Easy Stuffing Recipe
This Easy Stuffing Recipe is loaded with onions, celery, butter, fresh parsley, thyme, and seasonings. Crisp on top, moist in the center, and full of rich, savory flavor, it’s the only stuffing recipe you’ll ever need!
This easy homemade stuffing recipe is the perfect addition to your holiday table alongside all your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes like candied sweet potatoes, and cornbread pudding! Made with simple ingredients, it’s easy to prepare, leaving you plenty of time to whip up the rest of your feast.
An old-fashioned recipe, the edges are crispy and delicious while the center stays tender and fluffy. One batch makes up to ten servings and is ready to eat in just over an hour, making it perfect for feeding a crowd.
However, you might want to go ahead and make a double batch. This simple stuffing recipe is always a favorite, meaning it disappears fast!
Recipe Ingredients
- Bread Cubes – You’ll need 20 ounces of dry toasted bread cubes.
- Butter – Unsalted butter adds rich flavor and keeps the stuffing moist.
- Herbs and Spices – Kosher salt, black pepper, Italian parsley, and fresh thyme create a bold, herbaceous taste.
- Onion – I recommend using sweet onion for the best flavor, but yellow onion will also work.
- Celery – This adds extra texture and subtle flavor.
- Garlic – You’ll need 6 garlic cloves for this recipe. For the best flavor, use whole cloves, and mince them yourself!
- Eggs – Similar to French toast bake, eggs add rich flavor and hold the stuffing together, contributing to the crisp topping.
- Chicken Broth – This combines the ingredients and keeps the stuffing moist while enhancing the flavor. I recommend using regular (not low-sodium) chicken broth, but vegetable broth will also work if you need to keep this recipe vegetarian-friendly.
What’s The Best Bread for Easy Homemade Stuffing?
You can use almost any kind of bread cubes for this recipe as long as they’re dry. Thick Texas toast bread is my favorite by FAR. However, white bread, whole wheat bread, sourdough bread, or French bread will also work. Or, buy pre-made bread cubes at your local grocery store.
How to Make Homemade Bread Cubes
I highly recommend making your own bread cubes for this recipe! The texture is unbeatable and takes this dish to the next level.
To do so, start with a 20-ounce loaf of thick-cut Texas toast bread, and tear it into bite-sized pieces. If you can’t find thick-cut Texas toast, please keep in mind that a one-pound bread loaf is 16 ounces. So, you’ll need to use part of a second loaf. Sixteen ounces will yield 10 cups of toasted bread cubes with the crust included.
Toasting the Bread Cubes
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, spread the torn cubes in a single layer over two baking sheets. Work in batches if you only have one baking tray!
Transfer the bread to the oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the bread cubes are dry and golden brown. There shouldn’t be any soft cubes! Toss the bread occasionally as it bakes to prevent any one side from browning too much.
Pro Tip: Make your bread cubes a day in advance so they are ready to go on Thanksgiving. Save the loaf bag you purchased the Texas toast in, and store them in there once they are cool.
How to Make This Easy Stuffing Recipe
- Prepare the bread cubes. If not using pre-made bread cubes, arrange them in two baking trays, and bake until they’re golden and dry. Then, set the bread aside to cool.
- Sauté. Heat a sauté pan over medium or low heat. Add the butter, onion, celery, parsley, fresh thyme, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper. Simmer until the veggies are translucent but not brown, stirring frequently. Remove the pan from the heat, and set it aside to cool.
- Combine. Add the bread cubes and (cooled) sautéed vegetable mixture to a large bowl, and toss to combine and coat.
- Whisk. Add the eggs and part of the chicken broth to a separate bowl, and whisk to combine.
- Soak the bread. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread cubes, and mix to combine. Let the mixture soak in. Then, pour the remaining broth on top, and toss to combine.
Pro-Tip: Extra dry bread cubes may require a touch more broth. So, adjust as needed. The stuffing should be well-coated and soft to the touch but not completely mushy. Conversely, there should not be any bread pieces that look or feel dry!
- 6. Bake. Transfer the stuffing to a greased baking dish. Spread the stuffing out evenly, pressing it down in the pan. Cover the mixture with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Then, remove the foil, and continue to bake until the top is golden brown.
- 7. Cool. Allow your easy stuffing recipe to cool in the pan slightly, and serve warm!
Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Holiday Stuffing
- Use a ceramic baking dish! The ceramic material promotes slow, even cooking, which creates the crisp edges and soft center we want with this recipe.
- Butter the baking dish. Coat the bottom, edges, and corners of your baking dish with butter to prevent sticking. Don’t substitute cooking spray. Butter is key to the best flavor!
- Make sure the bread cubes are well coated and moist but not completely mushy when combining the ingredients. They should be able to hold some shape, but you shouldn’t have any pieces that feel completely dry, either!
- Make sure your bread cubes are well-toasted. If not, they will hold too much moisture, and you run the risk of the stuffing being soggy.
