by HollyCrock Pot Stuffing takes my favorite classic stuffing recipe and turns it into an easy make ahead side dish. This stuffing is perfect to serve along side turkey dinner!
Once I started cooking my stuffing in my slow cooker, it’s the only way I make it now! Not only is it easy and delicious, it can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance making it the perfect side during a busy meal! Turkey dinner is a big undertaking so I try to plan ahead as much as I can both before the meal and on turkey day (I use this turkey dinner planner to keep everything in order).
When you walk into my kitchen a few hours before that golden turkey is out of the oven, you’ll see slow cookers and vegetable steamers all lined up on one side of the kitchen. I try to have all of the sides and accompaniments prepared ahead of time. I no longer boil my mashed potatoes, I make slow cooker mashed potatoes and I often have veggies like carrots and broccoli washed and sitting in the veggie steamer ready to go (and of course this Crock Pot stuffing)! When the turkey is ready, it comes out of the oven and literally the only thing I have to do is cook up the gravy while it rests.
I do have to make a confession… while I always make a ton of dishes for any turkey dinner including rolls, veggies, salads and all that other jazz that goes along with turkey the only thing I care about is the stuffing (and gravy). Truly, if I just had a big ol’ plate of stuffing, I’d be a happy camper (and I always ALWAYS take seconds of the stuffing).
The Best Bread for Stuffing
You can make delicious stuffing with ANY kind of bread from hot dog buns to leftover bagels or crusts of bread. To make perfect stuffing, you’ll need to ensure your bread cubes or crumbs are dry before beginning.
My personal favorite bread for stuffing is using half white sandwich bread and half brown sandwich bread and drying it myself. It gives the best texture and flavor allowing for the seasonings and celery/onion mixture flavor to really shine through.
My second choice is dried unseasoned bread cubes from the store. I prefer to add my own seasonings and control the sodium (and MSG). (I use a homemade poultry seasoning).
How to Dry Bread for Stuffing
There are two ways I dry bread for stuffing:
1. Make day old bread: Cut your bread into cubes and leave it on the counter uncovered at least 24 hours (stirring occasionally).
2. Dry Bread Crumbs in the oven: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lay fresh bread cubes in a single layer and cook 25 minutes stirring half way or until dried. Ensure your bread doesn’t toast or brown.
An important note about adding the broth! You are going to add just enough broth to the cubes to moisten them. Depending on the type of bread you use your broth amount could vary by up to a cup or more! You want enough broth so that the cubes are moist but not mushy as the onions/celery and other add ins will also add a bit of moisture to the stuffing.
Cooks Tip: If you accidentally add too much liquid and your stuffing is too wet, don’t despair! Add in a couple of handfuls of dry bread cubes or store bought croutons. They’ll soak up any extra moisture creating the perfect consistency.
While I like a simple classic stuffing, if you’re more adventurous, you can most certainly add in whatever you’d like such as fresh or dried cranberries, fried mushrooms or even cooked sausage. Once you make this easy Crock Pot stuffing, it’ll definitely become your go to!
CROCK POT STUFFING
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning store bought or homemade
- 2 medium onions diced
- 2 cups celery chopped
- 6 cups cubed and dried white bread
- 6 cups cubed and dried brown bread
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- fresh herbs to taste thyme, sage, rosemary (optional)
- 3-4 cups chicken broth
- 2 eggs
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Instructions
- Heat butter over medium heat until melted. Stir in poultry seasoning, black pepper and salt to taste. Add celery & onions and cook until softened (do not brown). Cool completely.
- Place bread cubes in a large bowl. Add cooled celery and onion mixture, parsley and fresh herbs if using.
- Add chicken broth a little bit at a time just to moisten and gently stir. You may not need all of the broth (see note below). Stir in eggs.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight if making ahead of time.
- Grease a 5-6 qt slow cooker well. Place stuffing in the slow cooker and turn onto high for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to low and cook an additional 3-4 hours or until hot and cooked through. If stuffing is done before your meal is ready it can remain on warm.
Recipe Notes
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
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I am planning on using this recipe for our Christmas turkey dinner. Always up for saving time and work! I am wondering if you beat the eggs lightly before adding into the bread cube mixture? Doesn’t state that in the directions, but I would think you would?
