This is my all-time favorite stuffing recipe. It’s a classic with pretty basic ingredients and it’s chock full of fresh herbs which not only give this recipe tons of flavor, it makes your whole kitchen smell like Thanksgiving or Christmas too.
Stuffing is one of my favorite side dishes. It may be a regional thing but I know some people call this dressing. However, I’ve always called it stuffing as you can also use this recipe to stuff a turkey with. Whatever you call it, this is essentially a savory bread pudding and I am here for it!
Related: Need more side dishes? Try our Green Bean Casserole, Broccoli Casserole, Corn Casserole, the Best Baked Macaroni and Cheese, or Jello Salad. And if you have leftover herbs from this recipe, try this Thanksgiving Stove Simmer.
Ingredients
- Bread – stale bread is great! Any kind: Italian, cornbread, white sandwich, etc.
- Butter
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Celery
- Sage
- Parsley
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Chicken stock
- Eggs
- Salt and pepper
How to make stuffing casserole
Cube the bread the night before you make this. I like to leave it in a bag, loosely sealed, so it dries out some. It doesn’t have to be completely dry or stale, but fresh soft bread isn’t as good for this recipe.
Chop up the shallots and celery. Mince the garlic. Chop up the fresh herbs.
In a large sauce pan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted. Then stir in the shallots, garlic and celery. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Then stir in most of the fresh herbs, reserving around 1/3 of them to top the stuffing with before baking.
Stir together the chicken stock and eggs until well combined.
In a large mixing bowl, or two if needed, add the bread crumbs, cooked shallot mixture, and the chicken stock mixture. Stir until everything is well coated and combined. Season well with salt and pepper.
Butter a 9×13 baking dish, or coat in nonstick cooking spray. Add the stuffing mixture to the pan. Top with the remaining herbs. Cover in aluminum foil.
Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake for another 25-28 minutes. The total bake time will be 45-48 minutes. The stuffing should look golden brown along the edges when done.
Tips & Substitutions
- You can substitute the shallots for a yellow or white onion if needed.
- I like to buy the day old bread that’s on sale at the grocery store for this, if I don’t have leftover bread to use. Also, you can save random bits in a bag in the freezer leading up to making this recipe.
- If you want to make this ahead, simply follow this recipe until the point of baking. Instead, store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake.
- You can use this recipe to stuff a Thanksgiving turkey, but keep in mind depending on the size of bird this may make too much stuffing to all fit inside the cavity. You may have enough to cook this stuffing in an 8×8 size pan in addition to stuffing the turkey. But, again, it depends on the size of bird you are preparing.
Serving Suggestions
To me, stuffing is a Thanksgiving side dish and that’s usually when I make this recipe each year. That being said, here are some main course recipes that would be delicious alongside this.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make stuffing casserole ahead of time?
Yes. Simply follow this recipe up to the point of baking. Then instead of popping it in the oven, cover in foil and refrigerate for a day or two until you are ready to bake.
Can I freeze stuffing?
Yes, stuffing freezes well. Simply store it in an airtight container and it should keep in the freezer for a month or more. Rewarm in the oven or microwave.
What can I do with leftover Thanksgiving stuffing?
Add to a turkey sandwich or serve warm with a fried egg for breakfast. Thanksgiving leftovers are so good and one of my favorite parts of the holiday!
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Ingredients
- 22 ounces stale bread
- 1 cup butter
- 4 shallots
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ cups celery
- 2 tablespoons sage
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- 2 tablespoons rosemary
- 2 tablespoons thyme
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 eggs
- salt and pepper
Equipment
- 1 9×13 casserole dish
Instructions
- Cube the bread the night before you make this. I like to leave it in a bag, loosely sealed, so it dries out some. It doesn’t have to be completely dry or stale, but fresh soft bread isn’t as good for this recipe.
- Chop up the shallots and celery. Mince the garlic. Chop up the fresh herbs.
- In a large sauce pan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted. Then stir in the shallots, garlic and celery. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Then stir in most of the fresh herbs, reserving around 1/3 of them to top the stuffing with before baking.
- Stir together the chicken stock and eggs until well combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, or two if needed, add the bread crumbs, cooked shallot mixture, and the chicken stock mixture.
- Stir until everything is well coated and combined. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Butter a 9×13 baking dish, or coat in nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the stuffing mixture to the pan. Top with the remaining herbs. Cover in aluminum foil.
- Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake for another 25-28 minutes.
- The total bake time will be 45-48 minutes. The stuffing should look golden brown along the edges when done.
Notes
Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
I made this for Thanksgiving, and it was exactly what I look for in a dressing– crunchy and soft bits and great flavor. I’ve made fancier ones in the past that just don’t hit the same as this. I added roasted diced mushrooms since I already had those on-hand from other recipe prep. I let the dressing sit for a few hours before putting it in the oven. Everyone loved it.
I make the same stuffing, I add Jones pork sausage, it really gives a nice taste to the stuffing. What size turkey does this stuff. I ask because I am making this for my daughter and she is making two turkeys. Big crowd.
I love stuffing, this sounds amazing!!
Can this be made in a large crock pot?
I haven’t tried that, if you do let us know how it goes.
Why is egg added to the stuffing? I could never understand it. I prefer my stuffing without eggs. Perhaps as a binder? Thank you for explaining.
I have a question… eggs? I have never added them and curious why they are used and what they do for the recipe? Thanks!
Yes, I add eggs to this recipe. It’s a binder, but also it adds a richness / creaminess to the final dish. Stuffing (or dressing, as some call it) is essentially a savory bread pudding which is typically like a bread custard and a key component to custard is egg yolks.
My dad made the best stuffing in the world and this is basically his recipe! He didn’t use parsley but used the celery leaves and to me, their flavor adds such deliciousness! When I make it I search for celery with a lot of leaves or buy an extra bunch just for more leaves! Use them all, the dark green ones and the tender pale ones inside! Yum!
I need to do that.