Classic Stuffing

Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without a heaping dish of classic stuffing, and our stuffing recipe is the ultimate classic. From the rich blend of herbs and spices to the delicious mix of bread, vegetables and stock, traditional stuffing is a beloved staple at any Thanksgiving table. Our stuffing guide will walk you through everything you need to know to make a moist stuffing that’s golden on the outside, tender on the inside, and bursting with warm flavors. Our classic Thanksgiving stuffing recipe will quickly become your favorite accompaniment to Thanksgiving turkey.

Key Ingredients In Stuffing

Bread: We like to keep it simple with cubed country white bread, but other favorites are sourdough or even cornbread.

Onions and celery: This is the most traditional stuffing flavor duo, adding a rich, savory taste.

Fresh herbs: Our test kitchen uses sage, thyme, and parsley for that quintessential Thanksgiving flavor everyone loves in their stuffing.

Eggs: Eggs help bind the stuffing mixture, creating a cohesive texture rather than a loose mixture.

Broth: Chicken or turkey broth moisten the bread, giving a texture that lands somewhere between croutons and freshly baked bread. It also adds additional depth of flavor.

Fat: Fat from the turkey drippings take things to the next level, but you can also use butter for extra richness.

Add-Ins: The above ingredients are the classics, but add-ins like apples, sausage, walnuts pecans and chestnuts can completely reinvent traditional stuffing.

How to Make Stuffing Like a Pro

Use stale bread. Bread for stuffing needs to be at least a day old to achieve the perfect texture. Fresh bread can fall apart during the cooking process, but stale bread will hold up and absorb the stock. In a pinch, you can bake bread cubes in a 300-degree oven for about twenty minutes. You want the bread to be dry and crisp but not browned.

Sweat the veggies. The celery and onions should be cooked and translucent, but you don’t want them to get any color when they cook. Color signifies caramelization, which is not the flavor you want for your stuffing. Cook them on medium-low heat for five minutes until they are just tender.

Saute the hearty herbs. Thyme and sage are hearty herbs that can hold up in the heat and impart a delicious flavor onto the vegetables. Save the parsley, which is a fragile, tender herb, for when the bread mixture comes off the heat.

Try making homemade stock. While store bought is just fine, there is nothing like homemade stock. If you have time, make the stock a few days (or even weeks!) in advance, and store it in the fridge or freezer.

Make more than one kind of stuffing. Our classic recipe is a non-negotiable, but there are so many variations that have a place at your table. Who says you can’t have two (or even three!) different kinds of stuffing for your holiday guests.

What’s the Difference Between Stuffing and Dressing?

The main difference between stuffing and dressing comes down to how they’re cooked, but the terms are often used interchangeably. Stuffing is cooked in the cavity of the turkey, allowing it to absorb the flavors for the bird as it cooks. Dressing is cooked separately, usually in a baking dish, resulting in a crispier texture on top. You can always have the best of both worlds by stuffing the bird with stuffing and baking off the remaining dressing in a separate baking dish.

Should I Stuff My Turkey?

Whether or not to stuff your turkey completely depends on your preferences. Stuffing inside the turkey tends to be moister, but it will lack the crispy, golden top that you get with dressing. Stuffing a turkey used to be common practice on Thanksgiving, but, in more recent years, growing awareness of food-borne illnesses has changed the practice. It is totally possible to safely stuff a turkey, you just need to do some research in advance. A stuffed turkey also typically takes longer to cook, so if you’re on a tight schedule, it is probably best to skip stuffing.

Can I Make Stuffing in Advance?

Yes, you can absolutely make stuffing in advance. There are two ways to accomplish this:

1. Prep all the ingredients. If you want to ensure your stuffing is as fresh as can be, you can just prep all the ingredients in advance and assemble and bake on Thanksgiving Day. Prep includes drying out the bread, chopping the onions and celery, mixing the eggs and parsley and making the broth. You can do this up to two days in advance. With all the ingredients separated and ready to go, you will just have to assemble and bake.
2. Assemble the casserole dish. If you want to really get a jump start, you can assemble the whole dish, cover it with foil, and refrigerate one day in advance. Then, the day you’re ready to serve, bring it to room temperature for about 30 minutes and bake.