Thanks so much!
Sorry I missed your question Patty. It will work either way. I sometimes just add it in without beating. I hope you enjoyed the stuffing during your Christmas dinner!
What is brown bread? Wheat?
Yes, wheat bread. :)
Hi there!
I have an egg allergy in my family. Can I omit the eggs or will it have an effect on the end result?
Thanks!!
I think it would work just fine without egg! The egg binds it. It’s very similar to baking it in the oven. Enjoy Laura!
I made my own cubes and used two cups of broth. It came out very eggy and collapsing likebread pudding and the excess butter pooled at the bottom. Looking for ideas to fux it. I like a fluffy, dry and crisp stuffing like oven baked. I need to make it again tonight so I’m thinking of adding more bread cubes to soak up the butter and not using egg?
Were your bread cubes dry? If you’re using your own bread cubes (even if they’re dried) they generally take much less liquid. I would suggest adding the broth a little at a time, stirring after each addition to reach desired consistency. You may not need all of the broth.
They were dry but I made them myself and so they weren’t hard as rocks like the store bought ones. I’m still thinking leave out the eggs and reduce the broth like you’re saying.
Yes, I think that’s the best option! Let me know how it turns out for you Nicole. :)
I didn’t use this particular recipe,and I eyeball the moistness, plus I always add some chopped boiled eggs.And later when done I put some sliced boiled eggs on top. Just get a can of unseasoned bread crumbs and mix a little in to soak up the butter. Or toast the bread,just a little. Works better if the crock is not so deep. I use the little round crock pot 2.5 qt($20 at wallyworld), or if making more, the casserole 3.5qt crockpot, on sale around $20,otherwise $30. I used the 3 in a row set one year, and it was just a little too moist,but i just left it on warm a while, so it was acceptable, some like it that way, or at least they said they did? You can get the 3 set this time of year at Sams club.I have the tru brand buffet server. It takes a little longer to cook, specially when using all 3 at once, so put the dish(s) that needs the most time on, by itself, first.The lids rest on back and it comes with spoons. They are slightly less deep than a regular crock pot 2.5qts,so that will help. I wound up making green bean casserole in one and the 3rd was carrots with bacon and green onions…ummmmm!!! they don’t seem as sturdy as crock pot, but I only use them this time of year..at $30, I put them away in the box in the garage, and get them back out when I need them..It travels ok. I put it in a box and put a foil seal across each dish, because it will slosh. That way the lids were clean when I arrived at the family destination. Girl, I also invested in a $30 electric roaster. Great for turkey. I just hosed it off outside afterwards…Like 2 days afterwards, Ha. That is totally foolproof and the turkey is done in 2 1/2 hours…It goes back in the box and in the garage too. I do use a little dish soap, ha..I also got that ge roaster at sams..but didn’t see it this year. You might try the Copper chef wonder cooker,tho. All this is to get you realizing, it is trial and error..If you LOVE good food, make it yourself. Old Southern living recipes are great. Write down what works, put that in the computer, so next time, you will be ready. I really like the flavor of the crock pot dressing, but my mom made the best, in that old fashioned electric roaster…So..Do not give up!!
Thank you so much for your great advice and sharing the tips you’ve learned along the way! I have one of those warmers (a gift from my Mom) and I love your tips on how you use it!
I made the dressing/stuffing today and thank goodness I had the foresight to make extra. It was a total success as everyone absolutely loved it. I put some in the turkey and the rest in the crockpot. This will be the only recipe I will ever use. My family thanks you!!
I’m so glad your family loved it Marybeth!
My daughter is allergic to eggs so I left them out and added a little extra broth to replace the moisture. Although I’m sure the eggs are lovely, it worked quite well without too. I made your poultry seasoning which was great. This is such a great way to make stuffing I’m pretty sure I’ll never go back to the old way. I’m going to try your slow cooker mashed potatoes next.
I’m so glad you loved them Marilyn!
Thank you for the recipes (super excited about the poultry seasoning [and chili seasoning] found on your site, now I don’t have to buy premade mystery seasonings!).
How in the world are you able to answer the same question, multiple times, in a single thread without going bonkers?
