This Easy Stuffing Recipe is a favorite for every holiday dinner. With simple ingredients and thousands of 5-star reviews-it’s perfect every time!
Celery and onions are tossed with bread, broth, and herbs and baked until golden. It’s the best stuffing recipe with a buttery-sage flavor and crisp edges!
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Ingredient Notes for Stuffing
I love mashed potatoes, but homemade stuffing is the thanksgiving side dish I look forward every year.
- Bread – Any dry bread works for stuffing, I usually mix white and wheat bread. Tear them into cubes and let it dry on the counter so it can absorb the broth. Store bought dried bread cubes can also be used. If they’re seasoned, I add less salt but I do still add the herbs.
- Celery/Onions – These are the base of the flavor in this stuffing. Cook them in butter until tender.
- Seasoning – Poultry Seasoning adds that classic turkey stuffing flavor with a blend of sage, thyme, and rosemary. You can replace poultry seasoning with ground sage if needed.
- Broth – Chicken or turkey broth adds moisture. The amount needed will vary based on the type of bread used and how dry it is. See the recipe notes for more details.
- Additions – Dubbed the best stuffing recipe, this recipe lends itself well to add ins like shredded carrots, raisins, dried cranberries, or cooked sausage.
Bread for Stuffing
Bread is the base of the stuffing and the key is making sure it’s very dry before adding broth. This allows it to soak up the broth (and flavor) without becoming soggy.
If possible, buy the bread at least a few days early, cut it into cubes, and let it dry on the counter. Any kind of bread will do – including sourdough or half cornbread.
If using purchased dried bread cubes, they may need a little extra broth.
The Best Golden Crunchy Edges
I bake stuffing in a casserole dish for the crunchy edges and buttery soft center (which would technically make it dressing). You can also cook it in a Crock Pot. Cooking it separately ensures both the turkey and the stuffing cook evenly and reach safe temperatures without overcooking.
Stuffing a Turkey You can use this stuffing to stuff a turkey. Ensure that the stuffing has cooled in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.
Stuff the turkey just before roasting so it doesn’t sit at an unsafe temperature for too long. If stuffing a turkey, the center of the stuffing should reach 165°F as the drippings from the bird enter the stuffing.
Stuffing can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge in a casserole dish. Prepare the stuffing without baking and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Before baking, remove it from the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You may need to add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.
Everyone loves turkey dinner leftovers so I always make extra! Turkey stuffing can be frozen for up to 4 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight or in the microwave. Bake in a casserole dish for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.
Ingredients
- 2 small yellow onions diced
- 4 ribs celery diced
- ⅔ cup butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning or ½ teaspoon ground sage
- black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
- 12 cups dry bread cubes
- 2 to 4 cups chicken broth see notes
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs any combination of sage, thyme, or rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dry herbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and poultry seasoning (and rosemary if using). Reduce the temperature to medium low and cook until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, onion mixture, parsley and fresh herbs.
- Pour 1 cup of broth overtop and toss the cubes. Add the remaining broth, a little bit at a time until cubes are moist (but not soggy) and gently toss. You may not need all of the broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the bread mixture in a baking dish, dot with additional butter if desired, and cover.
- Bake 35 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner
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REPIN this Super Stuffing Recipe
I LOVE YOUR RECIPE
Aww, thanks Ann! So happy to hear you loved it.
This sounds really good. Will have to give it a try.
Definitely Gladys! When you do, let us know what you think.
This is very good stuffing. Not exactly friendly to the waistline, but what about Thanksgiving is, right? I made it last year, and everyone seemed to like it.
Stretchy pants are a Thanksgiving must Marissa! There are just so many delicious dishes. Glad to hear everyone enjoyed this recipe.
This is a great recipe! My picky family (that usually don’t eat stuffing) loves it. The only thing I did different was add browned sausage meat.
That sounds like a great addition Liza! Glad your family enjoyed it!
I was wondering if you could make this recipe with chicken? If so what kind of chicken would you recommend and when would you add it? Thanks!
I think it would work and make a delicious casserole! I would add cooked chicken (either shredded chicken or oven baked chicken and chopped) and stir it in before baking. Let us know how it goes!
Holly….this stuffing is similar to what I make. The difference….I boil some potatoes in turkey/chicken broth. When done, I mash them in the broth and add them to the bread cubes, celery, seasonings and onion. Try it….the stuffing is nice and moist.
What an interesting idea Charlotte! Thank you for sharing – I’ll give it a try!
This looks amazing, but this is dressing, not stuffing. Stuffing is called such when it is stuffed into the bird. When it is served as a casserole, it is dressing.
