Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe: Easy, Traditional Recipe -Baking a Moment (2024)

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This basic Thanksgiving stuffing recipe will be your go-to year after year. Perfect with turkey dinner, it’s got the traditional flavor your family craves. WHAT IS THANKSGIVING STUFFING? HOW TO MAKE STUFFING FROM SCRATCH WHAT KIND OF BREAD TO USE ADD-INS IS THIS VEGAN? CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME? CAN YOU FREEZE THANKSGIVING STUFFING? Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe Ingredients Instructions FAQs References

This basic Thanksgiving stuffing recipe will be your go-to year after year. Perfect with turkey dinner, it’s got the traditional flavor your family craves.

*I originally posted this Thanksgiving stuffing recipe on November 11, 2019. I thought it was about time for a refresh. So I’ve added a new video tutorial and provided lots more tips for success. Other than that, everything is the same as ever! Hopefully you’ll enjoy this stuffing as much as we do.*

Ok, I don’t know what just happened.

Last week at this time it was sunny and in the high 50’s, and now all of a sudden??? The temps have dropped by about 20 degrees, practically overnight! Not to mention it’s dark by like 4:30.

That winter vibe is really creeping in.

At least we have the holidays to look forward to!

Now that it’s almost the middle of November, I’m all about Thanksgiving. I’ve got homemade crescent rolls and pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce on the brain.

And I’m sorry, but it’s just not Thanksgiving without this classic Thanksgiving stuffing recipe!

WHAT IS THANKSGIVING STUFFING?

Thanksgiving stuffing is that glorious, bready goodness that gets served alongside the traditional dinner of turkey, gravy, and cranberry sauce. Honestly, for me I don’t even need anything else but those three things. (Except maybe mashed potatoes!)

Technically, it’s only called “stuffing” when it’s baked inside the bird. When it’s baked in a casserole dish like you see here, you’re supposed to call it “dressing.” Does anybody really do that though?

Everything you read will discourage you from cooking your stuffing inside the turkey, mainly because it will take a lot longer for the heat to get in there and cook everything to a safe temperature. This can really dry out the white meat.

As tempting as it is to put stuffing in the cavity of your bird, it’s really better just to bake your Thanksgiving dressing separately. Everything comes out way better if you do it this way, trust me!

My family likes their stuffing to taste very traditional. In the past I’ve tried to get fancy and gourmet, but they just aren’t having it.

I get it. Thanksgiving only comes once a year, and so when it does, of course you want nothing but the real deal stuffing like your grandma made.

So this recipe is very basic. It’s the classic Thanksgiving stuffing recipe that everyone is craving. All the important players are there, like onion and celery, and of course lots of sage. Sage is the quintessential Thanksgiving herb.

HOW TO MAKE STUFFING FROM SCRATCH

It’s really easy to make your stuffing from scratch. The most time-consuming thing is just chopping everything up. Other than that, it’s just about mixing a bunch of yummy things together and then baking it.

To make this Thanksgiving stuffing recipe, start with the bread. Cube it up into lots of little bits and then dry it in the oven. This way it will soak up lots of flavor.

You can read more about why I like to do it this way here: How to Oven-Dry Bread for Faster, More Flavorful Thanksgiving Stuffing.

While the bread is doing its thing, saute your veg. Plenty of onion and celery will give your stuffing a classic, traditional flavor, and help to keep it nice and moist.

Once the onions and celery are tender, add them to a big bowl along with the bread, melted butter, stock, and seasonings.

WHAT KIND OF BREAD TO USE

You can use any kind of bread you like for this.

My favorite would probably be a simple white sandwich bread, but French bread would be really nice too, and so would brioche.

Potato bread is another great choice, and sourdough gives a unique flavor that can really compliment the rest of the meal.

This recipe would work very well with cornbread as well.

Sometimes, around this time of year, you can find big bags of already cubed and dried bread. This is a great timesaver! I’ve gone this route many times, and the stuffing comes out tasting every bit as good, so don’t be afraid to take the shortcut if you can get it!

ADD-INS

I’ll take my stuffing any way I can get it, but I do like to add a few extras added in sometimes. It can be a subtle difference, but I will often add these favorites to jazz things up, just a little:

Peeled, cored, and diced granny Smith apples (you don’t have to pre-cook them).
Roasted and peeled chestnuts.
Crumbled cooked sausage (buy the bulk sausage rather than the links, and look for sage-flavored if you can).

And I’ve never done it myself, but I know a lot of families enjoy oysters in their stuffing as well!

IS THIS VEGAN?

This recipe contains butter and chicken stock, so it is not vegan or vegetarian.

However, you can make a vegan version by substituting margarine for butter and using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

This could also be a gluten-free Thanksgiving stuffing. Just use gluten-free bread and you’re good to go.

CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?

You can definitely get a head start on making your dressing. When there are so many dishes to be made, that’s always a plus if you can do some of them ahead, and this is a great recipe for that.

You can make it 2 to 3 days before the holiday, and just keep it in the fridge (covered).

On Thanksgiving day, take it out an hour or so before you plan to serve dinner and let it come up to room temperature.

Then, throw it in the oven just as the turkey is coming out. Your turkey will probably need to rest for about an hour before you carve it, and that’s just enough time to heat up the stuffing and other side dishes.

CAN YOU FREEZE THANKSGIVING STUFFING?

If you have a lot of leftovers, they’ll keep in the refrigerator for several days. Or you could definitely freeze them!

This stuffing will last in the freezer for a couple of months at least.

Just be sure to wrap it up tightly so it doesn’t dry out or pick up any funny freezer odors.

Thaw it in the fridge the night before and warm it gently in a 170 degree F oven until it’s heated through, or for a few minutes in the microwave.

