Skip the boxed mix this year and make your own Homemade Stuffing from scratch. All you need is a loaf of bread, a few common vegetables, fresh herbs, eggs, and your favorite stock for a delicious, aromatic side dish that takes any Thanksgiving dinner to the next level.
As you prepare your holiday meal this year, grab an extra container of stock and a loaf of good, crusty bread. Cut the veggies while you're prepping your roast turkey or mashed potatoes. Before you know it, you'll have everything you need for this classic side dish! It takes about an hour to make and most of that time is spent in the oven. This traditional stuffing recipe has far more flavor than the boxed stuff and will quickly become your new family favorite!
If you like this recipe, try our Cranberry Walnut Apple Stuffing or Vegetarian Cornbread Stuffing.
Why You'll Love This Homemade Stuffing Recipe
- So simple to make. This easy recipe is made by rehydrating dried bread cubes with a mixture of tender, aromatic vegetables, fresh herbs, vegetable stock, eggs, and spices. Bake it in the oven, then serve. It's really that simple!
- Customizable. Prefer sourdough bread? That's fine. Want to add Italian sausage? You can do that. Only have chicken broth on hand? Use it! This Thanksgiving stuffing recipe is simple and easily adapted to suit your preferences.
- Less processed. Have you ever read the ingredients on boxed stuffing? It's not exactly the most nutritious. This traditional stuffing recipe is made with simple, wholesome ingredients you can feel good about eating and serving to your family.
Ingredient Notes
To make this delicious homemade stuffing, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- white bread - start with one loaf of day-old bread. It can be Italian bread, French bread, sourdough, etc. Cut it into cubes.
- olive oil - this will be used to sautee the vegetables. Use butter if you prefer.
- onion - choose a yellow or white onion.
- garlic - fresh garlic highlights the savory flavors in this easy Thanksgiving recipe.
- celery - celery adds a little color, texture, and a delicious flavor.
- salt and pepper - be sure to season your baked stuffing to make sure it is full of flavor.
- fresh herbs - finely chop fresh parsley and thyme to stir into the bread mixture.
- vegetable stock - use either vegetable stock, chicken broth, or diluted bouillon paste.
- eggs - beat together a couple of eggs to hold the stuffing together.
You will also need a cutting board and knife, a sheet pan, large cast-iron skillet, 9x13 casserole dish, and aluminum foil.
How to Make the Best Homemade Stuffing
- Dry the bread. Evenly arrange the cubed bread onto a large sheet pan. Transfer into the oven while the oven is preheating and keep it in the oven for a total of 20 minutes, or until the bread crisps up. This helps the bread cubes dry out and become crunchy.
- Sauté vegetables. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes until the oil is hot and starts to sizzle and shimmer. Add onion, garlic, and celery and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Mix together. Transfer the bread cubes, sauteed vegetable mixture, thyme, and parsley to a 9x13-inch casserole pan. Toss well until combined.
- Add stock and eggs. Evenly pour the vegetable stock on top and toss well again to coat. Add eggs and fold in evenly.
- Cover and bake. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 F preheated oven for 30 minutes. If the stuffing is still pretty wet, remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the top turns golden brown and crisp.
Recipe Variations
- Make sausage stuffing. Cook up a half pound of your favorite sausage, like sage sausage, and let it cool. Stir it into the stuffing mixture before baking.
- Mix different types of bread. You can use any kind of bread you'd like and even mix different types. Sourdough or French bread are two popular choices.
- Add nuts or dried fruits. Chop some walnuts, chestnuts, and/or dried cranberries to add extra color, texture, and flavor to this homemade stuffing.
- Use storebought bread cubes. You can often find prebaked bread cubes at the store the week before Thanksgiving. These can help you skip a few steps.
How to Serve
This Homemade Stuffing is delicious served on its own, or paired with some of my favorite Thanksgiving dinner recipes including:
- Easy Juicy Roasted Turkey Breast
- The Best and Creamiest Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Make-Ahead Cranberry Sauce
- Green Bean Casserole
- Sautéed Garlic Mushrooms
For more recipe inspiration, see our Easy Thanksgiving Menu.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Prep in advance. Instead of scrambling on Thanksgiving day, dry out your bread cubes a day or two before. You can also precut the vegetables to have them ready to go.
- Make your own stock. Make your own chicken stock or turkey broth at home for extra flavor.
- Stuff it inside a turkey. You can bake your stuffing in a casserole dish like we did or stuff it inside a whole turkey for a traditional approach.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Store any leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to Reheat
Either microwave your leftover stuffing for 30 seconds to 1 minute or bake a small dish of it in the oven or air fryer at 350 for 2-3 minutes to warm it up.
How to Freeze
If you have too much stuffing on hand, freeze it in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag for 2-3 months. Thaw it in the fridge before reheating.
FAQ
You only need a few simple ingredients to make the best homemade stuffing recipe. Start with dry bread cubes, then sauté onion, garlic, and celery in oil or butter. Toss the bread with vegetables, stock, eggs, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper before baking it in a large baking dish. The vegetables, stock, and spices will rehydrate the dry bread, giving it a light, fluffy texture and tons of flavor.
There are so many different types of breads to use for stuffing! You can easily make this classic stuffing recipe with regular white bread, French bread, Italian bread, or sourdough, but you can also use challah bread, Hawaiian bread, whole wheat, cornmeal, and more. Just make sure the bread is fully dried.
For the very best stuffing, you must use dry, stale bread. Fresh bread is soft, so when you mix it with vegetable stock and eggs, it turns into a soggy stuffing no one will want to eat. Start with really dry bread cubes. These are commonly available at the grocery store, or you can dry fresh bread in the oven until the bread pieces are crispy and dry.
More Thanksgiving Side Recipes
- 50 Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans
- Cheesy Brussels Sprouts Bake
- Green Beans with Bacon
- Creamed Corn
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Recipe
Homemade Stuffing
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Skip the boxed mix this year and make your own Homemade Stuffing from scratch. All you need is a loaf of bread, a few common vegetables, fresh herbs, eggs, and your favorite stock for a delicious, aromatic side dish that takes any Thanksgiving dinner to the next level.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 4 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 2 eggs, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Evenly arrange the cubed bread onto a large sheet pan. Transfer into the oven while the oven is preheating and keep it in the oven for a total of 20 minutes, or until the bread crisps up. This helps the bread cubes dry out and become crunchy
- Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes until the oil is hot and starts to sizzle and shimmer. Add onion, garlic, and celery and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the bread cubes, sautéed vegetable mixture, thyme, and parsley to a 9x13-inch casserole pan. Toss well until combined.
- Evenly pour the vegetable stock on top and toss well again to coat. Add eggs and fold in evenly.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. If the stuffing is still pretty wet, remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the top turns golden brown and crisp.
Notes
How to store: Store any leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
How to reheat: Either microwave your leftover stuffing for 30 seconds to 1 minute or bake a small dish of it in the oven or air fryer at 350 for 2-3 minutes to warm it up.
How to freeze: If you have too much stuffing on hand, freeze it in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag for 2-3 months. Thaw it in the fridge before reheating.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
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