LOL! Thank you Monica! ;) Enjoy the seasoning mixes, I love making my own!
I’ve heard of using 1 pound hamburger or pork sausage in this recipe – has anyone tried that and would you brown the meat before adding to crockpot?
I have a crock pot stuffing recipe here which always works well and I think pork sausage would be great! The meat would need to be browned before adding to the recipe.
This is pretty close to the way I make mine. It’s just a personal preference but I use some dried French and/or sourdough bread along with white bread. It give the dressing a nice texture but probably have to add a little more broth.
Those sound delicious to me too Debbie! Thank you for sharing your way of making stuffing :)
Can the bread crumbs be substituted for stove top stuffing? Just curious?
Yes they could be but the stove top usually already has seasonings and a lot of salt. Adding in broth (and additional salt) might make this recipe a bit too salty so I’d suggest using a low sodium or no sodium version of broth.
I’m interested in making this for a potluck Thanksgiving at work. It sounds delicious, but I have 1 question. I have read in other recipes that once you add egg to a recipe you should cook it at that time because it’s not safe to refrigerate raw egg in a recipe. I’m not an experienced/knowledgeable cook, so I want to make sure I’m being safe. Any feedback is appreciated.
I haven’t heard this before, I know a lot of cookie dough etc contain eggs and is refrigerated. I do know that eggs should not be added if you plan to stuff the turkey with the stuffing.
In this case, if you’re concerned, you can leave the eggs out (and the recipe will still work just fine, the eggs just keep the stuffing from being crumbly). Other options would be to stir the eggs in the morning before your turn the slow cooker on or to use a pasteurized egg product (like Egg Beaters) in place of eggs. I hope that helps!
https://www.incredibleegg.org/egg-nutrition/safe-food-handling-tips/
Hi Holly! I’m planning to use your recipe this year and I was wondering how many serving in this recipe? Many thanks – it’s sounds delicious!!
This recipe makes 12 servings.
How many servings does this recipe yield?? My husband and I are having thanksgiving alone for the first time and I really don’t want to too much left over. Can I cut this recipe in half?
This recipe makes 12 servings. If you half it, adjust the cooking time slightly.
Im never sure how many bags of unseasoned bread cubes to get at the supermarket. We love stuffing but I only bought 2-12 oz. bags is that enough?
This recipe uses 12 cups of dry bread, so you can measure how many cups your bags are to know if it is enough for the recipe. Enjoy Rosemary!
Your crockpot dressing sounds so much easier than stuffing the bird. Just wondering what seasoning you use to flavour the turkey if you don’t stuff it? Happy thanksgiving to you. We already had ours in Canada. Thinking about Christmas now!
Hi Jesse, it is definitely easier! In my Spatchcock Turkey, I use thyme, rosemary, parsley, and sage.
I am not sure what the purpose is of adding the eggs, I have never made stuffing with eggs. Could you please send be back an e-mail with your answer, the recipe sounds delicious & would like to try it. Thanks so much.
It binds is just a little bit so it’s not quite so crumbly. It doesn’t make it sticky or eggy though. :)
What if you forget to pre-cook the onions and celery?
They may come out a little crunchy. :)
Can you use vegetable broth? Thanks
Sure you can!
Hands down the BEST stuffing I’ve ever put on our Thanksgiving dinner table!! Everyone raved about it. I share the link to the recipe on my FB page. I hope it makes the rounds a few hundred thousand times. It was that delicious. Thanks so much for creating it. 10 Stars; 5 doesn’t do it justice!!
Thank you so much Sandra! I’m glad the stuffing was such a hit at your Thanksgiving dinner. (Stuffing is my FAVORITE part of Thanksgiving dinner!)
Good afternoon,
I didn’t see a response to if the crock pot stuffing could be converted to use gluten free breads. If so, would the measurements remain the same?
Alternately, could a mixture of gluten free bread and gluten free corn bread be used?
Thanks,
I have only tried the recipe as written and don’t live a gluten free lifestyle so can’t say for sure. Maybe some other readers have some ideas to share.