It’ll be okay, no need to stress over the small stuff in life
If you read the aricle-she clearly states that the mixture will be made in a casserole dish which makes it dressing
Will I be able to make this in a 9×6×3 casserole dish? Will i need to modify cooking time/ingredient amounts? Or will it work best in a 9×13? Thank you!
I don’t think this would fit in a 9×6 dish but you could certainly cook it in two 9×6 dishes (or two 8×8 pans) and it should work just fine.
Hi! I cannot wait to try this recipe. Couple of questions, I was planning to use veggie broth (for my vegetarian sister) would you recommend I add any other spice or ingredient or will it still work? And, I saw a few posts regarding making the night before. Do I mix everything including the broth or mix everything but the broth and add just before cooking? Thanks so much!
Veggie broth shouldn’t change the flavor too much. If you prepare the night before, add the broth right before baking. Enjoy!
This was a hit at my in-laws’ Thanksgiving dinner! I left out Dave’s Killer White Bread over night and chopped/broke it up the next day. I only needed 3 cups of broth and cut back a bit on the butter on top (mostly because it was mushy after being in the warm kitchen and I was in a hurry and didn’t want to fight with it), but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Thanks for the warning that it may not have needed all of the broth. It was perfect and super easy to warm back up in the oven when we arrived! Thanks!
I am so glad you loved it Brittany! It is definitely easier to make it ahead of time!
Can I use dried bread cubes they sell in bags at stores at Thanksgiving time instead of drying the bread myself?
Absolutely! You may need a little bit of extra broth if using dried cubes. I toss it, wait a few minutes add more and toss again. Repeat until it reaches desired consistency.
Can I use soft potatoe bread cubes to make this stuffing?
If you use potato bread cubes, you’ll want to ensure you dry them in the oven as suggested. Let us know how it goes!
If you make the night before do you add the chicken broth then or before you bake?
I would add it before you bake.
My mom always puts one egg per loaf for her stuffing. What are your thoughts on that? Also if I make stuffing the night before do I bake it then or wait until Thanksgiving day? Thanks
I do put egg in my Crock Pot Stuffing, and it helps it bind together, so I think it would work great. Stuffing can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge in a casserole dish, so you can take it out and cook the next day. Enjoy Kate!
Is using poultry seasoning enough flavor?….I don’t have access to the fresh herbs…what do you suggest?
The poultry seasoning will add enough flavor. As you are adding veggies, bread and cooked broth, you can taste the mixture and ensure it is to your liking or add more seasoning if you’d prefer.
Hi,
I am looking forward to making this recipe for Friendsgiving! However, how many servings does your recipe make? We are having a party of 8 and we don’t plan on stuffing the turkey. Just want to make sure I have enough!
Thanks!!
This makes 12 (½ cup servings) which will fill a 9×13 pan. Happy Friendsgiving!
I found your blog when I searched for a sweet potato recipe for Thanksgiving. My mom always did all of her dishes by “feel” and she wrote down some recipes before she passed away, but not all. I am delighted with your blog. This recipe is the closest I have come to finding the recipe for my mom’s stuffing (which was just the old Kellog’s croutettes recipe from the box–which they don’t seem to make anymore).
I just spent the past half hour looking at recipe after recipe and I have bookmarked your page and subscribed. Finally, a food blog for real people who don’t want to put pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes on everything!! These are the types of recipes I grew up on and ones that I can see incorporating into my actual life.
Thanks for being real! You just gained a new fan.
Thank you so much for the kind words Heather! I’m so glad you found Spend With Pennies too! Stuffing is my favorite!
My thoughts exactly! I just moved to Norway from the US and am missing my family and their food. I don’t cook, but I HAD to make stuffing on Thanksgiving and after spending forever trying to find a classic, no fluff recipe, that reminds me of my families and I found this website. So excited to try this out and also found tons other recipes that I will HAVE to make (beef stew looks incredibleeee).
Thank you, Spend With Pennies. Happy Thanksgiving to you. ❤️
Well you just made my day Alissa! Thank you so much! I’m happy you found Spend with Pennies too, and Happy Thanksgiving!!
I have a bean pot from an mlm company, I honestly can’t remember which one. I made a roast in it once. I came with soup cups. Is this something that would cook well in there? I feel like I should either learn to use it or get rid of it.
If this recipe fits in your bean pot, it should cook perfectly.
What are your directions for doing the “stuffing” in a crock pot?
This is so close to my mom’s recipe but she also included cube of caraway rye bread and chopped water chestnuts for extra crunch
I love the flavor of rye, I’ll have to try it! Thank you for sharing.
You can find my Crock Pot Stuffing here.
This recipe is just like my Mom made except she would break up bread and let it sit out for a day or until stale, can I do this instead of the bread cubes? Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome Robin! You can do this with the bread, yes.
What temp for the oven? It isn’t listed in your recipe.
350F. Updated. Thank you Stephanie!