Best Stuffing Recipe (2024)

My Thanksgiving stuffing (or dressing) recipe will have everyone at the table asking for seconds. This dish, often referred to as dressing because it’s prepared separately from the turkey, is designed to be a star of your holiday spread, boasting a perfect blend of juicy, flavorful, and buttery 🧈 goodness.

Why You’ll Love This Stuffing Recipe

This recipe is a moist and flavor-packed dish. This recipe serves six, making it a practical addition to your holiday spread. Your guests will be raving for long after the meal!

How to Prepare The Stuffing

• Start by preheating the oven to 375°F. Prep the veggies, which include finely diced yellow onion, celery stalks, bacon, and an optional chopped apple. In a generously buttered pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until golden.
• Reduce the heat, add the butter and let it melt. Add in the chopped onion, celery, apple and sauté this mixture until it becomes soft and releases its aromatic flavors, usually taking around 3-5 minutes.
• Next, incorporate finely chopped sage and thyme 🌿 into the sautéed mixture, along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. You can choose when to add the seasonings, whether at the beginning or toward the end of the sautéing process, based on your preference. After about a minute, remove the mixture from the stove. In a large bowl, combine the sautéed mixture with dry bread cubes.
• Lastly, pour in your preferred broth, whether it’s homemade chicken or vegetable broth, and give it all a good stir. Transfer this stuffing mixture to a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole or baking dish, and pop it into the preheated oven.
• Bake at 375°F for 30-45 minutes or until it turns a beautiful golden hue. For added crispiness on top, you can switch to the broil setting for the last 20 seconds, but be vigilant to prevent burning. Serve this dish piping hot.

Variations and Substitutions

Whether you want to experiment with different types of bread or swap out ingredients to suit your taste, there’s plenty of room for creativity. Want to make this stuffing recipe vegetarian or add a hint of sweetness with raisins or craisins? Feel free to tailor this stuffing to your liking and make it a standout dish on your holiday table.

• Experiment with different types of bread to change the flavor and texture of your stuffing. Try sourdough, cornbread, or even whole wheat🥖.
• Bacon is optional in this recipe, so you can omit it for a vegetarian version. Alternatively, you can add diced sausage or ground meat instead.
• If you don’t have fresh sage and thyme, dried herbs can work as well. Just remember that dried herbs are more potent, so use them sparingly.
• If you need gluten-free stuffing, use gluten-free bread cubes and ensure your broth and other ingredients are also gluten-free.
• While the recipe includes onions and celery, you can also add diced carrots, bell peppers, or mushrooms 🍄 for extra vegetable variety.
• To incorporate sweetness, consider tossing in dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, or apricots.
• While the recipe calls for chicken or vegetable broth, feel free to use turkey or mushroom broth for added depth of flavor. Homemade broth is fantastic if you have it.

Other Holiday Recipes

• Gravy
• Cranberry Sauce
• Juicy Turkey
• Mac and Cheese
• Sweet Potato Donuts
• Pumpkin Pie
• Brussels Sprouts
• Sweet Potatoes
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Squash
• Turkey Noodle Soup
• Butternut Squash Pasta
• Baked Apples
• Mushrooms
• Green Beans
• Whole Roasted Sweet Potato

Common Questions