My favorite Thanksgiving stuffing, is a traditional one! This simple recipe is easy to make and is sure to evoke feelings of nostalgia.
It’s much easier to make than you might think and requires very few ingredients!
What you’ll need
9×13 baking dish
1 loaf of bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 4 Tbsp of butter (divided)
1 large onion
4 celery stalks
about 10 fresh sage leaves
about 4 sprigs of thyme
2 beaten eggs
salt and pepper
turkey, chicken, or vegetable stock
How to make Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing
Prep work
You will want to start with a good loaf of bread. My preference is sourdough, but anything you would normal eat will work well. Begin your prep a day or two ahead of time by tearing the loaf of bread into chunks and laying the pieces on a sheet pan to get stale. Be sure to put it in a place where pets (or hungry children) can’t get to it.
If you plan to use your own stock, be sure to have it ready. Check out my Kitchen Scrap Instant Pot Bone Broth if you want to to make some ahead of time. Or you can use my Turkey Stock recipe on the big day!
Making the stuffing
When you’re ready to make your traditional thanksgiving stuffing, start my coating the 9×13 inch baking dish with butter. Then set the dish aside and preheat the oven to 325° F.
Drop the rest of the stick of butter into a large pot to melt over medium-high heat.
While the butter melts, dice one large onion and 4 stalks of celery.
When the butter has completely melted, lower the heat to medium and add the onions and celery to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and allow the onions to soften and become translucent. Continue sauteing them a little slowly over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Seasoning your stuffing
Always season your food in layers. By that I mean that we want to continue seasoning throughout the cooking process to enhance flavor at every step. So…
When the onions look soft and translucent, it’s time to add the herbs.
Roughly chop the sage leaves, strip the thyme leaves off of the stalk, and add them to the pot with another addition of salt and pepper.
Turn off the heat and toss in the bread. Using a big spoon, gently mix so that the bread becomes coated in the butter and vegetable mixture.
Next, slowly add broth a little bit at a time. As you add the broth, gently stir and allow the bread to absorb the broth before adding more. You’re looking for a slightly wet texture, but not sloppy. The bread should not be falling apart.
In a separate small bowl, beat the eggs and then gently add them to the stuffing mixture.
Pour the stuffing into the prepared baking dish. Bake at 325° F covered (will an oven safe lid or foil) for 30 minutes.
Then uncover the stuffing, dot the top with the remaining 4 Tbsp of butter, and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Allow the stuffing to cool slightly and serve it along side a beautiful turkey!
Notes
Tearing the bread– You can also cut it into cubes. I prefer to tear the bread because I think it makes the texture more interesting. When the bread is torn you can feel both soft, fluffy areas as well as crispy bits of corners, but I find that when the bread is cut into uniform pieces it lacks dimension.
Leaving the bread out to get stale– If you forget to put the bread out early or you prefer not to, you can place the bread chunks into a 300° oven for about an hour to dry them out and toast them up a bit. Be sure to toss them around every 15 minutes so they toast evenly.
Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing
My favorite Thanksgiving stuffing, it a traditional one! This simple recipe is easy to make and is sure to evoke feelings of nostalgia.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of bread
- 1/2 cup plus 4 Tbsp butter (divided)
- 1 large onion
- 4 celery stalks
- 10 fresh sage leaves
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 2 eggs
- salt and pepper
- broth
Instructions
Either tear the bread and let it go stale a day or two before you plan to make your stuffing, or toast the torn bread in a 300° F oven for about an hour.
1. Coat a 9 x 13 in baking dish with butter and preheat the oven to 325° F.
2. Melt the rest of the 1/2 cup stick of butter in a pot.
3. Dice onion and celery. Add them to the pot with salt and pepper and in the butter until the onions are translucent.
4. Add the herbs and another round of salt and pepper and continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and toss bread into the vegetable mixture. Be sure to coat all of the bread.
6. Slowly add the stock until the bread is moist, but not soggy.
7. In a seperate bowl, beat the eggs and then add them to the stuffing mixture, again gently tossing to coat everything.
8. Pour the stuffing into the prepared baking dish. Cover it with a tight fitting lid or foil. Bake at 325° F for 30 minutes.
9. Unconver and dot the top with the remainig 4 Tbsp of butter. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the stuffing is golden brown.
Delicious!
Notes
Tearing the bread- You can also cut it into cubes. I prefer to tear the bread because I think it makes the texture more interesting. When the bread is torn you can feel both soft, fluffy areas as well as crispy bits of corners, but I find that when the
Leaving the bread out to get stale- If you forget to put the bread out early or you prefer not to, you can place the bread chunks into a 300° oven for about an hour to dry them out and toast them up a bit. Be sure to toss them around every 15 minutes so they toast evenly.
Other posts you might like
Velvety Apple and Parsnip Puree
Homemade Cranberry and Orange Sauce
Turkey
Leave a Reply