- Make sure to cover the casserole dish for the first 20 minutes of baking. This locks in the juices and keeps the stuffing moist. Just make sure to remove the foil to allow the top to become golden and crisp!
- This recipe calls for 20 ounces of bread. This will yield somewhere between 12-13 cups of toasted bread cubes. If you don’t use Texas Toast bread, (which is preferred) you’ll need 1.25 loaves of something else. You’ll want the pieces to be about the size of a quarter or slightly larger. Just make sure they are bite size.
Flavor Variations
This is a traditional stuffing recipe perfect for Thanksgiving dinner. However, if you’re feeling adventurous, feel free to add a few ingredients to experiment with the flavor and make this recipe your own. Some great additions include:
- Ground Sausage
- Diced Apples
- Dried Cranberries
- Fresh Rosemary
- Fresh Oregano
- Fresh Sage
Frequently Asked Questions
The primary difference is where the dishes are cooked. For instance, stuffing is cooked in the cavity of the turkey so the bird’s juices soak into the mixture, making it more flavorful.
Meanwhile, dressing is cooked on its own and needs extra moisture to keep it soft. That said, the USDA does not recommend cooking dressing or stuffing in a raw turkey, and the two terms are often used interchangeably as demonstrated with this recipe.
Yes, you make this easy stuffing recipe 24-48 hours in advance. Assemble the ingredients in the baking dish, cover it with foil, and store it in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, bring the stuffing to room temperature for an hour, and bake as usual.
Leftovers will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days.
Yes, allow your baked stuffing to cool completely. Then, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight when you’re ready to serve.
Other Holiday Recipes to Consider Trying
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Green Apple and Balsamic Glaze
- Cornbread Pudding
- Candied Sweet Potatoes
- Creamy Green Bean Mushroom Casserole
- Cranberry Cheese Roll-Ups
- Baked Feta with Honey and Sticky Walnuts (20 minutes)
- Roasted Butternut Squash, Cauliflower and Red Onion
- Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Pecans, Cranberries and Goat Cheese
Easy Stuffing Recipe
Equipment
- 2 baking trays
- 1 9×13-inch ceramic baking dish brush or rub with butter
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 saute pan
Ingredients
- 20 ounces toasted bread cubes, 1 loaf thick cut Texas toast, or 12-13 cups of toasted bread cubes
- ¾ cups unsalted butter, 1.5 sticks
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2.5 cups sweet onion, diced
- 2 cups celery, diced
- 6 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped small, extra as garnish
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme , remove stem
- 6 cloves garlic, minced, about 1.5-2 tablespoons
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 2½ cups chicken broth (regular, not low sodium), start with 2 cups (whisk in eggs) and add the remaining broth slowly.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Gently brush your 9×13-inch ceramic baking dish with butter and set it aside.
Make the Bread Cubes
- Grab two baking trays. Using your hands break the loaf of Texas toast bread into bite sized pieces. Crust included. Spread the bread cubes out evenly over the baking trays in one layer. Bake the bread cubes for 20-25 minutes; making sure toss the cubes halfway through baking. Make sure the bread cubes are very dry, no soft pieces. Once the bread cubes are dry and toasted, remove them from the oven and set them aside to cool.
Saute the Butter and Onion Mixture
- In a sauté pan over medium / low heat, add the unsalted butter, onion, celery, fresh chopped parsley, fresh thyme, minced garlic, kosher salt and black pepper. Simmer until the onions and celery are translucent but NOT BROWNED. Stirring frequently. Once the onions and celery are translucent, remove the mixture from the heat and set it aside to cool.
Combine the Stuffing
- Once the bread cubes are cool (room temp), combine them with the butter and onion mixture. Toss until well coated. Next, in a mixing bowl combine, two large eggs and 2 cups chicken broth. Whisk well. I like to start with two cups of broth. Pour the egg and chicken broth mixture over the bread cubes and mix until well combined. Let it soak in then add the remaining 1/2 cup of broth. Toss well. **Extra extra dry bread cubes may require a touch more broth. The stuffing should be well coated and soft to the touch, but not completely mushy. Conversely, there should NOT be any pieces that look or feel "dry".**
Bake the Stuffing
- Once well combined, add the stuffing to the prepared ceramic baking dish. Gently press it into the pan. Cover with foil and bake the stuffing for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an other 25-30 minutes so the top can get golden brown.
9 Comments on “Easy Stuffing Recipe”
Am I missing the Texas toast bread recipe link?
it’s store bought.
Many recipes cover and then uncover so the top crisps up. What say you Bon Appetit? Would love to know your thinking on this?
Also. Safe to assume I can double this recipe and make two?
Thank you so much.
Rachael Mayer
Doubling is fine! And you can uncover to crisp up the top.
This needs sage and it’ll be perfect !!
How can you make stuffing without sage? 🤷🏼♀️
I’m not a huge sage fan, but you can definitely add some!
Yummy yummy dressing!!
I will like to try this….
Super easy to make and a total crowd pleaser. I made the day before and heated it up on Thanksgiving day and it was still moist and delicious!