Cooking a holiday meal with turkey and all the trimmings is typically a hectic affair. If, however, you do as much cooking as you can in the days and weeks before the holiday, you'll have more time for family and friends on the day itself. Many dishes can be cooked ahead of time. Turkey stuffing, however, is not one of them.
The Problem
Prepared stuffing does not keep well. The soft, moist environment is a perfect breeding ground for unwanted bacteria. Bacteria, which can be introduced to the stuffing through the eggs, sausage, broth or even the vegetables, finds a perfect incubator in stuffing that is prepared and held before cooking. Once the stuffing is in the bird, you also have the problem of heating a large amount of stuffing encased in a large bird to a temperature that would kill all the unwanted bacteria. The contaminated stuffing contaminates the meat, and the two together make you sick.
The Solution
The solution to the problem is to cook everything thoroughly immediately before stuffing. If you are using sausage, cook it before mixing the stuffing. Saute or boil the onions and celery. Boil the broth. The bread, of course, is already baked. Mix the stuffing and immediately stuff the bird. Stuff the bird loosely so the heat can penetrate the stuffing while the turkey is roasting. Roast the turkey and stuffing in a 325-degree Fahrenheit or hotter oven. Don't take the turkey out of the oven until a thermometer poked into the stuffing reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Modular Stuffing
If you'd like to do some of the work ahead, mix all of the dry ingredients together the night before. Measure the herbs and spices and add them to the bread. Chop all the vegetables and store them in the refrigerator. Prepare the broth and store it chilled as well. On the day you plan to roast the turkey, cook everything, assemble it and stuff.
Casserole Stuffing
If you don't want to cook your stuffing inside the turkey, you have more do-ahead options. Baking stuffing in a casserole isn't as dangerous because casserole stuffing can't contaminate the turkey, and it is easier to bake at a safe temperature. To freeze stuffing, assemble it, put it in a casserole, cover it tightly and freeze it at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. To thaw it, take it out of the freezer and thaw it in the refrigerator. Don't let it sit at room temperature before baking, and make sure you cook it thoroughly. A thermometer inserted in the center of the stuffing should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
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