....and that's where "following the rules" leaves off and real creativity begins.  After a time, such recipes expand, enlarge, morph, & refine--until we have ourselves a masterpiece.  Rarely, do we do it the same way each time we cook.  That is the fun of it.

Welcome to cooking without a net!

Ingredients:

  • Large package Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Stuffing
  • 1 pkg. dried apricots, chopped
  • 1 tsp. diced or minced garlic (to taste)
  • 1 white or purple (for color) onion chopped
  • 1 cup fresh (or canned) cranberries (optional)
  • 1/2 to 1 cup chopped celery (optional, for more crunch)
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/2-1 cup chopped pecans
  • 2 1/2 cups water with 2 chicken bullion cubes (may have to add more water for best consistencey)--may substitute, 1 box chicken broth plus water to consistency.


    • Melt butter stick in hot water or chicken broth, depending on which one you are using.  *You may add celery and onion while bringing liquid to a boil, to soften them.  Fold rest of ingredients into 9x14 baking pan.   Bake at 300 for about an hour.

    Marceline's own comments:

    "This time I used a large package of Pepperidge cornbread stuffing. (In
    the past, I've only used two boxes of Stove Top turkey bread crumbs.   I
    chopped up a package of dried apricots and put in way too much diced
    garlic, a white onion (I ususally use purple, for color), and dried
    cranberries (I usually use fresh, but there were none in the grocery
    store.  I melted a stick of butter in 2.5 cups of hot water with two
    cubes of chicken bouillion, then had to pour in more because of the
    extra ingredients.  I baked it at 300 for about an hour, but that wasn't
    enough because the onions were still crunchy* (see above).  Later I wished I had
    chopped up some broccoli (the heads only) for more color.  I think
    sometimes I put in pecan pieces, for more crunch."

    So, that's hardly a "recipe" . . . this is how I cook . . . by the seat of my pants.
    I read recipes just to find out where the flavor is supposed to come from.
    My children will not eat this stuffing ever, but for some reason adults love it . . .
    (even my mother); however, usually I serve it with turkey!

    Marceline is one of our most beloved poets, as well; you can read some of her work on our Poetry Page Index!)

    BACK to the REDBIRD CAFE'for more recipes!