When speaking with a friend recently, I was reminded of a special dressing/stuffing recipe that many families in Charleston served when Thanksgiving came around.

My friend Pete was born and raised in the same area I was and remembers this as well.

In our home, this was baked in a rectangular, buttered baking dish and basted with chicken broth occasionally during the cooking time.

This is another recipe that is easy to make and does not require any hard-to-come-by ingredients.

Use a large, heavy bottom stock pot with a lid.

Begin by washing and then finely chopping 4 stalks of celery. Sauté in 2 tablespoons salted butter until soft, about 3 minutes. Set aside.

In the same pan, sauté’ one small (tennis ball size) white onion in 2 tablespoons salted butter until soft, about 3 minutes as well. Set aside.

Using the still warn pan, add the following spices and allow them to “bloom” on the heated surface:

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon sage

Allow to heat through for about a minute, add back in the celery and onion.

Add in 3 cups of chicken, turkey or vegetable broth.

Bring to a simmer.

Add in 8 cups of leftover bread of any sort that you have toasted in the oven — alternately use a stuffing mix of your choice.

Using leftover bread is best, especially if you have several sorts of bread to include.

You will want a total of 8 cups of bread or stuffing mix.

Crush the toasted bread and add to the simmering broth.

Add two finely grated boiled eggs.

Now add in two cups of skinless cocktail peanuts.

Mix well and lightly press into a rectangular baking dish.

Dot the top with salted butter.

Cover with foil.

Place in a 350 degree oven.

Remove foil after 20 minutes and begin basting with 2 cups of broth as the dish bakes.

Leave in the oven long enough for a slight crust to form on the top.

Allow to cool. Slice into squares or scoop out with a large old style silver stuffing spoon.

Silver Stuffing spoons or Silver Rice Spoons are perfect for serving this southern treat.

This is the time to bring out all of your inherited or collected silver serving pieces. Visit the antique shops and antique malls in our area to find storied pieces that will lend undeniable charm to your holiday table.

Look for chutney spoons, jelly trowels, berry spoons, lemon forks, pickle forks, ice cream forks, gravy ladles, cream ladles, lettuce forks and spoons, olive spoons — the list goes on and on. All make for a memorable meal and a more interesting table.