For those that don't know - there's a stuffing that doesn't need cooking in the oven!

[SpankyouHardOnChristmasNight]

It's called Stove Top Stuffing - it's american, fabulous and you can buy it from Waitrose / ocado.

But you can cook any stuffing in a frying pan

I do all mine in balls on the hob, doesn't everyone?

I do mine in a tin in the oven and then have to chisel it out. Everyone gets a splodge. Perhaps I ought to refine my technique

I use sage and onion paxo mix rolled together with sausage meat, shape it into a chunky sausagey shape and loosely wrap in tinfoil then when it's cooked cut it into big slices YUMM....

I love the sound of all of your techniques !

This stuff - poor mix in to measuring jug with right amount of hot water, big chunk of butter and stir, cover and leave for 5 mins - fluff with a fork DONE. Leaves all ovens and hobs free for sprouts and roasties!

Packets???? Have you any idea how EASY it is to make from scratch???? Four pieces of stale bread, crumble or blitz in mixer, add half a teaspoon of herbs of your choice (dried) or a whole teaspoon fresh and half a chopped onion. Then add one egg and stir to bind. Tastes MUCH better than your packet nonsense and costs virtually nothing if you have some stale bread in the house - we use the crusts because no body likes them in this house.

Then you just make it into balls and fry it in a little butter, it's yummy-tiddly-um-scious

AND you can freeze it once it's cooked and reheat it in ten minutes with your Sunday roast.

Paxo is shit compared to the real thing and (mummy evilness coming next) you can both sneak in things you want them to develop a liking for - DD refused to eat any protein but we started putting minced chicken or pork in the stuffing (make sure you cook it through obvious) and suddenly she likes both!!!!

Kids are pretty good at making stuffing and tend to wolf it down in great quantities IME (mind you it's only bread and butter really so it's hardly surprising they like it!).

A really nice thing to do which looks impressive but isn't hard is to put stuffing inside a chicken breast (slice, stuff, the roll up) and then wrap a slice of bacon round it. Roast it and slice it and it looks great and tastes even better. Cheers up chicken breasts and makes them really different too.

Also making a note of your recipe wmmc I'm always on the hunt for things I can make without buying anything extra.