Easy Classic Stuffing Recipe
If you want a classic stuffing recipe that is moist, savory, comforting, and delicious, this is it! Just traditional, homey, and nothing intimidating.
- 1 lb french Bread
- 1½ stick butter
- 4 stalks celery (finely diced)
- 1 large Onion
- 1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
- 1/4 cup sage (chopped)
- 1 tbsp Rosemary (finely minced)
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme (finely minced)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 cups low sodium Chicken broth
- 2 large Eggs
- 3/4 to 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tsp pepper (or add to taste)
- Melt the butter in a pan over medium to high heat, add the onions and celery and cook it down until they start to lose their moisture and become tender. About 10 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, and season with salt and pepper.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley. Set aside
- Crack the two eggs in a large bowl and add the broth. Whisk well.
- Add the veggie mixture, bread, and broth. Mix well until the bread becomes coated with the mixture.
- Butter the baking dish and add the mixture inside the pan. Press well add salt and pepper if desired.
- Bake at 350F covered with foil paper for 30 minutes and bake uncovered for another 30 to 40 minutes or till the surface becomes nicely browned.
- Butter a baking sheet then cut the bread into small cubes and place them on a single layer inside the baking sheet.
- Bake at 250F in the oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until the bread is dried out, stirring occasionally.
- Leave to cool completely before using it.
- Cut the bread into cubes and add inside the air fryer. If using a large air fryer like mine, you can do it one, and if you have a smaller air fryer, you can do it twice.
- Set the air fryer to 200F and leave to cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bread cubes are dried out, stirring about every 5 minutes.
- Leave to cool completely before using it.
- Place your bread cubes in a large pan and leave them to sit on the countertop covered for 1-2 days to dry out.
- Shake up the bread cubes every once in a while so that all the cubes can be air-dried.
My Favorite Recipe for Thanksgiving Classic Stuffing
Have you ever wondered how difficult it is to make your own stuffing? With so many different holidays arriving within the next few months, I thought I'd share one of my favorite stuffing recipes so relax and expect good ol', yummy dressing.
There are plenty of different ways to make stuffing, but if you are looking for an easy Thanksgiving classic stuffing recipe, you’ve come to the right place! We will walk you through how to make this holiday favorite so you can serve your family and friends something they will truly love.
Simple and easy to customize and add your special touch
This is a very basic classic recipe, just like grandma's recipe. However, the stuffing recipe that you use will depend mainly on your family traditions. Still, no matter the recipe you choose to use, this recipe stands as a good base to lead you there because it is delicious and lends itself to variations. Suggested variations are:
Mushroom - sauté 8oz sliced mushrooms with the celery and onion.
Bacon - cook and crumble it, then fold it through at the end.
Sausage - brown it before the vegetables go in (see the notes).
Giblets - simmer, chop finely, and add with the herbs.
No matter what type of cooking skills you have, this easy stuffing recipe will help you create the best stuffing served at your next holiday gathering.
Frequently asked questions about traditional stuffing.
Below, you will find the easy stuffing recipe to follow and create this year, but first, let's discuss some of the frequently asked questions and concerns that arise when making homemade stuffing.
What Is Stuffing? And Is Dressing the Same Thing?
Stuffing is a mixture of dried bread cubes and vegetables such as onion and celery, combined with herbs and spices. A few simple ingredients produce a memorable dish.
Stuffing and dressing are used interchangeably by most people. Strictly, stuffing is cooked inside the bird and dressing is baked in a separate dish which makes this recipe technically a dressing. In practice the names are regional: dressing is the usual word across the American South, stuffing almost everywhere else.
Should you cook it inside the turkey? I bake mine separately, and I’d recommend you do too. Stuffing inside the cavity has to reach 165°F to be safe, and by the time it does, the turkey breast is usually overcooked. Baking it in a dish also gives you the crisp browned top, which is the best part.
How do you make homemade stuffing?
You will need bread, celery, onions, and salt & pepper thrown in for good measure.
Once that is done, it’s just a matter of mixing up your ingredients in the right order and cooking them according to the recipe instructions!
