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Why I Love This Stuffing
Stuffing, or should I say dressing, is loved and hated depending on who you ask. This is a staple on the Thanksgiving menu and one I love. I find the dislike for this classic dish comes from having bad stuffing. Dry, flavorless, and boring stuffing has turned some people away, but this recipe is here to bring them back. This is the classic traditional recipe. The essential part is the butter, vegetables, and moisture level to make sure the result is holiday-ready perfection!
Traditional Stuffing Ingredients
- Bread is the main ingredient, and can make or bread the stuffing. The better the quality of the bread, the better the outcome. Use a simple white or a mixture of favorite breads.
- Carrot, celery, and onion form the base layer of flavor. The vegetables soften and release their flavor, so each bite of stuffing is delicious.
- Butter is a key player. The rich flavor cooks the vegetables and soaks into the bread.
- Sage and thyme offer the perfect mixture of herb flavor that is iconic to this recipe.
- Egg can be controversial when it comes to stuffing, but it does help provide body and hold the stuffing together, just enough.
The full amount of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make This Traditional Stuffing
Step 1: Dry the bread – Cut the sliced bread into small, bite-sized cubes. Arrange them in an even layer on a pan. Place the pan in a 200°F oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once toasted, remove the bread and set it aside. Turn up the oven temperature to 350°F.
Step 2: Prepare the vegetables – Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Dice the onion, celery, and carrots into small pieces and add to the skillet. Mix together and season with kosher salt. Let it cook for 6 minutes. Finely chop the sage and thyme. Take the vegetables off the heat and mix in the herbs.
Step 3: Assemble the stuffing – Place the dried bread into a large bowl with the vegetables. In a small bowl, whisk an egg and add it to the bread and vegetables. Pour in half of the stock. Stir together and season with salt and black pepper. Add the rest of the stock and mix.
Step 4: Bake the stuffing – Pour the mixture into a baking dish, cover with tin foil, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Then remove the stuffing from the oven, remove the foil, and return it uncovered to the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Toast the bread in the oven rather than letting it go stale. Bread that goes stale still has moisture on the inside. If it dries in an oven, it gets hard throughout.
- Mix a little bit of stock or broth with the egg before adding it to the larger bowl. It reduces the consistency and makes it easier to mix.
- For even more flavor, add homemade stock or swap out the stock for bone broth, which has a richer, deeper flavor.
- To ensure the proper moisture content, take a cube of bread and lightly squeeze the bread. If you can see some moisture come out and it drips slightly, then it’s at the correct consistency. You don’t want it to be drier than that or so wet that it’s completely saturated and won’t take any more moisture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Drying the bread in the oven will result in a better texture than using bread that has sat on the counter. Stale bread is only dried around the perimeter while drying in the oven fully dries the bread so it can soak in the moisture.
This recipe can be made in a casserole dish or stuffed into the turkey. Stuffing into the bird can be risky as it is difficult to fully cook. I would suggest making this in a casserole dish and serving it as a side dish alongside all of your other Thanksgiving recipes.
The leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and will last 7 to 10 days.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
I hope you make this recipe and put some food on your table. Leave a comment and share a star rating so you can let others know how much you love this recipe. This helps show others that this is a recipe they, too, can make, enjoy, and love!
Traditional Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 loaf bread (about 12 cups in ½-inch cubes)
- 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 onion diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt separated
- 2 tbsp minced fresh sage
- 2 tsp minced fresh thyme
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 quart turkey stock
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200℉.
- Cut the bread into ½-inch to 1-inch cubes and lay them on two baking sheets. Place in the preheated oven until they dry, 45-60 minutes. Remove from the oven and set them aside.1 loaf bread (about 12 cups in ½-inch cubes)
- Turn the heat in the oven up to 350℉. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set it aside.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, carrot, and 1 tsp kosher salt. Sauté until the onion is tender and translucent, 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sage and thyme.8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, 2 stalks celery, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, 2 tbsp minced fresh sage, 2 tsp minced fresh thyme
- In a large bowl, combine the prepared bread, the sautéed vegetables, egg, turkey stock, ½ tsp kosher salt, and black pepper. Mix to combine. Depending on the type of bread, add up to an additional ½ cup of stock. Pour the stuffing into the prepared baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil, and bake until the top is beginning to brown, 15-20 additional minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 large egg, 1 quart turkey stock, 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
Liked the addition of carrot: nutrition, taste, color. Too much pepper…I used coarse ground.
Ample broth for 12 c. bread: very wet. Still tasted good, though. Used 1/ 2 stick butter to lessen fat in the mirepoix & it was enough. Overall, good recipe with adjustments.
Thank you so much for your dressing recipe.I love how you put things together & how organized & clean you always are! Happy Thanksgiving!
I love watching your videos, I have learned so much From your cooking videos to your plants and planting ideas, thank you Caleb 🙇🏻♂️ and have a happy Thanksgiving
Made this stuffing and it was a hit! Delicious and not hard to put together at all.
Would like to try your traditional stuffing recipe. Can I assemble it early in the day, refrigerate and bake later? Was concerned about the egg not being cooked before refrigerating. Thank you.
Can this be made a day ahead?
I was wondering this too Barbie!