A turkey must always be completely thawed before stuffing. It should be stuffed just before it goes in the oven. Never stuff a turkey the night before.

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 tsp. sage
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 pound chestnuts - roasted, shelled , and chopped
• 1 pound bread cubes
• Chicken broth - 1 cup, or enough to moisten and hold the ingredients together.

Preparation -
Melt butter in a large skillet. Add the chopped onion and celery and cook over low heat until the onion is transparent and the celery is barely tender. Do not brown. Add the chopped parsley and cook for about one more minute. Remove from heat and stir in the seasonings. Stir in the chestnuts, then set aside. Place the bread cubes in a very large bowl. Mix in the broth. Add the vegetable/chestnut mixture and stir to thoroughly mix all ingredients together. Stir in the bread cubes, then the broth.

To bake the stuffing in the turkey -
Spoon the mixture loosely into the turkey cavities. Bake at 325º, using the turkey roasting timetable as a guideline, then use an accurate instant-read meat thermometer to check the temperature of the inner thigh. It should be 180º. Next, insert the thermometer into the center of the stuffing. The temperature should be 165º.

To bake the stuffing separately-
Place the stuffing mixture in a buttered casserole dish. Cover and bake at 325º for about about 35 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes more.