Roasted Chicken with Stuffing!

Last night I had the pressing desire to cook something that would remind me of my mom.  One of the first things I thought of is how she always used to cook Thanksgiving dinner at our house every year without fail.  She and I would always remark at the fact that the Thanksgiving dinner is such a great one - why do we only eat it once a year?! So, with that question in mind, I decided I had to put an end to this Thanksgiving injustice and make something that would remind me of my mom, and satisfy my tummy :) I had a great 7.5 pound whole chicken that I bought, and decided that was close enough to turkey for my liking, so to make it Thanksgiving-esque, I had to make STUFFING! This is my mom's recipe which I think may be the world's most addictive food - it's comforting, flavorful, and easy to make!

Janis' Thanksgiving Stuffing

1 white onion
3 celery stalks
1 lb sweet Italian Sausage
1/2 cup chicken stock
8 oz shredded Mozzarella
1 cup Breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 7-8 pound whole Chicken

>Dice up your onion and celery - saute in a pan for about 8 minutes.

>While the onions/celery are sauteing, clean out the gizzards of the chicken and clean it thoroughly with cool water. Place on a roasting rack in a large pan and fill with about 1/2 cup of water.

 > After your onions and celery are done cooking, remove them from the pan and put in a large bowl.  In the same saute pan, cook your sausage (remove them from their casings first - and cook with a spatula, de-clumping them).

 > Once the sausage has little to no pink spots, drain it out so as to remove any excess fat.

 > In the large bowl where the celery and onion are, add your chicken stock, mozzarella, breadcrumbs, egg and drained sausage meat.  Mix thoroughly!

 > Now it's time to stuff your bird! There will obviously be a lot more stuffing than what can fit inside the cavity of the chicken, but stuff it until there is no more room.

> With a needle and thread, sew up the chicken's cavity (using the skin as the "fabric" you're sewing together).

 I should have been a surgeon...

> In a preheated oven, cook the chicken at 350 degrees until the timer pops up (this took about 2-2.5 hours in my oven) but to make sure the chicken is cooked, you can use a meat thermometer and make sure the innards are about 180 degrees.

> To cook the remainder of the stuffing, place in a Pyrex dish - and cook at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

 > Once your chicken is done, let it rest for at least 15 minutes before you start carving it - this will ensure it doesn't lose all of it's delicious juices and moisture.

 > You can then remove the stuffing from inside the turkey and serve it separately from the stuffing cooked by itself - some people prefer different stuffing cooking techniques.  To me, stuffing is stuffing and I'll eat it in any form...

 > I made a quick gravy using about a cup of chicken stock, some Wondra and some of the chicken drippings that were in the pan.  You bring the chicken stock to a boil and start adding Wondra, while whisking to help thicken it.

This was such a great meal that reminded me of holidays with my family.  The stuffing is something you can make anytime just as a side dish - it's super easy and delicious!

ENJOY! :)