I oven toasted 2 loaves of GF bread this morning to make the croutons for this, & it’s in the fridge now looking great. I personally wouldn’t have a mix of corn bread with other bread as I feel the cornbread would turn to mush if too wet or crumble if too dry
This sounds almost identical to my grandmother’s dressing but she added cornbread to hers. Can I omit the brown bread and use cornbread instead?
Cornbread would be delicious too Kathi!
Can I add a boneless turkey breast on top of the stuffing and cook together? Thanks
I haven’t tried it that way but it sounds delicious! I’d use a thermometer to ensure both your turkey and your stuffing reach 165°F. Let us know how it goes!
Can this be frozen
Yes, stuffing freezes well.
Thanks for sharing this!
I am going to try with this receipt with a bit my own twist! Love Turkey!
I am going to try making half of this. Anyone tried that? I think this recipe is brilliant
1
My whole family asked for this recipe after having made it for our Christmas celebration dinner. So good I won’t make any other stuffing. The mushrooms make this have an earthy flavor.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I made this forThanksgiving this year…I used the same recipe and stuffed a 22 lb Turkey in addition to the crock pot! Only difference… I added abit more seasoning and I added dried cranberries. It was delicious… and we had stuffing left over for sandwiches! I’ll do it again and again! Actually doing it again for Christmas! PS… my turkey is always moist cuz I Roast it breast side down. The juices from the dark meat and the stuffing drip into the white meat and keep it moist. Not the best if you want a pretty presentation though!!!
Sounds delicious to cook it upside down… I’ll definitely have to give it a try one of these days!
Years ago mom mom told me to always cook “Tom” breast side down for far moister results AND she never stuffed the bird. Always baked it separate with a few slices of bacon on top. I’m trying your recipe for our Christmas Dinner. Thank you so much! From all the reviews I know it will be wonderful
The recipe looks great and I can’t wait to try it! I’ve been looking at various crock pot stuffing recipes and they all seem to call for egg, but my granddaughter has an egg allergy. Any thoughts on how it might turn out without the egg?
I think it would work just fine without egg! It’s very similar to baking it in the oven. Enjoy Carol!
Hello, this looks wonderful. Does this recipe fill a regular sized crockpot?
Yes, this fills a 6 qt slow cooker (a regular oval shaped slow cooker).
Made this for thanksgiving last night and everyone loved it! I used 2 bags of the big brand stuffing with the herb flavor and it was fantastic. Thank you for the recipe and happy holidays!
I’m so glad you loved it!! Happy Holidays to you and your family too!
I want to try this recipe and ended up getting the herb flavored cubes. If you use those does that mean the poultry herbs won’t be necessary?
hi there, it’s thanksgiving eve. i’ll make this close to midnight so it can go into the fridge before i go to sleep. i can hardly wait to try this recipe. i love collecting recipes, and storing them on my computer for future use. thanks for sharing your recipes.
i love collecting recipes and storing them on my desktop. i found this recipe and i can hardly wait to try it.
i make surer that i put in place the people who posted their recipes. thanks for posting this recipe.
yours truly, collette
Help! I am all geared up to make this dish and was planning to cook it fully before our thanksgiving feast tmw. I thought the recipe was to be made in the crock pot the night before- can I still do that or will the dish come out soggy? Thanks for your help, happy thanksgiving!
It should be fine if you refrigerate it overnight and cook tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Holly! Happy,Thanksgiving! I wanted to give it a try tomorrow with stuffing in the crockpot. I was hoping to make it today though but have a question. My mom’s recipe has only water chestnuts and golden delicious apples, bread and butter and stock in it…. lol….sooooo yummers….can I cut my apples up today or are they going to get weird overnight?
I had to add a lot more broth, maybe 6 cups. But I bought seasoned dried bread.
I made this recipe last night and it was great. however, I hated the fact that I had to use TWO whole sticks of butter. My go-to dressing recipe only calls for 1 stick of butter and that seems decadent enough. Is there a reason it calls for two sticks?
Thanks for your great recipe. Your blog is great.
Thanks! -Katy
If you make this ahead and refrigerate, do you wait to add the bread the morning of Thanksgiving? Seems like it will start off really soggy if it’s been soaked overnight. Has anyone made this the night before?
Tracy- did you end up making this overnight?