Step 1: Dry out the bread - This is not optional. Fresh bread turns to paste can be done in the air fryer and the oven. I have listed 3 methods below.
Step 2: Cook the veggies - Give them time, about 10 minutes, until they soften and lose their moisture.
Step 3 Mix all - Fold the bread with the veggies and the egg and broth mixture.
Step 4: Bake at 350°F, covered then uncovered, until the surface is nicely browned.
How to dry the bread
Second method: In the Air fryer.
Can I make stuffing the day before?
Yes, you can make this recipe a day before in two ways:
The stuffing can be done halfway and finished up the next day. You can do this by baking it covered for the first baking time and brown the next day.
Once the bread has been folded into the herb and egg mixture. You can cover it up and refrigerate and bake the next day. I really don't recommend doing this because the stuffing can end up getting too soggy.
My only advice is to make sure you refrigerate the stuffing and cover it with a tight-fitting lid or foil paper before keeping it in the refrigerator.
Freezing: baked stuffing freezes well for up to 3 months. Cool completely, wrap tightly, and reheat from frozen at 350°F, covered, for about 45 minutes.
Can stuffing be warmed the next day?
Yes. Pop it into a 350°F oven until heated through. It’s best straight out of the oven, though because leftovers dry out quickly. Add a splash of broth before reheating to bring the moisture back, and uncover for the last few minutes to re-crisp the top.
How do you keep dressing moist?
Since the bread in the easy stuffing recipe soaks up the moisture, you can add a little broth and let it sit. A little broth goes a long way; if too much is added, it will result in soggy stuffing, which won't be any good for meal day.
Now, if you make a mistake and your stuffing becomes too moist or gummy in texture, you can fix this situation. Simply spread your homemade stuffing out in a baking pan so that it's in an even layer. Bake for a short period of time, keeping a watchful eye on your stuffing so that it doesn't overbake and become too dry. Once you are satisfied with the texture of your stuffing, pull it out of the oven and place it in a serving dish for mealtime.
What kind of bread is best for stuffing?
I recommend using a crusty french loaf as I used in this recipe. Sourdough bread also works just fine. While these are my favorite kind of bread to use for stuffing, you may also use:
Bagels
Baguettes or any bread that suits your fancy.
What to avoid: very soft, very fresh supermarket white bread. It has too little structure and collapses into paste no matter how well you dry it. You want something with a crust and an open crumb.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead can I make stuffing? A day ahead, baked halfway. The bread cubes themselves can be dried up to a week in advance and stored in a paper bag.
Can I make it without eggs? Yes. The eggs bind it and give a firmer, more custardy result. Without them it’s looser and more crumbly. Closer to a classic Southern dressing. Add an extra ¼ cup of broth if you leave them out.
How much stuffing do I need per person? About ¾ cup per person as a side dish. This recipe serves 8, so scale up for a large gathering.
What size dish should I use? A 9x13 baking dish for this quantity. Pressing it in gives you a denser stuffing; leaving it loose gives you more crisp top.
Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh? Yes, but use a third of the quantity. Dried herbs are far more concentrated. Fresh sage in particular makes a noticeable difference here.
Why is my stuffing soggy? Either the bread wasn’t dried properly, or too much broth went in. Both are fixable by spreading it out and baking uncovered for a few more minutes.
Is this recipe vegetarian? Not as written, since it uses chicken broth but swap in vegetable broth and it is.
What to Serve With Dressing
Stuffing goes well with turkey breast, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, ham, or any other meat on your holiday table.
The type of butter you use will determine the quantity of salt you will add. For example, if you use salted butter, add less salt, and if you use unsalted butter, you can add a little more.
If using sausage, before you add the veggies, add the sausage and brown it first before adding the veggies and aromatics.
I like to use sweet onion; it contrasts nicely with the herbs.
I like to use low sodium because I can really control the amount of salt I use in that way.
Butter is just more than fat; it also adds flavor, so be generous!.
1 tablespoon Rosemary finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme finely minced
¾ to 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
