Classic Herb Stuffing
This classic stuffing recipe is made with simple quality ingredients like artisan bread and fresh herbs and only a few minutes of prep work. It’s a cozy and delicious side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any time of year!
Recipe overview: Why this is the best classic stuffing recipe
- Minimal, quality ingredients: Simple, high-quality ingredients make all the difference here
- Flavor and texture: This stuffing has such great buttery herb flavor, with crisp edges and a soft middle.
- It’s easy to make: Prepare just before serving, or farther in advance and reheat.
- The perfect holiday side dish: Goes great with all types of main dishes like dry-brined roasted turkey or honey butter glazed ham.
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Stuffing is often the unsung hero of many holiday tables. It isn’t the star of the show, but maybe it should be. Who can resist spooning heaps of it onto their plate and smothering it with homemade gravy? Definitely not me. It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without it!
You can keep your loaded-up, fancy stuffing recipes, this simple and uncomplicated traditional stuffing recipe is all I’ll ever need. You might also like my homemade stovetop stuffing recipe if you’re looking to save oven space. And you can find more holiday side dishes in my complete list of favorite Thanksgiving recipes.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Artisan bread— Use whatever small loaf of artisan bread you’d like! No need to use stale bread here.
- Butter— It’s in there for good reason, and gives the dish such good flavor.
- Onions and celery— And plenty of both!
- Fresh herbs— Don’t even try to substitute dried herbs if you can help it, fresh is the very best option! Look for the “poultry herb blend” which will come with rosemary, thyme and sage all in one package together.
- Broth— You can use turkey, chicken, or vegetable broth. Use homemade or store-bought.
- Eggs— They’ll add richness and structure, holding everything together.
Use this recipe as starting point
Do you prefer your stuffing loaded up with all the things? Good news! You can definitely use this recipe as a jumping off point to create whatever stuffing recipe you crave.
- Use sourdough bread, brioche, cornbread, or another kind of quality loaf of bread
- Add up to 1/2 lb sausage, bacon or ham, fully cooked
- Replace some of the vegetables in this recipe with other veggies like mushrooms, leeks or roasted butternut squash
- Add 1/2-1 cup fruit like dried cherries or cranberries, or fresh diced apples
- Add up to 1/2 cup nuts like pecans, walnuts or sliced almonds
How to make this classic stuffing
- Cook vegetables and herbs in butter. They should be soft, tender and fragrant.
- Toss dried bread cubes with the vegetables and spread into a greased baking dish.
- Whisk broth with eggs and pour over the bread mixture. Try to evenly coat all of the bread cubes as much as possible, you can even press the bread down into the liquid with the back of a spoon if that helps.
- Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes covered, then uncover and bake for about 15 minutes more until golden brown.
Recipe FAQs
Holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas are busy, and if you’re like me you try to prepare as much food in advance. This stuffing keeps well in the fridge and is the perfect side dish to make ahead.
1) Prepare as directed without baking. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Add 10-15 minutes of covered bake time. OR 2) Bake as directed, then cool completely. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bake covered at 350°F until warmed through, about 30 minutes. To crisp up the edges, take the foil off for the last 5-10 minutes.
Leftovers should be stored in the fridge and enjoyed within 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or you can reheat leftovers still in the casserole dish using the instructions above.
Of course! You can always use this simple recipe as a jumping off point. See my suggestions for substitutions and variations above.
More holiday side dishes
- Homemade Turkey Gravy
- Buttery Garlic Green Beans
- Soft White Dinner Rolls
- Fall Apple Salad with Cheddar and Candied Pecans
Have you tried this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious.
Easy Classic Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 lb loaf of bread
- ½ cup butter
- 1 onion , chopped
- 4 ribs celery , chopped
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped sage
- 2 cups turkey, chicken, or vegetable broth
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Cut bread into ½-inch cubes. Spread out evenly on a sheet pan. Toast in a 225°F oven for 30 minutes until dried out. You can also leave the bread out uncovered overnight instead.1 lb loaf of bread
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.½ cup butter, 1 onion, 4 ribs celery, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- Add garlic and herbs and cook for 1 minute more.2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary, 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme, 1 teaspoon fresh chopped sage
- Combine toasted bread and vegetables in a large bowl and then transfer to a grease 9×13 inch baking pan or casserole dish.
- Whisk together broth and eggs and pour over bread mixture. Pour slowly and try to moisten all the cubed bread.2 cups turkey, chicken, or vegetable broth, 2 large eggs
- Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15-20 minutes more until golden brown.
Notes
- Bread: You can use any kind of bread you prefer, french, sourdough, sandwich bread, and even ciabatta or foccaccia. I have only tested this recipe with white bread, but you can probably use white or multigrain if you want.
- Herbs: I prefer the flavor of fresh herbs, but you can also use dried. Change amounts to 1/2 teaspoon.
- To make ahead: 1) Prepare as directed without baking. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Add 10-15 minutes of covered bake time. OR 2) Bake as directed, then cool completely. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bake covered at 350°F until warmed through, about 30 minutes. To crisp up the edges, take the foil off for the last 5-10 minutes.
The butter, fresh vegetables and herbs are what makes this baked stuffing recipe so great! And so much better than a mix. I like it as it is, but often add mix-ins as suggested in the post too. I know you’ll love this recipe as much as we do!