Uncle Nick's Oyster Dressing

Yield: Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/4  pounds  lean ground beef
• 1  large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 1/4  cups  chopped celery
• 2  tablespoons  minced garlic
• 1  (12-ounce) package ham seasoning or diced ham
• 4  (16-ounce) containers fresh oysters, well drained and coarsely chopped
• 1/2  cup  chopped fresh parsley
• 1  (16-ounce) package herb-flavored bread stuffing mix
• 1  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 3/4  teaspoon  cracked black pepper

Preparation

Cook ground beef, onion, celery, and garlic in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Drain, if desired.

Stir in ham, oysters, and parsley. Cook 7 minutes or until oysters are done. Gently fold in stuffing mix, salt, and pepper.

Spoon stuffing mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Serve immediately or cover and chill until ready to serve. Bake, covered, at 350º for 35 minutes or until thoroughly heated.