Homemade Stuffing

This Homemade Stuffing Recipe, made with sourdough bread, is exactly what you need to pair with your Thanksgiving turkey!

Just like Dinner Rolls, Mashed Potatoes, and Cranberry Sauce, this Homemade Stuffing is a must-have on the Thanksgiving Dinner table. It’s the perfect compliment to your Turkey – simple and perfect.

Homemade Turkey stuffing in a white serving dish.

Best Stuffing Recipe

Making Stuffing homemade is the only way to go for your holiday meals! It’s one of those dishes that goes perfectly with all of the other entrees and side dishes. You’re going to want to save room for this Homemade Stuffing!

This Stuffing Recipe is just the right texture and flavor! Not soggy like some other homemade recipes.

You can even decide how big, or small, to make your bread cubes.

A traditional Stuffing Recipe is most popular for Thanksgiving, but we sometimes have it at Christmastime too. Especially this one, made with thick bread pieces, celery, butter, and tons of delicious herbs!

Bread pieces in baking dish for homemade stuffing recipe.

How to Make Stuffing

A classic stuffing recipe starts with the bread. Pick out a bread that is thick and will soak up all the flavors of the dish. We love to use a good artisan loaf of sourdough bread. Precut bread crumbs are also perfect for this dish.

BREAD. Prep the sourdough bread. Cut the bread into ½-1 inch pieces, and let them dry out overnight. For a time saver, place the cut bread onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 200° F.

PREP. After prepping the bread, preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a large baking sheet and set aside. A 9×13 baking pan is perfect.

VEGETABLES. Melt 8 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and celery, and stir. Cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes.

SEASONINGS. Stir in the garlic, parsley, sage, thyme, and rosemary. Cook for another minute or so.

COMBINE. Place the cut-up dried bread pieces into a large bowl. Pour the celery mixture over the top and toss everything to evenly coat.

WET MIXTURE. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and add in the chicken broth. Pour this all over the coated bread. Add salt and pepper, and toss together to coat evenly.

BAKE. Pour the bread into your baking dish, cover it with foil, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, take off the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Sautéing celery and onions for homemade stuffing recipe.

recipe Tips

We’ve rounded up some fabulous tips to make your Thanksgiving Stuffing perfect!

Texture. The best Stuffing Recipe should be soft, not soggy, with a slightly toasted top. If your stuffing comes out too dry:

  • Melt a little bit of butter in a sauce pot and add some broth. 
  • Once warm, ladle a couple of scoops over the stuffing and let it soak.
  • Cover to keep it warm until ready to serve.

Fresh herbs. If you don’t have fresh herbs, substitute 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs with 1 teaspoon of dried herbs.

Dressing vs Stuffing. Since the ingredients are basically the same, an argument could be made that if it’s cooked inside a turkey, then it is called stuffing. Whereas if it’s cooked in a separate pan, it’s called dressing.

Instead, throw that argument out the window and look at a map. In general:

  • West coast and northern states it’s called stuffing.
  • Southern and midwestern states generally call it dressing.
  • Then you have the Pennsylvania outliers who call it filling.

One agreeable fact is that no matter what it’s called, or where it is officially baked, it’s delicious.

Bread stuffing recipe with celery and seasonings in a white dish.

Variations + Storing

Feel free to add in other ingredients or herbs/spices of your choice:

  • Bread. A loaf of French Bread works great too!
  • Variation. Try savory Sausage Stuffing or delicious Cornbread Stuffing.
  • Fruit. Add diced apples or apricots. Simply add them to the skillet in step 3.
  • Nuts. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top of the Stuffing before baking.

Make ahead of time. Make this a day or a week ahead of time. Prepare everything, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge or freeze it.

STORE leftover Stuffing in an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge for delicious lunch leftovers (one of the BEST parts about Thanksgiving right??).

Leftover Stuffing can last in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-4 days.

FREEZE. Keep in an airtight container, for up to 3 months. For longer storage, wrap with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge, before baking.

Reheat covered, in a 325° oven for 15 minutes, or until warm throughout.

what to serve your best stuffing recipe with:

While Stuffing itself does not typically contain any meat, it is often served alongside meat-based dishes. 

Thanksgiving stuffing recipe in a white serving dish.

more Thanksgiving side ideas:

More Collections: Side Dishes, Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Homemade Stuffing Recipe

5 from 12 votes
This Homemade Stuffing Recipe, made with sourdough bread, is exactly what you need to pair with your Thanksgiving turkey!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 239 kcal
Author Lil’ Luna

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sourdough bread
  • 8 tablespoons butter plus more for baking dish
  • ¼ cup onion diced
  • 4 stalks celery thinly sliced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage chopped and minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme minced
  • ½ tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
  • 3-4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • For best results, we recommend cutting up the bread into ½ inch-1 inch pieces and letting it sit out overnight to dry out. (If you do not have time to do that you can also place the cut bread onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 200°F)
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a large baking sheet and set aside (a 9×13 baking pan works well)
  • Melt 8 tbsp of butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and celery. Cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, parsley, sage, thyme, and rosemary. Cook for an additional minute.
  • Place the cut-up bread pieces into a large bowl. Pour the celery mixture over the top and toss to evenly coat.
  • In a separate bowl whisk the egg and add the chicken broth. Pour it over the coated bread. Add salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly.
  • Pour the bread into a baking dish, cover it with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Take off the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

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About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Comments:

  1. 5 stars
    I never was much of a stuffing fan but over the years I have come to enjoy it alot more. This is a great recipe to serve dUring the holidays.

  2. 5 stars
    I have a friend that will only make her stuffing outside of the bird, ot’s sort of bland. I’ll be sharing this with her.

  3. 5 stars
    Ive Never liked stuffing, but AfteR trying this recipe i have to say ive Never liked stuffing from a box. This homemade recipe is really delicious.