In stuffing we trust: Why festive roasts are always better with stuffing

Big, lavish roast meals with the family celebrated over the festive season always call for a little extra finesse, and nothing elevates an average roast meal quite like a flavoursome stuffing!  

We love stuffing because it’s so easy to make and always adds a good amount of affordable, tasty bulk to any special meal. But what we love most about stuffing is that it’s a recipe that’s always made with love and every family has their own spin or take on a favourite recipe. 

If you’re lucky enough to have been given the family stuffing recipe, hold tightly on to it and cherish the recipe because nothing brings a family together quite like a nostalgic stuffing recipe that’s been passed down over the generations. 

Top tips for the best stuffing

Whether you prefer your stuffing on the inside (in the cavity or in the middle of a rolled roast), under the skin or on the outside, always remember badly done stuffing can be quite disastrous when celebrations are in full swing, so here are few handy stuffing tips for festive success: 

• Never add hot stuffing to raw poultry or meat as this is a safety hazard. Wait for the stuffing to cool before using it. Stuffing is a great make-ahead item that you can prep the day before. 
• Fresh herbs always trump dried when stuffing is involved. They maximise the flavour and fragrance of the roast. 
• Stale bread works wonderfully in bread-based stuffing recipes. 
• Stuffing should always be seasoned but be careful not to make it too salty. Always remember to taste as you go when preparing the stuffing. 
• Substitute caramelised onion for raw onion in stuffing recipes to add a wonderful depth of flavour to the stuffing. 
• If you’re making a big stuffed turkey, make sure to stuff it at the last minute, once everything is cooked to code, or you may end up overcooking the bird, resulting in dry turkey and dry stuffing.

  

Elevate your roast with these stuffing recipes

Here are our top picks for stuffing recipes to try this festive season if you’re looking to jazz things up a bit: 

Rolled pork loin with bacon and walnut stuffing

Rolled pork loin with Christmas mince pie stuffing 

Rolled shoulder of lamb with a pistachio and sour cherry stuffing 

Feta and olive stuffed lamb roll

Stuffing for roast chicken

Barley and smoked turkey stuffed butternut