Safety Concerns

• Combining the wet and dry stuffing ingredients creates the perfect environment for the development and growth of disease-causing bacteria. Once combined, the stuffing should be cooked immediately in an oven set no lower than 325 degrees Fahrenheit. The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection service also warns against stuffing and refrigerating a turkey or chicken the day before and storing the bird with the stuffing still inside. In both cases, the raw or cooked stuffing inside the bird may not chill quickly enough to prevent the growth of bacteria. The bottom line is to keep the stuffing and bird separate until ready to cook them, and then separate them no later than 20 minutes after cooking.

Setting Boundaries

• Instead of using prepackaged stuffing mixes, try toasting your own bread before combining it with liquids and flavorings. Start by selecting white, whole-grain or cornbread that is a couple of days old. Cut it into uniform cubes and bake at 325 F for at least one hour or until the cubes are completely dry and crispy. Cut the cubes smaller, to about 1/2 inch, to reduce toasting time and to more easily combine them with other stuffing ingredients and the liquid of your choice to bind them together.

Getting Ready

• In addition to toasting your own bread cubes for the stuffing, prepping all the other ingredients is a great time-saver, especially when you're planning a big feast such as a Thanksgiving Day dinner. Store the bread cubes in a resealable plastic bag or other covered container, and follow the same procedure for chopped vegetables such as onions, celery and garlic, fruits such as cranberries and apples, and fresh herbs such as parsley, sage and thyme. Meats, such as ground pork or sausage, should be thoroughly cooked, drained and cooled before storing. On cooking day, saute your vegetables and meats separately and add them to the bread cubes with enough water, broth or stock to moisten and soften them. Be careful not to overdo the liquids, so you don't end up with a wet or mushy stuffing.

Meet the Bird

• If you plan to use the stuffing another day, allow it to cool at room temperature for a few minutes, then spoon it lightly into resealable freezer bags or plastic freezer containers in the amount you will use to stuff the bird or fill a casserole dish. When you are ready to use the stuffing, do not thaw it but place it inside the bird or in a casserole dish and place immediately in an oven set to at least 325 F. If cooking the stuffing inside the bird, both the meat and the stuffing should register at least 165 F on a meat thermometer. Because this isn't always possible before the poultry is close to being overcooked, it's often better to cook the stuffing in a dish on its own.