Easy Stuffing Recipe (2024)

This Easy Stuffing Recipe will complete just about any meal!

Celery and onions are cooked with butter, herbs and seasonings. It’s all tossed with dried bread cubes and broth, then topped with a bit more butter and baked until hot and golden.

Easy Stuffing Recipe (1)

I love mashed potatoes, but homemade stuffing is easily my favorite thanksgiving side dish.

Ingredients for Stuffing

Bread – You can use almost any kind of dry bread for stuffing or purchase dry bread cubes. I prefer to use half white bread and half wheat bread and set them out to dry for a few days before making this stuffing recipe.

Celery/Onions – These add lots of flavor to this recipe and should be cooked in butter until tender.

Seasoning – Poultry Seasoning is my first choice for this turkey stuffing recipe. It is a blend of savory spices like sage, thyme, and rosemary and it adds delicious flavor to soups, stews, and casseroles. You can replace poultry seasoning with ground sage if needed.

Broth – Chicken or turkey broth adds moisture and the amount needed will vary based on the type of bread used and how dry it is. See the recipe notes for more details.

Additions – I think a simple classic stuffing recipe is the best stuffing recipe, so the add-ins are kept to a minimum however you can add shredded carrots, raisins, dried cranberries, or even cooked sausage.

Easy Stuffing Recipe (2)

Bread for Stuffing

The key to making this homemade stuffing recipe the right consistency is to ensure that the bread is really dry before adding broth. This allows it to soak up the broth (and flavor) without becoming soggy.

If possible, purchase the bread a few days (or even weeks) early, tear it or cut it into cubes, and let it dry for a few days on the counter. Any kind of bread will do (like sourdough bread or half cornbread), I most often use a combination of brown and white.

You can use dried bread cubes from the store, they’ll work just fine in this recipe although they may require a little bit of extra broth.

How to Dry Bread for Stuffing

In a pinch, you can dry fresh bread cubes in the oven. Place them in a single layer at 300°F for about 10 minutes (be sure not to brown or toast it). If you dry fresh bread in the oven, you may need less broth.

Easy Stuffing Recipe (3)

How To Make Stuffing

I prefer to cook my stuffing in a casserole dish (which would technically make it dressing) or to make Crock Pot Stuffing. Cooking the turkey and stuffing separately ensures that they both reach the right temperatures without overcooking.

Make ahead – Stuffing can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge in a casserole dish.Prepare the stuffing without baking and refrigerate up to 2 days in advance. You may need to add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.

Stuffing a Turkey – You can use this stuffing to stuff a turkey. Ensure that the stuffing has cooled in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.

Do not stuff the turkey until just before roasting or it can sit at an unsafe cooking temperature for too long. If stuffing a turkey, the center of the stuffing should reach 165°F as the drippings from the bird enter the stuffing.

Easy Stuffing Recipe (4)

To Make Ahead

Stuffing is a great side as it can easily be made ahead of time! Simply prepare as directed, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 48 hours.

To bake, remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. Prepare as directed (you may need to add a few minutes extra if it’s still cold from the fridge).

How To Freeze Stuffing

Everyone loves turkey dinner leftovers. Turkey dinner stacksor hot turkey sandwiches are my personal favorite ways to enjoy them, but sometimes you can’t get to them by the time they will go bad. Fear not, as turkey stuffing freezes well! Just pop it in the freezer and it should last several months.

To reheat stuffing, pop it in the oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes with a little broth on it to keep it from drying out.

Easy Stuffing Recipe (5)

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Easy Stuffing Recipe

This classic stuffing recipe will complete just about any meal! Celery, onions, and butter are tossed with dried bread cubes, then topped with broth and baked until hot and golden.

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Easy Stuffing Recipe (7)

Servings 12 servings

Easy Stuffing Recipe (8)

Author Holly Nilsson

Ingredients

  • 2 small yellow onions diced
  • 4 ribs celery diced
  • cup butter
  • 1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning or ½ teaspoon ground sage
  • black pepper
  • salt to taste
  • 12 cups dry bread cubes
  • 2 to 4 cups chicken broth see notes
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dry parsley
  • 1 tablespoon fresh herbs sage, thyme, and/or rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dry herbs

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  • In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and poultry seasoning (and rosemary if using). Reduce the temperature to medium low and cook until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly.

  • In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, onion mixture, parsley and fresh herbs.

  • Pour 1 cup of broth overtop and toss the cubes. Add the remaining broth, a little bit at a time until cubes are moist (but not soggy) and gently toss. You may not need all of the broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  • Place the bread mixture in a baking dish, dot with additional butter if desired, and cover.

  • Bake 35 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Video

Notes

Herbs: Use a total of 1 tablespoon total of fresh herbs. If using rosemary in the herbs, cook it along with the onions/celery. Fresh herbs can be substituted with 1 teaspoon dry herbs (total).

Bread: On average, you will need 13-16 slices of bread (can vary a bit by the type of bread) to make 12 cups. The bread should be measured after drying as you will lose about 20% volume once dried. If using purchased dried bread cubes, measure 12 cups of cubes.

Drying Bread:Cut the bread into cubes and dry it on the counter for 2 to 3 days. Alternatively, place the bread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake it at 300°F for 10 minutes or until dry. Cool before using.

