Marilyn Monroe’s personal recipe for stuffing, which features ground beef, organ meats, and sourdough bread, serves as a window into the Hollywood icon’s domestic life in the 1950s.
The handwritten instructions, first published in the book Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters, reveal a complex, 18-ingredient dish that deviates significantly from traditional American holiday recipes.
The recipe is believed to have been written in 1954, the same year Monroe married baseball star Joe DiMaggio, according to Yahoo Life Singapore.
During the early months of their marriage, the couple resided in San Francisco, a city renowned for its sourdough bread. Monroe’s inclusion of this regional staple, combined with Italian ingredients like Parmesan cheese and pine nuts, reflects the culinary influence of DiMaggio, who was of Italian descent.
Unlike many classic stuffing recipes that rely on poultry broth for moisture, Monroe’s version requires soaking sourdough bread in cold water. The recipe is also distinct for its heavy reliance on protein; it calls for a combination of ground beef and either chicken or turkey livers or hearts.
The preparation process involves meticulous detail.
According to the recipe, the organ meats should be boiled and chopped into pieces no larger than a coffee bean, while the ground beef must be browned and broken down into portions no larger than a pistachio. Monroe also noted “no garlic” at the top of her handwritten notes, a detail attributed to DiMaggio’s reported dislike of the ingredient.
While the dish can be used to stuff poultry, it is also frequently prepared as a standalone dressing. To prepare it this way, the mixture is placed in a baking dish and cooked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately one hour, or until the top reaches a golden-brown consistency.
The assembly requires combining the soaked bread, meats, celery, onion, parsley, eggs, raisins, cheese, and nuts in a mixing bowl. A separate mixture of dried herbs and spices—including rosemary, oregano, thyme, and bay leaves—is then incorporated to season the dish before it is baked.
* Does the recipe require specific types of meat?
The recipe calls for ground beef and the use of chicken or turkey hearts or livers. These proteins are prepared separately before being integrated into the bread-based mixture.
* Why is the bread soaked in water instead of broth?
Monroe’s recipe does not include broth.
Instead, it relies on soaking the sourdough in cold water, which acts as the primary hydrating agent for the stuffing.
* How long does it take to bake?
When served as a dressing, the mixture should be baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour until the top is evenly browned.
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