A FEW MORE OF MY FAVORITE THANKSGIVING RECIPES:

Apple Pie
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Cheesecake

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4 stars (1 rating)

Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe

Servings: 18

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 55 minutes mins

This basic Thanksgiving stuffing recipe will be your go-to year after year. Perfect with turkey dinner, it's got the traditional flavor your family craves.

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Ingredients

▢ 2 loaves (56 g) bread,, cubed (approx. 18 cups or 29 ounces)
▢ 1 tablespoon oil
▢ 2 onions,, roughly chopped
▢ 6 stalks celery, , roughly chopped
▢ 4 cups (0.95 l) chicken stock, (one 32-ounce box)
▢ 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, (2 sticks), melted
▢ 1/2 cup (16 g) roughly chopped fresh sage, (from one .75-ounce pack)
▢ 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
▢ 2 teaspoons (2 1/2 teaspoons) kosher salt,, divided
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
Arrange the cubed bread in an even layer on baking sheets, and dry in the oven for 30 minutes or until crisp.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the onion, celery, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Cook the onions and celery (stirring) until slightly softened and translucent (about 5 minutes).
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and lightly mist a 3.5-quart baking dish with non-stick spray.
Transfer the dry bread cubes to a large mixing bowl.
Add the cooked vegetables, stock, melted butter, sage, poultry seasoning, remaining salt, and pepper, and toss everything together until well-combined.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake for 1 hour, or until heated through and slightly browned and crisp around the edges.

Calories: 126kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 29mg, Sodium: 413mg, Potassium: 115mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 387IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 1mg

Cuisine: American

Course: Side Dish

Tried this recipe?Mention @bakingamoment on Instagram or tag #bakingamoment.

Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe: Easy, Traditional Recipe -Baking a Moment (2024)

FAQs

In what did recipes did people originally use stuffing? ›

So how far back can we find stuffing used in cooking? Some time between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD, a chef by the name of Apicius created a cookbook entitled, “Apicius de re Coquinaria.” In its pages are recipes for stuffed chicken, rabbit, pig, and even dormouse.

Is it better to make stuffing the night 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 stuffing better with or without eggs? ›

It's all about personal preference. If you want a sturdier dressing, eggs can help do that. I don't use eggs in this recipe, though, because I like a lighter, more crumbly texture in my dressing.

Why is it called dressing in the south? ›

But for the Thanksgiving side dish in the South, the term dressing was adopted in place of stuffing, which was viewed as a crude term, during the Victorian era. Although dressing and stuffing are interchangeable terms, the signature ingredient of this Thanksgiving side dish in the South is cornbread.

What country invented stuffing? ›

Purportedly ancient Roman, or else Medieval, cooks developed engastration recipes, stuffing animals with other animals. An anonymous Andalusian cookbook from the 13th century includes a recipe for a ram stuffed with small birds.

How to make stuffing for turkey Martha Stewart? ›

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter.
4 onions, coarsely chopped (about 4 cups)
5 stalks celery, coarsely chopped (about 2 ½ cups)
1 large bulb fennel, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups), optional.
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary.
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage.

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May 16, 2017

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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.

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What does adding egg to stuffing do? ›

Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture.

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Why can't you refrigerate uncooked stuffing? ›

USDA recommends that you never refrigerate uncooked stuffing. Why? Remember, stuffing can harbor bacteria, and though bacteria grow slower in the refrigerator they can cause problems because stuffing is a good medium for bacteria growth, therefore a higher risk food in terms of cooking safely.

Read On ›

How soggy should stuffing be before baking? ›

The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much. Add more bread to soak up the excess moisture. If the mix is still dry and crumbly, add more liquid and toss gently until it starts to clump together.

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

The bread is one of the most important ingredients in the stuffing. This is the base; it's what gives the stuffing structure, and it plays a big role in determining the texture. While you can use almost any bread — cornbread, bagels, or even frozen waffles — to make stuffing, it needs to be dried or “staled” first.

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What makes stuffing unhealthy? ›

Typically high in fat, carbs and salt, stuffing can be made fresh or purchased chilled, frozen or dehydrated. Traditionally, a stuffing would use the giblets of the bird with the addition of sausage meat, a source of starch, such as bread, with some aromatics such as onion, herbs and spices.

Read The Full Story ›

Is it better to stuff the turkey or make the stuffing on the side? ›

Should I stuff my turkey? Stuffing cooked inside the turkey cavities is delicious, but it does slow down the cooking time and could be a potential health hazard if done incorrectly. For perfect no-worry results, opt for "dressing" instead – stuffing cooked alongside the bird instead of inside.

Read The Full Story ›

Should you stuff a turkey or cook stuffing separately? ›

Here's an important Thanksgiving food safety tip that will surprise many: USDA doesn't recommend stuffing a whole turkey. The practice increases the risk of cross-contamination and takes the turkey longer to cook. Cook stuffing separately instead.

Discover More ›

Who invented stuffing food? ›

The Origins of Stuffing

Well, experts aren't exactly sure, but the first official mention of it can be found in a Roman cookbook called “Apicius de re Coquinaria,” which dates back to the first century AD.

See Details ›

What year did stuffing come out? ›

It can't be known exactly when stuffing became popular in America, however, written evidence shows that it was a Thanksgiving staple by at least 1836.

See Details ›

Was stuffing part of the first Thanksgiving? ›

It is possible that the birds were stuffed, though probably not with bread. (Bread, made from maize not wheat, was likely a part of the meal, but exactly how it was made is unknown.) The Pilgrims instead stuffed birds with chunks of onion and herbs.

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What is the American name for stuffing? ›

In the context of Thanksgiving, the word dressing is commonly used to mean the same exact thing as stuffing—including when it's cooked inside the bird.