*Broth: Add the broth a little bit at a time. If drying bread cubes at home, you may need closer to 2 to 3 cups depending on the type of bread. If using purchased dried cubes, you may need closer to 3 to 4 cups of broth. Add a little bit and let it rest for a few minutes, then add a little bit more as needed.

To Stuff Turkey: Stuffing must be cooled completely in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes. Stuff the turkey just before cooking, do not stuff the turkey ahead of time.

To Make Ahead: Prepare as directed without baking. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 48 hours.

To bake, remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. Prepare as directed (you may need to add a few minutes of extra baking time if it’s still cold from the fridge).

4.99 from 2226 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 185 | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 462mg | Potassium: 175mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 435IU | Vitamin C: 6.8mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1.4mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Easy Stuffing Recipe (9) Course Dinner

Easy Stuffing Recipe (10) Cuisine American

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

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Casseroles, Christmas, Easter, Main Dishes, Recipes, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving

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Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!
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Easy Stuffing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional stuffing made of? ›

Turkey stuffing was popularized in the early days of Thanksgiving, as it is written in many 16th-century Boston area documents. Stuffing most often uses dried bread, herbs, and vegetables that are reconstituted with liquid, stuffed into the turkey cavity, and baked until it is firm and finished cooking.

Should I put eggs in stuffing? ›

Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture. Water: You can add a few tablespoons of water, if you'd like, to achieve your desired consistency. Seasonings: This turkey dressing recipe is seasoned with salt, pepper, rubbed sage, and garlic powder.

What is stuffing mix made of? ›

In a large bowl or large plastic food storage bag, combine ​breadcrumbs with dried parsley, minced onion, celery flakes, thyme, pepper, sage, and marjoram. To prepare stuffing, bring 1 1/4 cups of water or chicken broth and 3 tablespoons of butter to a boil.

What is the best bread to use for stuffing? ›

Breads such as sour dough, French bread or Italian loaves are for the best bread for stuffing. Their soft-but-sturdy interiors are the perfect texture for stuffing. The pieces retain their shape without crumbling.

What's the difference between stuffing and filling? ›

Although most people in America debate on whether the dish should be called stuffing or dressing the people of Pennsylvania call it filling. Essentially filling is the same as stuffing or dressing. The name suggests that it will fill something like stuffing does.

What is British stuffing made of? ›

Stuffing consists of a mixture of savoury ingredients such as breadcrumbs, herbs, fruit, nuts, sausagemeat and onion which are bound together with egg or liquid to form a semi-solid mixture. It is usually cooked with roast meat such as chicken, pork or lamb and is served as an accompaniment to the sliced, cooked meat.

Do you cook stuffing before you stuff? ›

Fully cook raw meat, poultry, or seafood ingredients before adding to stuffing. Combine the ingredients and place them in your bird immediately before cooking. Don't stuff whole poultry with cooked stuffing. In addition to the turkey, the stuffing's center needs to reach 165 F.

Is it better to make stuffing the day before? ›

The short answer to whether you can making stuffing ahead of time is yes. "Making stuffing ahead saves time, allows stove and oven space for other things, and making it ahead gives time for the flavor to fully develop," Chef David Tiner, Director at Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge, tells Southern Living.

Is it better to make stuffing with fresh or dry bread? ›

Any attempts to make stuffing with soft, fresh baked bread will result in a bread soup with a soggy texture. Follow this tip: Stale, dried-out bread makes the best stuffing.

How to make stuffing Gordon Ramsay? ›

Make the stuffing, melt butter in a large frying pan and gently sauté onion and garlic for five minutes until soft. Stir in the herbs for one minute then add breadcrumbs to absorb butter. Mix in zest, pine nuts and seasoning and cook over medium heat for about seven minutes until crumbs start to brown and crisp.

What does stove top stuffing have in it? ›

This stuffing is made on the stove top with oven toasted bread cubes, onion, celery, dried seasonings, butter, and warm chicken broth. The best part is that it frees up oven space because it cooks on the stove top!

What can I add to stuffing mix? ›

The basic ingredients.

After you pick your base, you'll need the basics to give stuffing it's flavor and texture. Sauteed onions and celery in butter will give it flavor and a little crunch, and a good chicken or vegetable stock will add more flavor and help keep the dish from drying out.

What is traditional stuffing made of turkey? ›

How do you make traditional stuffing? If you've never made Thanksgiving turkey stuffing before, you may think it is difficult. Our recipe is very simple, though and calls for just a handful ingredients: bread, butter, onion, celery, chicken broth, eggs and spices.

What is the difference between Thanksgiving dressing and stuffing? ›

The primary difference between stuffing and dressing is that stuffing is cooked inside a bird and dressing is made on the side. As with many food traditions in the U.S., regional loyalties to stuffing vs dressing abound.

What is stuffing made of Thanksgiving? ›

The BEST traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing recipe is easy to make dried bread cubes, sausage, diced vegetables, and chicken broth. It's a great side dish to make ahead of time and it definitely tastes best homemade! Pair this easy homemade stuffing with our popular turkey recipe, homemade rolls, and Thanksgiving pie.

What is the difference between stuffing filling and dressing? ›

"Stuffing is cooked in the cavity of the turkey, so the juices soak into the ingredients, making it more flavorful. Dressing gets cooked on its own and needs extra liquid to make it flavorful." So stuffing is cooked inside the bird. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish.

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