‘Sliding’ into Thanksgiving dinner

Five years ago my mom introduced our family to a new Thanksgiving tradition: White Castle stuffing. I’m not sure where she found it, but the idea has been around 25 years, debuting in 1991. For the last few years, my family has made the trek to St. Louis to spend Thanksgiving with our loved ones.

I work in TV news and don’t get the holiday off, so we normally drive up in the afternoon, have dinner at a couple of houses and spend the weekend up north. In 2016 though we couldn’t make the trip home. So during menu planning my son and I agreed that White Castle stuffing needed to be on the list.

That required an hour plus drive from our home in Carterville, Illinois to Cape Girardeau, Missouri; the nearest White Castle. Being the team player I am, I made the trip. Since I was already there I figured why not have a few Belly Bombers for lunch. I added a side of sweet potato fries for a “healthier” option.

So how do you make it? It’s pretty easy, so here ya go. Again this is from the official White Castle website.

10 White Castle burgers (buns, onions, and pickles)
1 1/2 cup diced celery
1 1/4 tsp. thyme
1 1/2 tsp. sage
3/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup chicken broth

In a large mixing bowl, tear the burgers into pieces and add diced celery and seasonings. Toss and add chicken broth. Toss well. Stuff cavity of turkey just before roasting. Makes about 9 cups (enough for a 10- to 12-pound turkey).

Note: Allow 1 hamburger for each pound of turkey, which will be the equivalent of 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound.