bread stuffing or something more exotic, stuffing adds a delicious dimension to the Christmas feast. Here's how: CHESTNUT STUFFING (For a 16-22 lb. turkey) 3 (1 lb.) loaves day-old bread 1 cup butter 2-3 cloves garlic crushed (optional) 3 cups chopped celery and celery leaves 21 cups chopped onion 2 pounds chestnuts boiled 3 tablespoons salad oil 6 tablespoons chopped parsley 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons basil 1 tablespoon marjoram 1 teaspoon sage SPREAD out bread slices and let stand at room temperature overnight. Remove crusts and break bread up into small small flakes with your fingers.

Melt 1 cup butter in a skillet, add garlic, if you wish, and cook 1 minute.

Add celery and onion and cook until slightly brown. Cool to lukewarm, empty contents of skillet over bread and mix thoroughly.

Peel chestnuts and chop coarsely. To remove shells and skin from chestnuts, make V-shaped cut in flat side of each nut, spread them out on pan or baking sheet and pour a little salad oil over them. Turn them with spatula to coat with oil. Put pan in very hot oven, 450 degrees F., for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and when cool, shell and skin. Add nuts to stuffing with parsley.

Season with salt and pepper. Put the rest of the butter in the skillet and add basil, marjoram and sage. Cook butter and herbs over low heat for a minute to release flavours and add herb mixture to stuffing while tossing. Stuffing should be light, not packed down, and is now ready for the turkey.

*** BASIC BREAD STUFFING 1 cup chopped instant onions 11 cups chopped celery 1 cup melted butter or margarine 12 cups bread cubes, white and whole wheat 2 tablespoons parsley flakes 11 teaspoons poultry seasoning 1 tablespoon Bon Appetit 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon chicken flavour bouillon powder 1 -cup hot water SAUTE onions and celery in butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Toss together bread cubes, parsley flakes, poultry seasoning, Bon Appetit and pepper; add to sauteed mixture and toss while lightly browning bread cubes.

Dissolve flavour base in water; sprinkle over stuffing, stirring lightly.

Stuff loosely into neck and breast cavities of bird. Makes about 8 cups.

VARIATIONS Herb Stuffing: To the above recipe add one of the following: 2 teaspoons rubbed sage, 2 teaspoons ground thyme or 2 teaspoons ground marjoram. TRY SOME to 1 pint small or medium-size oysters in oyster liquor until the edges curl.

Drain and chop, or leave whole as preferred. Toss with bread cubes in above recipe.

*** MUSHROOM-RICE STUFFING 1 cup butter or margarine 3 cups cooked rice 3 tablespoons instant minced onion 2 cups diced celery 2 teaspoons parsley flakes 1 teaspoon ground marjoram 1 4-oz. can mushrooms, drained 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon ground thyme 1 teaspoon chicken flavour bouillon powder 2 cup chopped pecans MELT butter in large skillet; add remaining ingredients except pecans. Saute, stirring until lightly browned. Remove from heat and add pecans; toss gently.

Use to stuff a 5-6 lb. bird. When serving this as a side dish for meat or fowl, bake in a covered casserole in 325 degree F. oven for 30 minutes. Makes 6 cups.

*** QUICK 'N' EASY STUFFING 3 cup chopped instant onions 2 cups melted butter 5 quarts soft bread cubes (1 -inch square) 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon ground thyme 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning 2 tablespoons parsley flakes SAUTE onions in butter until lightly brown. Add remaining ingredients; mix well, tossing gently. Makes about 3 quarts, enough stuffing for a 12 to 14 pound bird.

*** CORN BREAD STUFFING (For a 12-15 pound turkey) 1 lb. bulk pork sausage 2 tablespoons water 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup finely diced celery 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning 1 teaspoon salt 8 cups crumbled unsweetened corn bread COOK sausage in a frying pan with the water over low heat. When sausage is cooked, remove meat and saute onion and celery in sausage fat. Add poultry seasoning and salt. Mix with corn bread. Stuff bird lightly.

WHEAT PILAF STUFFING (For a 12-14 pound bird) 3 cup minced scallion or onion 1 cup butter 3 cups cracked wheat 6 cups chicken broth 11 teaspoons salt 11 teaspoons thyme 11 teaspoons sage 1 teaspoon pepper 3 cup plumped white raisins OR 1 1 cups peeled, cored and diced apple 1 cup chopped walnuts OR toasted blanched almonds (optional) IN a large skillet, saute scallion or onion in butter until barely tender, about 3 minutes. And cracked wheat and cook until golden, 5-10 minutes. Add broth, salt, thyme, sage and pepper. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat, add raisins or apples and, if you wish, the nuts.