Every year food editors across the land are tasked with figuring out how to make stuffing new and exciting (and somehow different from the hundreds of stuffing recipes that already exist right here on Epicurious alone). But what if I told you that you didn’t need any of those recipes—that you could make the Thanksgiving stuffing of your dreams with an easy-to-memorize formula and whatever mix-ins sound good to you?
Stuffing (or dressing, if you’d rather) is a forgiving dish. It’s happy to play along with whatever kind of baking dish you want to use and whatever bread you have on hand, and it’s easy to scale up or scale down to accommodate your number of guests.
Usually in this series I give you a ratio to follow that doesn’t require any specific measurement. For the best stuffing, it’s a good idea to be a little more exact. But don’t worry, this isn’t a recipe; it’s still just a ratio, and there will be plenty of opportunity to mix and match to suit your tastes. Let’s get started:
For 8 to 10 servings: You’ll need a 3-qt. baking dish, 10 cups bread cubes, 3 cups chopped vegetables, 3 cups liquid, and 2 large eggs. You’ll also need some form of fat, some spices and herbs, and you can choose to add up to 1 lb. meat and any other mix-ins you want.
For 4 to 6 servings: You’ll need a 2-qt. baking dish, 5 cups bread cubes, 1½ cups chopped vegetables, 1½ cups liquid, and 1 large egg. You’ll also need some form of fat, some spices and herbs, and you can choose to add up to ½ pound meat and any other mix-ins you want.
Got it? Now let’s dig in a little deeper.
1. Cube and dry some bread.
You can use any kind of bread (or mix of breads) you want. I love making stuffing with cornbread, and I usually make my favorite gluten-free cornbread to use, but you could certainly buy a loaf if you’d rather. You could use a single loaf of bread, like whole-grain sourdough, or mix it by half with something like dark rye, French bread, or another crusty white bread. My colleague Joe Sevier makes his family’s favorite dressing with a combination of cornbread and biscuits. Avoid pre-sliced sandwich bread, though, which can dissolve into mush if you’re not careful.
Whatever bread you choose, cut, tear, or crumble it into any size pieces you like—but do keep the sizing consistent. Classic stuffing is usually made with bread cut into half-inch cubes, but there’s no reason you can’t make your bread cubes a little larger. Tearing your bread is a great option if you like a more rustic stuffing. The craggy rips are great at catching all those mix-ins and get nice and toasty in the oven. Break down enough bread until you have 10 cups (or 5, if you’re making a smaller batch), then spread them out on a baking sheet (or two) and toast them in a 325°F oven, tossing occasionally, until they’re dry and crisp like croutons, about 20 minutes. Let them cool, then dump all that bread into a large bowl—your biggest.
2. Cook some mix-ins.
While your bread is cooling, dice some produce to lend aromatic flavor and texture to your homemade stuffing. The most classic stuffings are made with a mix of chopped celery and white or yellow onion, but you don’t have to stop there—you don’t even have to go there at all. Try leeks or shallots instead of onions, or add garlic to the mix. Or, if you’re anti-allium, leave them out. How about combining chopped fennel with tart, fresh apples? Or maybe mushrooms and kale? You might want to scratch another classic side dish off your menu by incorporating the sweet potatoes or squash into your stuffing instead. Keep chopping fruits and veggies until you have 3 cups (or 1½ cups if you’re making a smaller batch).
