Traditional Bread Stuffing

If you end up with a stale loaf of bread this time of year, don’t even think about throwing it away! Instead, you can make this delicious and hearty Traditional Bread Stuffing for your Thanksgiving table or for any Sunday night dinner this fall/winter season!

This Traditional Bread Stuffing is the second recipe in my “Thanksgiving for Two” series. I know that I can’t let Thanksgiving pass me by without having some sort of bread stuffing. While I enjoy bread stuffing in any way it’s prepared (either baked inside a turkey or baked in its own casserole) I have a slight preference for the casserole style. I really enjoy the mix of textures to a baked stuffing—you get a nice crunchy top and a soft and juicy interior. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!

The trick to making a really good bread stuffing is to have a loaf of stale bread. Odd, I know, but the stale bread really soaks up the chicken stock and other delicious flavours that are added in this recipe without getting soggy. I don’t typically by a loaf of bread as part of my weekly grocery routine, so I don’t have a chance to accumulate stale bread in my pantry. But I know that many people end up in this sad, stale bread situation! When I know that I am making this recipe, I will leave the bread out overnight completely opened so that it has a chance to dry out a bit. If I don’t plan ahead, I will dry out the bread for a few minutes in the oven (which is part of my method outlined in the recipe). Either way totally works!

Another great trick to making a good bread stuffing is to use a plain white loaf. This can be anything that is neutral in taste, like a baguette, a French loaf or any white sandwich bread. You can also use your favourite gluten free bread too! This isn’t the time for rye breads or seedy breads as you need a neutral tasting bread to soak up all the delicious flavours that you add to the bread stuffing. My local bread preference is the Peasant Loaf from Portofino European Bakery here in Victoria, BC. It is an artisanal loaf that has a deeper, heartier flavour than a regular white loaf and stands up perfectly to the flavours in this recipe. If you live in the area, definitely give this bread a try!

In terms of the delicious flavours for the bread to soak up, a Traditional Bread Stuffing is built on a base of sautéed onions and celery as well as some herbs. I opted to start with this flavour base but also add some carrots for colour and sweetness, as well as some fresh sage, oregano and parsley. I also add some chicken stock to the stuffing to add some moisture and make it extra tasty! Once all these ingredients are combined, simply bake it in a casserole dish covered in foil for an hour. You can also remove the foil afterwards and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes to get that nice crispy top and soft inside!

I hope that this Traditional Bread Stuffing makes an appearance on your Thanksgiving table this year! Let me know if you like traditional stuffing, or if you have a preference for other flavours!

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Traditional Bread Stuffing

Melissa

I cannot make it through the holiday season without making this delicious recipe for Traditional Bread Stuffing. French loaf bread is tossed with vegetables and herbs before being soaked in chicken stock and baked. Serve this hearty and comforting bread stuffing at Thanksgiving or Christmas and watch everyone gobble it up!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Canadian

Servings 8

Calories 315 kcal

Ingredients

  

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• 10 slices stale French Loaf approximately 3/4 of a standard loaf, cut in 1-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup salted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup celery finely diced
• 1 cup carrots peeled and finely diced
• 1 cup yellow onion finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme fresh, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 1 cup chicken stock

Instructions

 

• Preheat to the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add the celery, carrots, onion, and pepper and saute until the vegetables have softened, but have not browned. This should take 5 to 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, slice the bread into small cubes and then add them to the skillet along with the sage, thyme, and parsley. Mix everything together to combine.
• Once mixed, remove the stuffing from the heat and add the stuffing into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread the stuffing evenly in the dish then pour the chicken stock all over the stuffing.
• Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Once the hour has elapsed, remove the aluminum foil from the baking dish and continue to bake for an additional 30 minutes so that the top gets nice and golden brown.
• Remove the stuffing from the oven and garnish with a sprig of thyme and extra chopped parsley. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

• If you do not have stale bread, follow these instructions before adding the bread to this recipe:
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lay the cubed bread onto a baking tray in a single layer. Bake the bread in the oven for 10 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking, to dry out the bread. Remove from the oven and add to the sautéed vegetables, herbs and chicken stock. Bake according to recipe instructions. 

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 10gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 593mgPotassium: 262mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3067IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 77mgIron: 4mg

Keyword bread stuffing, thanksgiving recipes, traditional bread stuffing, turkey stuffing

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