Best 9 Classic Stuffing Recipes

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image

When it comes to creating a memorable Thanksgiving feast, no dish is more iconic than the classic stuffing. This savory side dish, often referred to as dressing in some regions, holds a special place in the hearts of many. With its versatile ingredients and countless variations, classic stuffing offers a chance to infuse personal flavor and creativity into your holiday spread. Whether you prefer a traditional bread-based stuffing or a more modern take using alternative grains, the possibilities are endless. Join us on a culinary journey as we explore the art of crafting the perfect classic stuffing, guaranteed to elevate your Thanksgiving dinner and leave your guests wanting more.

Here are our top 9 tried and tested recipes!

BETTY CROCKER'S CLASSIC BREAD TURKEY STUFFING



Betty Crocker's Classic Bread Turkey Stuffing image

This is the stuffing that my mom makes very Thanksgiving, and it's absolutely divine. The holiday just isn't the same without the taste of this dish. The day after it's cooked, it's wonderful cold, too! This recipe makes enough for a 12-pound turkey, about three quarts of stuffing.

Provided by Julesong

Categories     Chicken

Time 15m

Yield 3 quarts

Number Of Ingredients 9

12 cups bread, cubes (Mom makes her own sometimes)
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup minced onion
1 1/2 cups chopped celery, stalks and leaves
1 cup chopped mushroom (optional)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon ground sage
no-salt-added chicken broth (optional)

Steps:

  • In a large, heavy skillet over medium heat melt the butter, then sauté the onion and celery (and mushroom, if using) until the onion is soft, stirring occasionally.
  • Stir in the salt, pepper, and sage and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
  • Place the bread cubes into a large, deep bowl.
  • Pour 1/4 cup of the butter/celery mixture over the cubes and toss well, then repeat steps until all of the butter mixture is used.
  • Toss the cubes thoroughly to coat.
  • (Regarding the optional chicken broth: for dry stuffing, add little or no liquid; for moist stuffing mix in lightly with fork just enough chicken broth to moisten dry crumbs.) Let cool and use as stuffing for the turkey.
  • We've made this stuffing in the crockpot, as well, adding the chicken broth for moistness.
  • Adapted from Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book, circa 1950.
  • Note: regardling the amount of salt - yes, the amount listed above is correct and is what is listed in the original Betty Crocker recipe. When the butter mixture is first added to the bread, if you taste it at this point it might seem salty (because it is sitting right on the surface of the bread) but remember that the liquid and butter soaks into the bread and redistributes evenly. Also, this recipe, being from the 1950s, is specifically for cooking *inside* the turkey, which a lot of people no longer do, and again the salt will redistribute from the juices in the meat. If you use a crockpot for cooking your stuffing, I'd recommend reducing the amount of salt.
  • Note #2: again, regarding the salt. You're going to have to decide for yourself about the salt. Having eaten this recipe for every year of my life I know it tastes wonderful as it's written. But that's just me.

CLASSIC BREAD STUFFING WITH ONIONS, CELERY, AND HERBS



Classic Bread Stuffing With Onions, Celery, and Herbs image

Make and share this Classic Bread Stuffing With Onions, Celery, and Herbs recipe from Food.com.

Provided by ratherbeswimmin

Categories     < 4 Hours

Time 1h45m

Yield 10 cups

Number Of Ingredients 10

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery leaves (from inner celery ribs)
1 lb firm white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and dried overnight (or in the oven)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2-2 cups turkey broth or 1 1/2-2 cups chicken broth, as needed

Steps:

  • In a big skillet, melt the butter over medium heat; add in onions, celery, and celery leaves.
  • Cook, stirring often, until the onions are golden, about 8 minutes.
  • Scrape the vegetable mixture into a big bowl; mix in the bread cubes, parsley, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper.
  • Gradually stir in about 1 ½ cups of broth, until the stuffing is evenly moistened but not soggy.
  • Transfer stuffing to a lightly buttered casserole dish; drizzle with ½ cup broth, cover, and bake in a preheated 350° oven for 30-45 minutes (if you like crusty stuffing, remove foil the last 15 minutes of baking).

CLASSIC HERB STUFFING



Classic Herb Stuffing image

Make this savory stuffing, featuring poultry seasoning and thyme, a holiday tradition at your house. The oven-baked stuffing is the perfect complement to roasted turkey or turkey breast.

