Stuffing Help for the Clueless

Other than Stove Top, I've never made stuffing. I bought the Brownberry stuff in a bag and am making the whole bag in the casserole dish style. It says it's gonna expand. I don't have anything large with a lid that can go in the oven (seriously). The bag of crouton thingies fills my casserole dish to the top. Questions:

1. If I pour the three cups of chicken broth, plus sauteed celery and onion, over that and do a tight aluminum foil top, will I be in trouble when it tries to expand?

2. If I don't want the crouton shapes and instead want it to be a smooth thing, should I mash the whole kit and kaboodle up before I bake it in the oven for the 30 minutes? Or after?

3. I'm making this tonight for tomorrow. Planning to heat it up in the oven on 250 or so before dinner tomorrow. Do I have to worry about it drying out? There won't be gravy, as we're having ham and no turkey.

I'm not a good cook. I make about eight or ten things well, and that's it (baking I'm better at). Tomorrow I'm making Xmas dinner for nine people. Trying to get it all out of the way tonight so that all I have to do tomorrow is turn on an oven and heat stuff up.

THANK YOU!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Well, first, you don't *have* to make the entire bag, especially if you're making a bazillion other things. I wouldn't, but that's just me.

Stuffing doesn't expand exponentially, so I don't know what the bag is talking about. Sure, it might a little bit, but it's not like rice, or something.

If you put extra broth in, it will get mushy and you won't see the cubes.

You can mix the celery and onions in with the mix, you don't have to put it on top. Adding in the extra broth, along with some melted butter should keep it from getting too dry. Just keep it covered in the oven.

250 is awfully low. Is that what the bag says? It's going to take a LONG time to heat all the way through at that temp. I wouldn't do anything lower than 325.

Did I answer all your questions? ;)

-m

Yes, you did, M, thank you!!! I feel alot better now. I just am not confident when I cook, so this helped alot.

I actually used a 9 x 13 pan, and I covered it with foil. I did do the whole bag, and my plan is to use the rest of the broth I hadn't used with some water tomorrow, pour that over the top, mush it alot, and then bake it again covered. that's the plan :-).

I have ziplock steamer bags -- 3 of 'em in the fridge with the sliced zuccini and yellow squash and frozen broccoli that should thaw. Seasoned with rosemary, salt, pepper, parsley; ready to nuke.

Still going to make the Green Bean casserole tonight.

Ham to be warmed tomorrow.
Salad to toss tomorrow.
More cookies to bake tomorrow.

325? To warm something? Ok, will do. See, I don't know this stuff that well. Thanks! Even in your exhaustion! I am so with you. DH is wrapping as we speak.