Easy Stuffing Recipe

This easy Stuffing recipe is a classic holiday side  dish that everyone loves! A mixture of onions, celery, butter, seasonings and bread cubes that are topped with broth and baked until perfectly crispy on the outside.

Don’t forget the gravy to top your stuffing with! It’s not the holidays without these staples recipes.

There are some Thanksgiving dishes that are pretty much a requirement at our house and Stuffing definitely tops the list along with classic cranberry sauce, green bean casserole and gravy! It just wouldn’t feel like Thanksgiving without it. I’ve tried many versions over the years and this recipe is one of my favorites.

This easy Stuffing recipe isn’t complicated, is full of wonderful flavors and is perfect with roasted turkey and your other favorite Thanksgiving side dishes! It bakes in the oven, but I also have a Crockpot Stuffing recipe if you’re short on oven space.

I have to say, this recipe is so easy you might want to make it all year round. I mean, why not? You shouldn’t have to wait until Thanksgiving! It’s one of those side dishes I’ve incorporated into a lot of our regular year-round dinners like my Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing. I also love serving it with Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops!

I’m so excited to show you how easy it is to make. I think you’ll want on your Thanksgiving menu this year!

Shopping List

If you’d rather skip my (very helpful, I think) tips and tricks, essential cooking info, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to this delicious recipe – simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card.

• Diced yellow onions
• Diced celery
• Butter
• Poultry seasoning
• Sage
• Dried bread cubes
• Egg
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Parsley
• Chicken broth

How to Make Stuffing

Step by Step photos above!

• Cook the vegetables – melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and poultry seasoning. Cover and cook the vegetables until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.
• Prepare the bread cubes – place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Add the cooked vegetables (and all of the butter from the pan), egg, sage, salt, pepper, and parsley. Stir to combine. Pour the chicken broth over the top and gently toss to coat the bread cubes.
• Bake the stuffing – spray a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the bread cube mixture into the baking dish, dot the top with cubed butter, and cover the dish with foil. Bake the stuffing for 35 minutes at 350°F. Uncover the dish and bake the it for 10 minutes longer or until golden on top and set in the middle.

Tips and Tricks to make the BEST Stuffing!

• Be sure your bread cubes are dried and not too soft. Dried bread cubes will absorb the chicken stock better without turning your stuffing soggy, which can happen if your bread is too soft.
• You can buy dried bread cubes at the store or if you can’t find them, buy a loaf of bread, leave it out for a few days and then cut it into cubes. Or, you can cut loaf of fresh bread into cubes and toast them in the oven before you make the stuffing.
• If you use seasoned dried bread cubes you may want to cut back on the added salt in the recipe.
• Poultry seasoning adds lots of flavor! Poultry seasoning is a mix of dried spices and herbs and is used to season chicken and turkey as well as stuffing. You can find poultry seasoning in the spice aisle at the grocery store.
• I’ve seen some recipes that don’t have you pre-cook the vegetables, which I don’t recommend. First, cooking the celery and onion in butter infuses the butter with so much flavor which adds flavor to your stuffing! Also, if you skip precooking the veggies they may not cook all the way through in the oven giving your stuffing a crunchy texture.
• For food safety reasons, I don’t recommend making the stuffing ahead and baking it later. You can cook the vegetables ahead of time and refrigerate them up to a day in advance of making your it.

Is it Stuffing or Dressing?

Technically, this recipe I’m sharing is dressing since it’s cooked outside the turkey in the baking dish. Traditionally, stuffing is cooked inside the turkey cavity but it’s not a great thing to do because it’s difficult to know when the stuffing is cooked through and eating undercooked stuffing is dangerous. Plus, the it can cook slower than the turkey which means your turkey could be overcooked by the time it is safe to eat.

So, a lot of recipes for “stuffing” are actually dressing since it’s safer to cook the it outside the turkey in its own baking dish!

What kind of bread should I use?

You can use all kinds of different bread to make the stuffing. There are stuffings made with cornbread, sandwich bread, French bread, Italian-style bread and even bagels!

For the this recipe I’m sharing I used dried bread cubes made from basic white bread. The most important thing is that the bread is stale and dried out. Fresh bread is too soft and will turn soggy once it’s combined with the chicken stock and baked.

How to dry the bread

The easiest way to dry bread is to leave it out at room temperature for a couple of days. Or, you can cut fresh bread into cubes and toast them in the oven to dry them out.

Stick the bread cubes in an oven at 300 degrees F to dry out. It will take about 10 minutes, be sure not to brown or toast them!

If you use fresh bread in the oven you will not need as much broth.

What to do with leftovers

There are a lot of creative ways to turn your leftover stuffing into new dishes! Here are some ideas:

• Grab some eggs, milk and cheese and use your leftovers to make a Breakfast Casserole the next day!
• Or use it to make some savory cheesy Stuffing Muffins and add some leftover gravy on the side for dipping.
• Make an Easy Leftover Turkey & Stuffing Casserole for a cozy and comforting dinner.
• Learn how to make a delicious Breakfast Hash – it’s an easy way to put all of that leftover stuffing to good use for breakfast!

Can I freeze stuffing?

• Yes, you can freeze leftover it! Once cooled, place the stuffing in a freezer-safe container. Once frozen it will keep well for up to one month.
• You can also keep leftovers in the refrigerator. Stored in an airtight container it will keep well for 3 to 4 days.
• Whether you are reheating frozen or refrigerated leftover stuffing, be sure to reheat it to a temperature of 165°F.  The easiest way to reheat the leftovers is in the microwave.

I can’t believe it’s almost Thanksgiving! I hope you love this Easy Stuffing recipe – if you want more easy Thanksgiving recipes be sure to check out some of my favorites below!

More delicious and easy holiday recipes!

The holidays don’t have to be stressful with these delicious, but easy recipes that anyone can make!

• Gravy – Only a few ingredients you will have a delicious, fool-proof and lump-free gravy that everyone will love.
• Crock Pot Turkey Breast – Fuss-free tender, juicy turkey breast with homemade gravy that has a ton of flavor.
• Green Bean Casserole – With the addition of sharp cheddar cheese, String Bean Casserole is so delicious.
• Cranberry Sauce – Easy traditional side dish flavored with orange and cinnamon.
• Mashed Potatoes – How to make light, fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes