Homemade Traditional Bread Stuffing (Thanksgiving Recipe)

A Homemade Traditional Bread Stuffing is my family's favorite side dish for Thanksgiving! This recipe has the basic onion, celery and lots of butter to make this flavorful savory dish. Pair this recipe with a scratch made Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potato Casserole and Cranberry Orange Sauce!

Why You'll Love This Traditional Bread Stuffing Recipe!

If you have never made a homemade stuffing I promise once you try this you will never go bake to the boxed variety! This homemade stuffing recipe has so much flavor from the sauteed onion, celery, shallots and all of the fresh herbs!

The funny thing is that my family always made the boxed stuffing for Thanksgiving, well at least as long as I can remember. I know before I came along and my grandmother was able to she made homemade stuffing but unfortunately in my memories she had switched to box stuffing in order to make her day of cooking a bit easier.

It wasn't until I hosted my own Thanksgiving after getting married that I decided to make my own stuffing recipe. My husband absolutely loved the recipe which made me so happy considering it was the first time tackling a new recipe on top of all the cooking Thanksgiving entails.

This stuffing is perfect with a buttery crunchy top and soft center. I have made this recipe for years and have perfected the steps to make it easier to put together if you want to make ahead. This way you won't tie up your oven on Thanksgiving day drying out the bread!

• family favorite- This is the one side dish no one passes up. I have actually started doubling the recipe just so we have leftovers because everyone loves it so much!
• easy to make ahead- while there are a few steps to this recipe, it is easy to make and can be assembled ahead to save time on Thanksgiving day!
• better than store bought- once you make a homemade stuffing, you will never go back to the box stuff!

Love Thanksgiving Side Dishes? Try These Next!

What Is Stuffing?

The term stuffing comes from when it was common to actually stuff the turkey with a mixture of bread or other grains when cooked. Because it is not considered food safe the USDA has discouraged this practice, however many people still call it stuffing even though it is baked in a casserole dish.

Depending on what part of the country you live in you may call it stuffing or dressing. These terms are interchangeable but the dishes may have slightly different ingredients.

Equipment Needed

• knife
• cutting board
• rimmed baking sheet
• 13x9 casserole dish
• large mixing bowl

Key Ingredients

bread- The type of bread really matters in this recipe because is the most important ingredient. You will want to stay away from the processed soft spongy white breads. I like to find a loaf in the bakery at my grocery store. A good crusty loaf is the best option. It will need to be stale so make sure to follow those instructions for drying out the bread.

butter- I always use unsalted butter because it's easier to add a little salt if needed. This will give the stuffing that wonderful buttery flavor. I know this is a lot but I usually only make stuffing once a year so its so worth it!

onions- give a great flavor to the stuffing. Use a white or yellow onion.

celery- is also one of those essential ingredients for stuffing. It adds a subtle flavor.

shallots- if you are not familiar with shallots they are related to both onions and garlic. I like them because they have a bit milder flavor than onions. I use both in the recipe because I have a few family members that do not like too much onion so this seems to be a great balance.

parsley, thyme, sage and rosemary- Fresh herbs are a must in this recipe! If you do not do fresh well, you might as well do a boxed stuffing! Sorry for being so bossy but this really elevates the flavor. I buy live herbs at my local gardening store and plant them in a pot so I have fresh herbs year round.

chicken broth- will add moisture and flavor.

bouillon- this is optional but adds a depth of flavor. You can omit this and the water add an extra cup of broth instead.

Step-By-Step Instructions

First you will need to dry the bread out. Even if the bread seems stale, I would stick it in the oven for a few minutes. Preheat the oven to 250° F. Cut the bread into cubes. They can be slightly different sizes. They really do not need to be perfect.

Throw all of the cubes onto a rimmed baking sheet. You will want to stir them a few times while they are in the oven so it is important to not use a cookie sheet where they can slide off. Place in the oven and let them toast for 20-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. The time will depend on how fresh the bread is. This step is important though because the dry bread will absorb the butter and broth better.

While the bread is drying out you can prep all of the veggies. I like to cut my onions and celery into small pieces.

Next heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt all of the butter in the skillet and add the onion, celery and shallot. Sauté the vegetables for 5-7 minutes or until they are tender, you do not want crunchy onions in your stuffing!

Once they are softened, remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the herbs.

In a very large bowl, add the toasted bread and the onion mixture making sure to pour all of the butter into the bowl. I like to add a bit at a time and stir as I go so that I can equally coat all of the bread.

Pour the mixture into a casserole dish. It will be very full but should all fit into a 13x9 inch dish.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and add the broth, Better Than Bouillon and water. Mix well to combine.

Pour this mixture over the bread cubes in the casserole dish. I like to use a spoon to carefully move the bread so that I get it equally coated in the egg mixture.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 30 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and crispy on top.

Serving Suggestions

This is of course the perfect bread stuffing for Thanksgiving dinner. I always serve this with my Dutch Oven Turkey Breast, Cranberry Orange Sauce, and Green Bean Casserole. But it doesn't have to be Thanksgiving for stuffing! You can make this side dish to go with roasted chicken breast or ham.

Is It Better To Make Stuffing With Fresh Or Dry Bread?

Stale bread will absorb the liquid better than fresh bread. You can buy bread a few days ahead so that it becomes stale or dry the bread in the oven when you need it the day of. I always dry my bread a day or more ahead to save time on the day of Thanksgiving.

Storage And Reheating

Store any leftover stuffing in an airtight container for 3-4 days. To reheat in the oven, allow the casserole dish to sit out for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake covered for 20-30 minutes or until warm.

Why Put Eggs In Stuffing?

The eggs in stuffing acts as the binder and helps hold all of the ingredients together. This will also give your stuffing a fluffy texture.

Make Ahead

This is a great recipe to make ahead as you are preparing your Thanksgiving recipes.

• Dry out the bread. This may seem like a small step but you do not want to tie up the oven for this on Thanksgiving Day. Even if this is all you make ahead it will save you 40 minutes. This can be done 3 days before.
• Sauté the vegetables and add this mixture to the dry bread. Place everything in the casserole dish and cover tightly and refrigerate. When ready to bake remove from fridge for 30 minutes to come up to room temperature. Beat the egg mixture together and add to the casserole and bake as directed. This can be done the day before.

Did you try this recipe? Please let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, and a 5- star rating. I would love to hear from you! Subscribe Here to get new recipes sent straight to your inbox!