If i wanted to double this recipe, would cooking times increase. Can I skip the high and cook on low an extra hour?
I have to make it gluten free for my family. Will it work?
Yes, the cooking time would increase. You can cook it on low and add additional time. Once cooked through you can leave it on warm.
If making ahead of time and don’t have time the next day for 3-4 hours of cooking, would it be okay to cook the day ahead and reheat the next day?
Yes it can be reheated the next day (or cooked in the oven the next day if you prefer).
Hi do u scramble the eggs first or throw them in whole?
The eggs go into the mixture raw.
Can this Stuffing be made the day before?
Just curious – what kind of brown bread do you use?
Wheat, any will be fine!
Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving. Looking forward to trying this recipe.
Can you use the The dried stuffing bags from Pepperidge Farms
For your recipe for homemade Poultry Seasoning can these spices be combined from FRESH plants or do they need to be dried first? I grow fresh herbs/spices & would now like to try the formulas with the fresh. TY
When you say brown bread, are you talking about whole wheat bread? Also, are you using grocery store precut bread? For instance, but, not necessarily this brand, wonder white and wonder wheat?
My whole life (and that’s a long time) my Mom and then I made stuffing using Kellogg’s Croutons. Several year ago they decided to stop making it, ruining our Thanksgivings. This looks really good! Jas anyone tried it and think it tastes anything like stuffing made with Kellogg’s Croutons? I would really appreciate any responses.
We feel the same way about the Kellogg’s! My mom is very upset they quit making it. I now use Mrs. Cubbison’s from Costco. It’s not exact, but pretty close.
Great idea. This will free up oven space on Thanksgiving Day! This is almost identical to my mom’s tried and true stuffing recipe although I do add a can of whole cranberry sauce and some cooked and crumbled sweet Italian sausage. Thanks
I’ve done this, whatever doesn’t fit in the turkey. Just don’t pack it in. My
sister-in-law did that 1 year – it didn’t ever cook
I just tried it yesterday. YUM!!!!, will be using it again and again.
I’m so glad you loved it Judy!
I love crock pot stuffing! I’ve never tried using eggs, but now I’m definitely going to!
It adds such a nice texture to this stuffing recipe!
Holly, I ran out of my tried and true poultry seasoning and can’ find one I really like now. I’m not a big fan of sage though I know it needs some in the stuffing. What brand of poultry seasoning do you use? Thanks! :)
Hi Vickie, I most often make my own. You can find my homemade poultry seasoning here and you can most certainly adjust the amount of sage to your liking!
why are eggs needed in cp stuffing? Just curious. Would like to try this.
thanks.
It binds is just a little bit so it’s not quite so crumbly. It doesn’t make it sticky or eggy though. :)
Why do you add eggs? Mom always did. She used cornbread with the bread crumbs. I always leave out the eggs and don’t notice a problem. ??
Thanks for this recipe. I’ll definitely try it.
It binds is just a little bit so it’s not quite so crumbly. It doesn’t make it sticky or eggy though. :) You could certainly leave them out if you prefer but I love the consistency it gives.
This recipe looks great and I’d like to make it but I have a question about the bread. I know it calls for 6 cups each of white and brown bread but how many slices or loaves would you say equals that? When I make my stuffing, I dry the bread slices and then break it into pieces the next morning, once the slices are dried, but I’ve never measured how many cups say a 20 oz. loaf of white bread makes. I know I could do as you do and cut them into cubes and then dry them but I thought I’d ask if you could give me a ballpark idea. I imagine this may sound silly but it’s kind of a tradition doing it my way Thanksgiving morning.
It was about 1/2 loaf of each bread, if you have a little more or less it will still work just fine as you’ll add just enough broth to moisten it.
Hi Holly, I have not made this recipe, I am a southern girl and we always use cornbread as the main ingredient. I also add, crackers, toasted bread, and left over biscuits. One secret that my mom taught me was to put all your dry ingredients in a food processor and process until they are a coarse meal. You might try it this way sometime. I will definitely try using my slow cooker. Thanks, I enjoy your recipes.
Cornbread would be delicious too, I’ll have to try your way with more crumbs… I’ve never met a stuffing I didn’t love! Thank you for sharing!