Classic Bread Stuffing

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 08/24/23
Tested by
Kayla Hoang
Photo of Kayla Hoang
Tested by Kayla Hoang
Kayla Hoang is a freelance recipe developer, writer, and baker whose Bangladeshi and Vietnamese roots influence all she does. Her life revolves around food and she can almost always be found waiting by the oven for a fresh batch of cookies.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
A casserole dish of baked stuffing, with a plated portion and extra plates and forks

The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 75 mins
Total: 85 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Yield: 1 pan

Stuffing is a classic side dish found on holiday tables across the U.S., but you don't have to wait until Thanksgiving to enjoy it. This version is easy enough to prepare any day of the week, and it's an excellent side dish to serve with everyday meals. Serve this stuffing with chicken, game hens, turkey, or pork, or use it to replace potatoes.  

While the word "stuffing" implies it is stuffed into something, like a turkey, chicken, or pork chops, the word is also commonly used for casserole-style baked dressing. What you call it might depend on where you grew up. Southerners and Midwesterners tend to call it dressing if it's cooked outside of the bird, while Northerners call it stuffing regardless of how it's cooked. Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, everyone can agree that it's a delicious, comforting dish.

What's the Best Bread to Use for Stuffing?

For best texture, use a good quality loaf of bread or challah. Both have good flavor and do a good job of absorbing the butter. Feel free to experiment with your favorite French, Italian, or sourdough bread, or try making the stuffing with bagels or English muffins.

This stuffing is made with dry, day-old bread, which gives the stuffing the best texture. Soft, moist bread will work, but the stuffing will likely be mushy with little texture. If you don't have time to let your bread cubes dry out on the counter, you can speed up the process by baking them. Cut the bread into cubes, spread them out on a large, rimmed baking sheet, and bake them in a preheated 250 F oven for about 35 to 45 minutes. 

Is Stuffing Better With or Without Eggs?

For stuffing to hold its shape after cooking, it needs a binder. The most common binder used is egg, which keeps the stuffing light and fluffy while helping to hold it together. For vegan stuffing, you can omit the egg. Just remember that egg-free stuffing will have a looser texture.

Tips for Making Classic Bread Stuffing

  • Make more or less—The recipe is easily scaled up or down. For a smaller amount—4 to 6 servings—cut the ingredients by half and bake it in a 2-quart baking dish. For a larger gathering, double the ingredients and bake it in a roasting pan or two baking dishes.
  • How to stale bread—For bread that's stale enough to hold up but not so hard it'll break your teeth, cut the bread into cubes the day before you plan to make the stuffing. Spread them out in a single layer on a sheet pan and leave them uncovered overnight.
  • Adjusting the texture—If you prefer a more moist, stuffing, add more chicken stock and bake the stuffing mostly covered. For a dry stuffing, use less chicken stock and bake the stuffing uncovered.

"This rich, buttery stuffing is a wonderful addition to any holiday spread. Sage, rosemary, and thyme provide the familiar flavor characteristic of a classic stuffing while celery and onion provide an aromatic layer. Be sure to sneak some of those browned, crispy pieces from the top as a little treat." —Kayla Hoang

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Ingredients

  • 6 ounces (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, plus 1 teaspoon to grease the baking dish

  • 2 cups diced onion

  • 2 cups thinly sliced celery

  • 12 cups day-old cubed bread, about 1 pound

  • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley, plus more for garnish if desired

  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, or to taste

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock

  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 F.

    Ingredients to make classic stuffing

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. Butter a 3-quart baking dish with the teaspoon of butter and set it aside.

    A greased 3 quarts baking dish

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  3. Melt the remaining 6 ounces butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

    A pan of chopped onion and celery, cooking down in butter

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  4. In a large bowl, combine the cubed bread with the sautéed vegetables, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and continue to add until the bread is well moistened. At this point—before adding the eggs—taste the bread mixture and adjust the seasonings as needed. Add the eggs and stir until well blended.

    A large bowl with cooked onions, celery, cubbed bread, stock, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  5. Transfer the stuffing mixture to the prepared baking dish.

    A greased baking dish with the seasoned bread mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  6. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until it is hot and the top is lightly browned. It should register at least 165 F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the stuffing.

    A baking dish with baked stuffing

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

How to Store

  • Transfer leftover stuffing to a shallow covered container within 2 hours, and store it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
  • Freeze leftover stuffing in zip-close freezer bags or containers for up to 1 month.
  • To reheat leftover refrigerated stuffing, take it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature. Put the stuffing in a baking dish and cover it tightly with foil. Add a sprinkling of chicken stock if it seems dry. Bake it in a preheated 350 F oven for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until it is heated through and the internal temperature reaches 165 F.
  • To reheat from frozen, cover the baking dish tightly and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F.

How to Use Leftover Stuffing

If you have leftover stuffing, there are lots of creative ways to use it. Here are some ideas:

  • Use leftover stuffing as a side dish with other meals, or add it to a potato hash.
  • Make a chicken or turkey casserole with leftover stuffing.
  • Add leftover stuffing to meatball or meatloaf mixture instead of breadcrumbs.
  • Add stuffing and cranberry sauce to an after-the-holiday turkey or chicken sandwich or make a stuffing waffle grilled cheese with leftovers.
  • Make Thanksgiving dumplings or egg rolls with leftover stuffing.
  • These yummy turkey empanadas include leftover turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy.


Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • For stronger sage flavor—Add 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning or 1/2 teaspoon of ground sage to the stuffing mixture.
  • Make it vegetarian—For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.
  • Make it vegan—For a vegan-friendly stuffing, make it with vegetable broth and replace the butter with oil or dairy-free butter. Use your favorite egg alternative to replace the egg, or just omit the egg.
  • Add sausage—For sausage stuffing, add 1 to 2 cups of cooked, well-drained sage pork sausage or sweet Italian sausage to the bread mixture.
  • Add dried fruit or nuts—Add 1/2 to 1 cup of dried cranberries or toasted pecans for extra texture and flavor.
  • Use dried herbs instead of fresh—Replace some of the fresh herbs with dried herbs in these proportions: 2 teaspoons of dried leaf sage, 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried crumbled rosemary, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried leaf thyme.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
293 Calories
17g Fat
29g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 293
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 21%
Saturated Fat 9g 46%
Cholesterol 74mg 25%
Sodium 552mg 24%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 5mg 26%
Calcium 107mg 8%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 278mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)