Classic Stuffing Recipe from Scratch Easy Homemade Holiday Side Dish
A simple, foolproof classic stuffing recipe from scratch that combines stale bread, fresh herbs, butter, and broth for a moist, flavorful holiday side dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 12 cups day-old bread cubes (about 300g) – mix of white and sourdough
- 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium celery stalks, diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 3 cups (720ml) chicken broth
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- Optional: 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Optional: 1 cup cooked and crumbled chicken sausage
- Optional: 1 cup chopped apples
- Optional: 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Cube day-old bread into roughly 1-inch pieces. Spread on a baking sheet and toast in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 10-15 minutes to dry out further if needed.
- Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat until melted and foamy. Add diced onion and celery; cook until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in chopped fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary; cook gently for about 1 minute until aromatic.
- Pour the veggie-herb mixture over the toasted bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Toss gently but thoroughly to coat all pieces.
- Slowly pour in chicken broth while tossing until bread is moist but not soggy. Stir in beaten eggs to bind the mixture.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Taste a small bread cube and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Transfer mixture to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish, spreading evenly. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the top is golden and crispy.
Notes
[‘Toast bread cubes to prevent soggy stuffing.’, ‘Use fresh herbs for best flavor; reduce dried herbs by half if substituting.’, ‘Add broth slowly to avoid sogginess; bread should be moist but not saturated.’, ‘Eggs help bind the stuffing for sliceable texture; omit for a looser stuffing.’, ‘Season broth lightly if homemade; taste before adding salt.’, ‘Bake uncovered last 10-15 minutes to crisp the top.’, ‘For gluten-free version, use gluten-free bread and broth.’, ‘For dairy-free, substitute butter with olive oil and chicken broth with vegetable broth; use flax egg as binder if omitting eggs.’, ‘Add cooked sausage, apples, or cranberries for variations.’]
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe (about
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 6
Keywords: classic stuffing, holiday stuffing, homemade stuffing, Thanksgiving side dish, easy stuffing recipe, stuffing from scratch