This is my grandmother’s recipe, which my mother has been using to make our Thanksgiving turkey stuffing for more than 40 years. I’ve never tasted any turkey stuffing that has come close to as good as mom’s. Although years ago we used to stuff the bird, these days we cook the stuffing separately. It is much easier to get an even cooking of the turkey (and safer too) if you do not stuff it. To infuse the stuffing with turkey flavor we simmer the giblets for an hour, and use that stock in the stuffing.

Ingredients
1 loaf of day old French bread
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
2 cups each, chopped onion and celery
1/2 stick of butter (1/4 cup or 1/8 lb)
1 chopped green apple
1 cup of currants or raisins
Several chopped green olives (5 to 10)
Stock from the turkey giblets (1/2 cup to 1 cup) (can substitute chicken stock)
Sage (to taste)
Poultry seasoning (to taste)
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions
1. If you haven’t already made the stock, take the turkey giblets – heart, gizzard, liver(optional) – and neck if you want, and put them in a small saucepan, cover with water and add a little salt. Bring to a simmer; simmer for about an hour, uncovered. (If you use the liver, cook it with the other giblets only until it is cooked through, a few minutes, then remove.) Strain the stock into a container for use with the stuffing. Alternatively, you can use chicken stock or just plain water with this recipe.

2. Slice bread into 1/2 inch cubes. Heat a large sauté pan on medium heat. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in the pan, add the bread cubes and toast. Only turn them when they have become brown on a side. 

3. In a separate pan, saute chopped onions and celery with the remaining 2 Tbsp butter. Add to the bread. Add cooked chopped walnuts. Add chopped green apple, currants, raisins, olives. Add some water or the stock from cooking the turkey giblets (enough to keep the stuffing moist while you are cooking it). Add sage, poultry seasoning, salt & pepper.

Source:  www.elise.com