Provided by McCormick Spice

Categories     Trusted Brands: Recipes and Tips     McCormick®

Time 55m

Yield 18

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 cup butter
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons McCormick® Thyme Leaves
1 ½ teaspoons McCormick® Poultry Seasoning
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
½ teaspoon McCormick® Black Pepper, Ground
12 cups dry unseasoned bread cubes
4 cups chicken broth

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Melt butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir 5 minutes. Stir in thyme, poultry seasoning, seasoned salt and pepper.
  • Place bread cubes in large bowl. Add celery mixture and broth; toss gently until well mixed. Spoon into lightly greased 13x9-inch baking dish.
  • Bake 35 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 614.9 calories, Carbohydrate 103.3 g, Cholesterol 29.6 mg, Fat 14.9 g, Fiber 4.7 g, Protein 15.2 g, SaturatedFat 7.6 g, Sodium 2468.1 mg, Sugar 11.8 g

CLASSIC STUFFING



Classic Stuffing image

The terms stuffing and dressing are often used interchangeably, but they do have different meanings: Stuffing is cooked inside the bird, dressing on its own. Use this recipe when making our Perfect Roast Turkey.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dinner Recipes     Dinner Side Dishes

Yield Makes 12 cups

Number Of Ingredients 11

12 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 onions, (2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
16 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch dice
10 large fresh sage leaves, chopped, or 2 teaspoons crushed dried sage
6 cups Homemade Chicken Stock, or canned low sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
2 stale loaves white bread, (about 36 slices), crust on, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3 cups (about 2 bunches) fresh coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, leaves
2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped (optional)
2 cups dried cherries (optional)

Steps:

  • Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onions and celery, and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add sage, stir to combine, and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup stock, and stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes, until liquid has reduced by half.
  • Transfer onion mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add all remaining ingredients, including the remaining stock; mix to combine.

CLASSIC SAGE AND SAUSAGE STUFFING



CLASSIC SAGE AND SAUSAGE STUFFING image

Categories     Thanksgiving     Stuffing/Dressing

Yield 10-14 people

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 1/2 pounds (about 2 loaves) high quality sandwich bread or soft Italian or French bread, cut into 3/4-inch dice, about 5quarts
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1 1/2 pounds sage sausage, removed from casing
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
4 large stalks celery, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced or grated on microplane
1/4 cup minced fresh sage leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves)
32 ounces (4 cups) low-sodium chicken or turkey broth, preferably homemade
3 whole eggs
1/4 cup minced parsley leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

  • 1. Adjust oven racks to lower middle and upper middle position. Preheat oven to 275°F. Spread bread evenly over two rimmed baking sheets. Stagger trays on oven racks and bake until completely dried, about 50 minutes total, rotating trays and stirring bread cubes several times during baking. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Increase oven heat to 350°F 2. In large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium high heat until foaming subsides (don't allow butter to brown), about 2 minutes. Add sausage and mash with stiff whisk or potato masher to break up into fine pieces (largest pieces should be no greater than 1/4-inch). Cook, stirring frequently until only a few bits of pink remain, about 8 minutes. Add onions, celery, garlic, and sage and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add half of chicken stock. 3. Whisk remaining chicken stock, eggs, and 3 tablespoons parsley in medium bowl until homogeneous. Stirring constantly with wooden spoon, slowly pour egg mixture into sausage mixture. Add bread cubes and fold gently until evenly mixed. 4. Use part of stuffing to stuff bird if desired. To cook remaining stuffing, transfer to buttered 9 by 13 rectangular baking dish (or 10 by 14 oval dish), cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake until instant read thermometer reads 150°F when inserted into center of dish, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until golden brown and crisp on top, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes, sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve. Printed from http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/11/classic-sage-and-sausage-stuffing-or-dressing-recipe.html

CLASSIC HERB AND FENNEL STUFFING



Classic Herb and Fennel Stuffing image

We've got you covered. A dish of stuffing at each end of the table will help ease the traffic jam.

Provided by Andy Baraghani

Categories     Bon Appétit     Thanksgiving     Side     Stuffing/Dressing     Fennel     Bread     Sage     Celery     Herb     Peanut Free     Tree Nut Free     Holiday 2018

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 2-lb. loaf country-style bread, torn into 1"-1 1/2" pieces
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, finely chopped
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup chopped parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped sage
1 Tbsp. chopped rosemary
1 Tbsp. chopped thyme
3 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Steps:

  • Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 250°F. Arrange bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, tossing occasionally, until dried out, about 1 hour. Let cool; transfer to a very large bowl. Increase oven temperature to 350°F.
  • Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook onions, fennel, and celery, stirring often, until softened but not yet browned, 8-10 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring, until almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add butter and cook, stirring, until melted, about 3 minutes. Scrape vegetable mixture over bread in bowl and mix in parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.
  • Whisk eggs and broth in a medium bowl to combine. Pour over bread mixture; fold gently until thoroughly coated. Divide between two 8x8" baking dishes (you can also put it all in a 13x9" baking dish if you prefer) and pack stuffing down. Cover with foil and bake until you can see some bubbles around the edges of the dishes, 30-35 minutes.
  • Increase oven temperature to 425°F. Uncover stuffing and bake until top is golden brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
  • Bread can be baked 2 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature. Stuffing can be assembled 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before baking.

