Traditional Bread Stuffing

When it comes to holiday meals, there’s always one dish that brings a comforting, familiar warmth to the table: traditional bread stuffing. While many people think of stuffing as something that goes inside the turkey, baking it separately in a dish has its own merits, resulting in a golden, crispy top and a fluffy, flavorful interior. Plus, it allows the stuffing to be perfectly cooked without worrying about whether the turkey is done or not—meaning no last-minute stress in the kitchen!

Why Bake Stuffing in a Dish?

While the idea of stuffing the turkey might seem nostalgic, baking it on its own in a dish has many advantages. First, it allows for even cooking and crispiness, without the risk of it being undercooked and becoming soggy. Plus, this method ensures your turkey cooks faster and more evenly without having to cook any stuffing. By baking it separately, you can focus on developing a crispy golden top and soft and moist interior.

A Simple Recipe Made with Seasonal Ingredients

The beauty of this Traditional Bread Stuffing is that it is so simple to make. You don’t need fancy ingredients or a complicated process, rather, the key to great stuffing is using fresh, seasonal ingredients that allow the natural flavors to shine. Here’s a quick rundown of the essentials:

• Bread: Start with a good loaf of rustic bread—I opt for French Loaf, but sourdough also works great! The bread should be slightly stale, which helps it soak up all the flavours without becoming soggy.
• Vegetables: The classic trio of onion, celery, and carrot forms the base of the stuffing. These classic vegetables bring a mix of sweetness, crunch, and depth of flavour that complements the herbs and bread.
• Herbs: Fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, and sage are essential in this stuffing. These earthy, aromatic herbs are best used in fall when they are in season, and they infuse the bread with their savoury flavour.
• Chicken Stock and Butter: The key to moist (but not soggy!) stuffing is just the right amount of stock. Use chicken stock to add moisture and richness to the bread, while butter brings in that luxurious, golden flavour we all love. Note that you can sway chicken stock with vegetable stock to make this recipe 100% vegetarian!

I hope that you enjoy this recipe! For more Thanksgiving and holiday recipe side dish ideas, check out my YouTube video below! Also, check out my fall appetizer recipes in this YouTube video! 🍂

Get the Recipe: Traditional Bread Stuffing

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 9×13-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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