The secret ingredient is Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix, the crumb kind, not the cubes, though it’s okay to mix one bag of each if you need to. The next secret step is to follow the directions on the bag to add butter, celery and onions. If you can get fresh sage, you can also saute it with the butter though Grandma always adds the sage after mixing in the stuffing mix and the hot water. Extra sage, fresh or dried, is crucial at whichever point you choose, to convert from plain old Pepperidge Farm to true Grandma Pete stuffing. The final step is to begin tasting to see if there’s enough salt, all the while remembering Auntie Mill coming over from next door for exactly that purpose. There is never enough salt until you’ve added a bit more, at least three times. And there you have it, the secret family recipe now revealed.