Description
A classic buttery herb stuffing recipe featuring toasted bread cubes, sautéed onions, celery, and fresh herbs, bound with chicken or vegetable stock and eggs, baked to golden perfection. Perfect as a comforting side dish for holiday meals or family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread
- 18 to 24 ounces bread cubes (about 1.5 loaves or 12 to 14 cups), preferably toasted or stale
Vegetables and Herbs
- 3 cups diced sweet onion (roughly 2 large onions)
- 2 cups diced celery
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- a mixture of fresh herbs for sprinkling
Liquids and Binders
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Prepare the Bread Cubes: Choose stale or toasted bread cubes for best texture. Cut 1.5 pounds of bread into cubes and let them sit overnight covered with foil or toast cubes in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes until crouton-like. You can also use store-bought toasted bread cubes. Mixing different types of bread like sourdough and Italian enhances texture.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Dish: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a 9x13 inch baking dish (or larger dish if needed) with melted butter, olive oil, or spray with nonstick spray. Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl or directly in the baking dish for easier stirring.
- Sauté Vegetables and Herbs: In a large skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add diced onions, celery, and minced garlic along with at least ½ to 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and pepper. Cook until onions and celery are softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in sage, parsley, and rosemary, and cook for another minute. Pour in 1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock and mix well.
- Combine Vegetables with Bread: Pour the sautéed vegetable and herb mixture over the bread cubes and toss gently to coat all the bread evenly.
- Mix Stock and Eggs: In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the remaining 1 ½ cups of stock with 2 large eggs until fully blended.
- Incorporate Egg Mixture: Pour the egg and stock mixture over the bread cubes and gently stir and fold until the bread is thoroughly combined and coated.
- Bake the Stuffing: Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish if not already there. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F and the top is golden brown. Tent with foil if it browns too much.
- Make Ahead and Reheat: This stuffing can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Remove from the fridge 60 minutes before reheating. Reheat covered at 350 degrees F until warmed through. This stuffing can also be used to stuff a bird if desired.
- Adjust Servings and Baking Time: For 4 servings, halve the recipe and bake in an 8x8 or 9x9 inch dish for the same amount of time. For 12 to 18 servings, double the recipe and bake in a 10x15 inch roasting pan or two 9x13 inch dishes, adding about 15 minutes to baking time.
Notes
- Using a mixture of different bread types like sourdough and Italian adds great texture to the stuffing.
- Stale or toasted bread cubes work best to avoid soggy stuffing.
- Tent the stuffing with foil during baking if the top browns too quickly.
- Can be prepared a day ahead; allow to come to room temperature before reheating.
- For a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste, especially if using salted butter or stock.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
