Easy Stuffing Recipe (2024)

Easy Stuffing Recipe

Easy Stuffing recipe is the perfect way to have the comfort of stuffing on your table but made simple! Classic stuffing recipe with savory ingredients, herbs, and spices. The perfect compliment to roast turkey.

Easy Stuffing is made with simple ingredients and is a homemade classic. Skip the boxed stuffing with preservatives, and make yours from scratch this year.

Complete your meal with this easy stuffing, How to cook a Perfect Turkey recipe, Sweet Potato Casserole, 5 Ingredient Oven Roasted Garlic and Herb Butternut Squash and for dessert a classic Pumpkin Pie.

Stuffing is a must have at our Thanksgiving table. it is one of my favorite side dishes, I can eat it all day! I love the stuff! It has all the flavor, taste, texture and all the feels. It is pure comfort food and a holiday classic.

Crunchy celery, diced onions, melted butter, tossed together with dried bread cubes, soaked in broth then baked golden brown and deliciously hot! Simple ingredients for an easy and effortless dish that is loved by all.

Adding to my Easy Stuffing Recipe with cranberries, carrots or even adding meat like this Sausage Stuffingbrings out more flavor and more fun in the recipe.

And what is even better, it is easy to customize to your preference. Transform this easy stuffing with extra ingredients to sweeten, add spice or other variations for more delicious stuffing ideas. I have included plenty of fun options below.

This comforting side dish is easy to make for your next holiday dinner!

What you need to make this Easy Stuffing

This is such an easy recipe with easy ingredients that are in your pantry and fridge ready to go. Do not let the long-ish list fool you, chances are you already have everything you need in your pantry and spice cupboard.

Ingredients needed for this Easy Stuffing:

• Dry bread cubes– Make your own or use a box.
• Celery– Cut fine for easy eating.
• Onion– I like yellow onion, but you can sub out other types.
• Fresh parsley– This can be subbed for dry, use a little less if using dry, but fresh is best.
• Butter– Salted or unsalted, just keep in mind if you use salted butter, taste as you go so you do not over-salt your stuffing.
• Salt-Classic seasoning.
• Black pepper-Another classic
• Dried thyme
• Dried sage
• Poultry seasoning- I usually use the McCormick’s brand, but this can be subbed out, or skip it and just add a few more fresh herbs (sage and thyme specifically) and maybe some marjoram.
• Chicken stock- You can use drippings from your turkey, or vegetable stock, feel free to sub.
• Eggs

How to make stuffing

Making stuffing is simple. You start with a large skillet, where you sauté the onion and celery in the butter for 10-12 minutes until tender.

Then you add parsley and sauté one more minute.

Once all of that is tender and fragrant you are going to place the dried bread cubes in a large bowl, and combine it with the onion celery mixture.

Toss everything else in and mix.

Then bake in a prepared pan for half an hour or so.

It is just that simple!

Stuffing Casserole

While it is traditional to bake stuffing inside a turkey, I love to make this into a stuffing casserole.

Using the stuffing casserole method makes it simple and easy to bake evenly. This way I do not have to worry about stuffing a turkey and if it will turn out hidden inside it.

When cooking stuffing inside the turkey, I tend to get nervous making sure that it is going to turn out perfectly. And end up ruining my turkey by checking my stuffing temperature too often.

Keeping the stuffing separate ensures there will be two perfect dishes and no worrying about either of them cooking together and reaching a certain temperature for each. You won’t over cook one or the other when you cook separately.

Turkey Stuffing

If you prefer to stuff a turkey, follow the instructions below and stuff the turkey with the stuffing mixture.

The center of the stuffing needs to be cooked at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. It is best to use an internal temperature in the middle of the stuffing to ensure doneness.

Cooking the stuffing inside the turkey has its benefits. It cooks all together, so there are less pans and messes. And another big perk is extra flavor. Cooking together makes the stuffing moist and flavorful with all the drippings.

But I prefer them separate, for both food safety and having more control over your stuffing.

Dried Poultry Seasoning

Poultry seasoning is a MUST and something that I would highly recommend using. I pick it up in the spice aisle, and the brand I tend to use is McCormick. However, if you do not have it or can’t find it, you can mix it yourself.

Here are the ingredients that are in the dried poultry seasoning. Keep in mind: Dried herbs are stronger than fresh herbs which gives all the flavor in this seasoning.

Poultry seasoning is a combination of the following dried herbs:

• Thyme
• Sage
• Marjoram
• Rosemary
• Nutmeg
• Black pepper

Make Stuffing Ahead

This is a great recipe to make ahead of time, especially if you are planning this for a big dinner with friends and family.

Prepare it for the following day by doing everything except cooking it. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container or even in your casserole dish that will be cooked in. Then when bring to room temperature and cook for 30-35 minutes just before serving.

Just like sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole, stuffing can be baked ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator in the casserole dish you bake it in.

Variations

We love a classic stuffing but it is always fun to add to it for added flavor and different combinations.

• Meat: sausage,turkey, ham, bacon, chicken, pork, beef or seafood. Check out this sausage stuffing.
• Fruit: apples or pears
• Nuts: pecans, pine nuts, walnuts or cashews almonds
• Dried Fruit: cranberries, raisins, or apricots are all great dried fruit options.
• Bread: white, wholewheat or grain bread. Choose your favorite.
• Herbs:sage, parsley and rosemary or basil, oregano, thyme together.

Typically if adding a variation, simply mix in your favorite addition. Adjust cooking time if needed.

How do you freeze stuffing?

There is always leftovers at the dinner table and I am the first to admit I am excited when there is stuffing left over.

This easy stuffing freezes well when placed in an airtight container. This will last about 2 to 3 months long.

To Reheat stuffing, place it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. To keep it from drying out add chicken broth and this will help it from getting hard and crunchy.

Can I use box stuffing mix?

Of course! Using a box of stuffing mix is easier and can come together even quicker. If we are in a time crunch I will use stuffing mix for the bread crumbs if nothing else.

Simply use the box stuffing bread cubes, and toss the seasoning packet and follow the same recipe. You will get similar results without having to toast the bread.

Or in a real time crunch? Use the whole boxed mix, and simply leave the seasonings out of the below recipe, keeping the celery and onions, and liquid.

Our favorites for the holidays:

While stuffing is awesome, it goes best with lots of yummy holiday recipes. So this holiday season, enjoy this stuffing with some of these great dishes:

• Thanksgiving Yams
• Mom’s Dinner Rolls
• Juicy Roast Turkey-How to cook a Turkey
• Pecan Pie
• Corn Casserole

Pin to your Thanksgiving board on Pinterest:

Related