This Classic Stuffing is my idea of the perfect stuffing. Celery, onions, fresh herbs and butter tossed with dried bread cubes. It’s simple, classic and the best ever!

Classic Stuffing is one of my favorite savory things about Thanksgiving. Yes, I love mashed potatoes and gravy, but I think I would take stuffing over mashed potatoes (gasp!).

If you’re wondering what the difference between “stuffing” and “dressing” is, it’s pretty simple to remember. . . stuffing is “stuffed” inside the turkey and dressing is baked in a dish. So technically this is dressing, but we always call is stuffing so just go along with me here.

I love simple, classic stuffing. No dried fruit, mushrooms, bacon, sausage, nuts, or whatever else. . .I am all about keeping it simple.

I love how my house smells while this stuffing is baking. It smells just like Thanksgiving . . . warm, comforting, happy and delicious.

What’s in this stuffing?

It’s super simple. . . onions, celery, parsley, rosemary, sage, butter, broth, and bread. I think that sometimes simple really is the best. If you’ve never made homemade stuffing before, this recipe is straightforward and extremely easy.

Drying the bread.

After you’ve cut your bread there are a couple of ways you can dry it.

Lay the bread cubes on baking sheets in a single layer and toast at 250 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes stirring every once in a while.
Place your bread cubes in a large bowl and let them sit on your counter for a few days to ry out. Be sure to stir the bread cubes every once in a while.

If you don’t like either of those options, you can buy a bag of precut, dried bread cubes from your local grocery store. It’s readily available during the holidays. The pieces of bread usually tend to be cut smaller than the size I cut the bread, but it still works great! (*You can see in my photos the bread cubes are smaller. For the batch of stuffing I made for these photos I used a bag of precut bread cubes.)

Whatever option you do, just make sure your bread is really dry.

Can I make this stuffing ahead of time?

Yes it can be made one day ahead. It’s best though to bake it first up to where you would brown it (so bake it for the first 40 minutes) then let it cool. Cover it and store it in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve it, uncover it and bake until it’s heated through and the top is browned and crisp, 20-25 mins.

Classic Thanksgiving Stuffing

Author: Jodi
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 10–12 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Scale

Ingredients

¾ cup butter (I use salted)
1 pound good-quality day-old white bread, torn or cut into 1-inch pieces (about 12 cups)
1 3/4 cups chopped yellow onion
1 ½ cups chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 large eggs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 250°. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside. Scatter bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until dried out, about 1 hour. Let cool then transfer to a very large bowl OR
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and sautee until they’re soft and just begin to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Pour mixture into the bowl with the bread. Add the parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Drizzle in 1 1/4 cups of the broth and toss gently. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk the remaining 1 1/4 cups of the chicken broth and eggs in a small bowl. Add to bread mixture; fold gently until thoroughly combined. Transfer to prepared dish, cover with foil, and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until set and the top is browned and crisp, about 10 to 15 ore minutes.