Idaho Harvest Stuffing Seasoning, two ways to create an amazing side dish

Idaho Harvest Stuffing Seasoning is an apple, sage, and thyme blend for stuffing, rice pilaf, and roasted squash. Salt, garlic, and onion are already in the jar. The three recipes below use it as the only seasoning.

Rice Pilaf - Serves 4

1 cup long-grain white rice 2 teaspoons Harvest Idaho Harvest Stuffing Seasoning 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil 1¾ cups water or unsalted stock 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or toasted almonds, optional

Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the rice and the seasoning and cook for 1 minute, until it smells like sage and apple. Add the water, bring it to a boil, cover, and turn the heat to low. Cook 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Add the parsley or almonds if you are using them.

If the stock is already salted, start with 1 teaspoon of seasoning. Brown rice uses the same method with 2 cups of water and about 40 minutes covered.

Homemade Turkey Dressing - Serves 8

12 cups dried bread cubes 2 tablespoons Idaho Harvest Stuffing Seasoning 6 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, diced 3 ribs celery, diced 1 cup diced apple, peel on 2½ to 3 cups stock ½ cup chopped parsley, optional

The blend is scaled at 1 tablespoon for 6 cups of bread cubes. This batch is doubled.

Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch pan. Melt the butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the apple and the seasoning and cook 1 minute more. Scrape it over the bread cubes. Pour in 2½ cups of stock and toss until the bread is damp but not soggy. Add the last ½ cup only if the cubes still look dry. Stir in the parsley if you are using it.

Spread it in the pan, cover, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more, until the top is brown. Taste before you add salt. The seasoning already has it.

This is dressing, baked in a pan beside the bird. If you do cook it inside the turkey, pack it loosely and rely on a thermometer, not the clock.