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
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ 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
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, or more 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
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
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I’m trying to be careful about the amount of dishes with dairy in them this year, so you think this would work with olive oil (at a modified ratio) rather than butter? Or is the butter essential? And if so, why?
The butter adds lots of flavor but you could certainly cook the veggies in olive oil instead (you wouldn’t need a cup, maybe a few tablespoons). You’ll want to add extra flavor, perhaps some bouillon or a really rich stock or broth and some extra herbs. Let us know how it goes!
I made this for Thanksgiving, preparing it a day ahead, then putting it in crockpot on the holiday. It was so simple and everyone liked it. I am making it again today! Thanks
Good morning, I’m getting ready to make this stuffing momentarily. Am I suppose to use the crust of the bread too or no? Please advise. Thank you! Looking forward to trying this..
We leave the crust on in this recipe!
I never thought about doing stuff in the slow cooker! This was great! I omitted the eggs because I never put those in my stuffing and it turned out great!
Everyone loved this stuffing! My mom said it was the best she’s ever had!
I’ve been trying for years to replicate my mom’s simple bread stuffing. I finally found it! This was so delicious. I don’t think I can wait until next Thanksgiving to make it again. And I loved using the crockpot. Made it so easy.
Hi Holly
I’m trying this recipe for the first time and I’m in the UK. Never have made homdestsuffing before, let alone in a crockpot :) We are celebrating thanksgiving this Saturday instead of Thursday as the kids are in school. When it says 1 cup of butter , does that mean the same as 250 gram of butter? I did the conversion and it says 1 cup = 250 gram , which is like the entire pack of butter? My guess would be it’s half?
Thx for letting me know:)
Hi Steph, for this recipe we do use a full cup of butter, which is 227 grams. Hope that helps!
Thanks for thw reply! I will be sure to let you know how it turns out :)
I made this today for Thanksgiving. Absolutely delicious! It totally was like the stuffing out of the bird without any of the risk and a whole lot more stuffing, too. Will definitely make this, again!
Wayyy too much butter. Other than that it’s a solid recipe.
Glad you enjoyed it, Michelle.
I have never put eggs in stuffing. Do you beat them first?
Yes, they should be beaten
I do, to ensure there’s no stringy whites
I am making this one day in advance and refrigerating overnight, the next day I will be taking the mixture with me (about 5 hour trip), do you suggest that I keep it in a cooler during the 5 hour trip and/or hold off on adding the egg until I start cooking it? Also, I am worried that adding the broth before refrigerating will make it soggy overnight, no??? I saw another crockpot recipe where broth was added after taking it out fridge.
The broth and eggs are fine to add before refrigerating, the bread soaks in all of the broth. Ensure the cooler keeps the mixture chilled to 40°F and that the stuffing cooks to 160°F.