CLASSIC CORNBREAD SAUSAGE STUFFING



Classic Cornbread Sausage Stuffing image

Your own cornbread recipe or easy corn muffin mix or can be used to prepare this traditional family favorite holiday dish.

Provided by College Inn® Broths and Stocks

Categories     Trusted Brands: Recipes and Tips     College Inn® Broths and Stocks

Time 1h45m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 (8.5 ounce) packages corn muffin mix
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
12 ounces reduced fat pork sausage
3 cups College Inn® Chicken Broth, divided
1 ½ cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
4 teaspoons dried sage
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 large egg, beaten

Steps:

  • Prepare cornbread according to package directions for a double recipe, using broth in place of the liquid. Let cool 30 minutes before coarsely crumbling in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage until browned, stirring frequently; remove and set aside.
  • Add 1/2 cup of broth, celery, onion and sage to sausage drippings in skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 10 to 12 minutes or until celery is tender. Stir in black pepper and remove from heat.
  • Stir sausage and celery mixture into cornbread. Add remaining broth and egg; gently stir until just moistened. (For moister stuffing, add 1 cup additional broth.) Spoon into an 11x7-inch baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 380.9 calories, Carbohydrate 42.9 g, Cholesterol 49.1 mg, Fat 17.7 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 12.1 g, SaturatedFat 4.9 g, Sodium 1713.4 mg, Sugar 7.7 g

CLASSIC BREAD TURKEY STUFFING



Classic Bread Turkey Stuffing image

Make and share this Classic Bread Turkey Stuffing recipe from Food.com.

Provided by CulinaryExplorer

Categories     Winter

Time 6h15m

Yield 12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 cup butter
2 cups celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons sage leaves, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon thyme leaves, crumbled
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups chicken broth
6 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (finely ground kind)

Steps:

  • Mix butter, celery, spices, eggs & broth together in crock pot.
  • Add the bread crumbs and stir to blend.
  • Cook in slow cooker on high for 45 minutes, reduce heat to low for 6 hours.

CLASSIC BREAD STUFFING FOR A CROWD



CLASSIC BREAD STUFFING FOR A CROWD image

Categories     Casserole/Gratin

Yield 16 - 20

Number Of Ingredients 13

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), plus extra for baking dish
4 medium ribs celery, chopped fine
2 medium onions, minced
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves or 2 teapoons dried
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
3 pounds high-quality sandwich bread (white), cut into 1/2-inch cubes and dried (see note)
5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
**1 -11/2 lbs Sages ausage or mild Italian, Casings removed.

Steps:

  • 1. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. I, melt butter over medium high heat until foaming subsides (don't allow butter to brown), about 2 minutes. ** if using sausage Add sausage and mash with stiff whisk or potato masher to break up into fine pieces (largest pieces should be no greater than 1/4-inch). Cook, stirring frequently until only a few bits of pink remain, about 8 minutes. using a slotted spoon transfer to plate** Then.... Add the celery and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley, sage, thyme, and marjoram and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a very large mixing bowl. 2. Add the dried, cooled bread, stock or broth, eggs, salt, and pepper (and to the vegetables and toss gently to distribute dry and wet ingredients evenly. Turn mixture into buttered 15-x 10-inch baking dish. 3. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until golden, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips:

  • Use a variety of breads: This will give your stuffing a more complex flavor and texture. Some good options include white bread, wheat bread, cornbread, and sourdough bread.
  • Don't overstuff the turkey: This will make it difficult for the stuffing to cook evenly. Aim for about 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound of turkey.
  • Moisten the stuffing: This will help to prevent it from becoming dry. You can use chicken broth, vegetable broth, or even milk.
  • Season the stuffing well: Use a variety of herbs and spices to give your stuffing a flavorful kick. Some good options include sage, thyme, rosemary, garlic, and onion powder.
  • Cook the stuffing until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit: You can check this using a meat thermometer.

Conclusion:

Classic stuffing is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed with a variety of meals. Whether you're making it for Thanksgiving dinner or just a weeknight meal, these tips will help you make the best stuffing possible. So get creative and experiment with different ingredients and flavors to find your perfect stuffing recipe.

Related Topics