Classic Thanksgiving Stuffing How-To
One of the most common, yet seriously diverse Thanksgiving sides, a classic Thanksgiving stuffing is like a super savory bread pudding when done right. This recipe is not only a how-to on making a Thanksgiving stuffing or dressing, but also a basic and classic recipe for a simple yet flavorful version of this side dish that cannot be skipped. Is it really a Thanksgiving meal without stuffing?
Ingredients
- 12-14 cups bread cubes, see notes
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, (1 ½ sticks)
- 1-2 large onions, diced (about 3 ½ cups)
- 3-4 ribs celery, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, see notes
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, see notes
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, see notes
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, see notes
- 2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 large eggs
- Salt & Pepper to taste, (about 1 teaspoon each)
Directions
- If making your own bread cubes, preheat your oven to 275°F/135°C.
- Cut all your bread into roughly ½-1-inch cubes and arrange on 1-2 baking sheets. Bake for 40-50 minutes, tossing about halfway through, until bread is dry and crispy and slightly browned. Set aside and turn oven up to 350°F/180°C.
- In a large skillet, melt ¾ cup butter over medium heat. Once melted, and the 3 ½ cups diced onion and 1 ½ cups celery, a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until softened and the onion is translucent but not browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add the 4-5 minced garlic cloves and herbs/poultry seasoning, reserving about 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs if using. Stir to combine and continue cooking about a minute more. Add about 1 cup of the chicken stock, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine the ingredients. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your taste here before you add the raw eggs.
- In a large measuring glass or mixing bowl, lightly beat the 2 eggs and combine with the remaining 1 ½ cups of chicken stock. Transfer the bread cubes into a large mixing bowl or pot, pour the vegetable mixture over top and stir to combine. Pour the egg and stock mixture over top as well, and gently fold everything together. Let sit for 5-10 minutes so that everything has time to soak up the flavors and liquid.
- Prepare a 13x9 baking dish by buttering the bottom and sides or use a cooking spray. Gently transfer all the stuffing mixture into the dish and pour any remaining liquid over the top. Sprinkle half of the reserved fresh herbs over the top of the stuffing, cover with foil, and bake for 30-35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20-25 minutes to reduce more of the liquid and brown the top. The total cooking time is usually around 45-55 minutes, depending on your preference. If you like a wetter stuffing, cook covered for longer. If you like a slightly drier and well browned stuffing, increase the time spent uncovered. Whichever way you prefer it, it should be cooked to right about 160°F before removing from the oven and resting.
- Once cooked to your preference, remove from the oven, top with the remaining reserved fresh herbs, and let rest at least 10 minutes before serving.
Equipment Used
Notes
1) Bread – For a detailed list of best breads to use, read the above section on best breads. A 1lb loaf of bread is roughly 10-12 cups of cubes. A standard sandwich loaf is 1lb 4oz and will yield slightly more than you need, but you can use it all. Some of the bakery breads like Italian and French loves are around 12oz, so you may need 1 ½ loaves. If using store-bought bread cubes, they typically come in 12oz packages, which I believe yield about 8 cups, so you may want a bag and a half at least.
2) Herbs – If using fresh herbs, the measurements are roughly the amount after chopping. One large sprig of sage should yield the 2 tablespoons, while 1-2 sprigs of rosemary and about 8 sprigs of thyme should come out to 1 tablespoon. About 10 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley should give you a ¼ cup worth. If using dry herbs, convert to teaspoons. So, 2 tablespoons of sage would be 2 teaspoons dry, and 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary would be 1 teaspoon dry, etc.
If using poultry seasoning instead, and about 3 teaspoons at the same time you would add the fresh herbs. Whether using poultry seasoning or dry herbs, I would still recommend adding fresh parsley to the stuffing, and as a garnish.
3) Vegetarian/Vegan – You can easily make this stuffing vegetarian or vegan with a few simple tweaks. For vegetarian, omit the eggs and use vegetable broth instead, and for vegan do the same and switch the butter for 3-4 tablespoons of oil when cooking the vegetables. If you omit the eggs, you’ll need to reduce the cooking time to about 35 minutes total, just keep an eye on the moisture level and browning.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 428kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 13gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 1035mgPotassium: 301mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gCalcium: 150mgIron: 4mg
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