Easy Stuffing Recipe

I have been hosting all holiday dinners for over 10 years now and it gave me many, many opportunities to test and perfect holiday sides. This stuffing has become my most reliable recipe — simple enough, always delicious, and easily made ahead. I’ve made it for countless Thanksgivings, and every time it delivers that perfect balance of crisp edges and tender center. From choosing the right bread texture to mastering moisture balance, I’ll walk you through every step so your stuffing turns out perfect every single time.

Key Ingredients and Substitutions

Bread – I’ve tested many types of bread in stuffing recipes and I keep coming back to an Italian loaf, specifically deli baked Italian loaf (from the deli section of the grocery store). Italian loaf has a great density that stands up to being soaked and baked, it has soft inside and crusty outside for more textures in the dish, and the flavor is nice in the stuffing.

Other Bread Options – other breads that I’ve tested successfully and liked are deli Cuban, French baguettes, or other breads soft on the inside with crusty outside. (Additional breads you can use for stuffing recipes include sourdough, sturdy sandwich bread, challah, potato Bread, and plain bagels.)

Sweet apples – sweet apples work better in stuffing over tart apples to provide the perfect sweet and savory flavor balance. You can use Gala apples, Honeycrisp apples, or Fuji apples.

Broth – it’s okay to use vegetable broth or chicken broth. I recommend buying broth labeled “no salt added” or “low sodium” so you can control the saltiness of the dish better.

Substituting fresh herbs – it’s perfectly okay to use dried herbs if you don’t have access to fresh herbs, just remember that dried herbs are more potent so use about half the amount.

Substituting gluten free bread – I’ve tested this recipe many times with gluten free bread and it does work but gluten free breads don’t have a good structure, so it will result in a different texture. Be prepared for crumblier and mushier texture of the stuffing with gluten free bread.

Expert Tip: Buy Italian bread that is already thinly sliced so you will get nicely uniform bread cubes, and leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours. It is easier to cut the bread when it’s cold.

How to Make Stale Bread For Stuffing

One way to stale bread is to dice the bread and leave it to air-dry for about 24 hours.

Cut bread slices into small cubes that are about 1/2-inch in size. Use a serrated bread knife to cut the bread, it will be a lot easier to cut through the soft bread.

Spread bread cubes in two large baking sheets, in one even layer, and leave them to get stale for about 24 hours.

How Do You Make Bread Stale for Stuffing Quickly?

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Spread the bread cubes in two large baking sheets, you want to make sure the bread is spread in one even layer so it is exposed to heat all around. Place the trays in the oven and let them harden for about 2 hours.

How To Make Stuffing

First, we start with cooking the vegetables until they are soft and golden brown. You don’t want to just toss raw veggies into the stuffing or they will not cook through and the texture won’t be pleasant at the end. Sautéing veggies until golden will also bring more flavor into the stuffing dish.

Combine cooked vegetables with stale bread, herbs and seasoning in a large mixing bowl. I highly advise that you use a large mixing bowl, this is a big side dish and if your mixing bowl is not big enough, it will be hard to mix.

Mix the solid ingredients first and then pour in the liquid mixture and mix again. This will help ensure that everything is thoroughly and evenly mixed.

Finally, spread the stuffing mixture into the greased baking dish and bake at 375° for 35-45 minutes. I recommend using a ceramic baking dish for this side because metal transfers heat very well and it may make the edges of the stuffing too crispy and dry. Keep an eye on it, strength of ovens vary slightly. If you’re noticing the top and edges are getting too brown but internal temperature is not there yet, you can loosely cover the dish with a sheet of aluminum foil.

How To Tell If Stuffing Is Done?

My first test is always to touch the middle of the pudding and see how jiggly it is. If the middle hasn’t baked through yet, it will be quite jiggly and it might feel a little squishy. It is fully cooked when it feels firm and yields when you gently press in the center. 

The best way to tell if the stuffing is done, check the center with an instant read digital thermometer so it reads 165°–170°.

Make Ahead Tips

Of course, you can start the bread staling process a day or two before. Simply dice the bread into small cubes, spread it on two large baking sheets, and let it stale for 1-2 days in a cool, dry place.

You can also prep the whole stuffing recipe and spread it into the baking dish. Instead of baking, cover it air-tight with plastic wrap or a fitted lid and refrigerate overnight or for up to 24 hours. Since there are raw opened eggs in the stuffing, it’s safest to not prep it ahead more than 24 hours.

When you’re ready to bake the next day, take off the plastic wrap, set the dish on the counter while the oven is preheating and then bake per recipe instructions. You will want to add about 5-10 minutes to bake time since you’re starting from cold.

What Is The Best Way To Freeze Stuffing?

You can also freeze it after prepping, before baking. If you plan to freeze the stuffing before baking it, spread it in an aluminum baking pan. Cover it completely air-tight with aluminum foil and plastic wrap, label, and freeze for up to 2 months.

Thaw frozen stuffing slowly, in the refrigerator, for about 24 hours before baking.

Bake according to the recipe but add about 10 more minutes to bake time since you’re starting from cold. Make sure to bake until 165°F internal temperature at the center of the casserole.

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Some More Holiday Sides Recipes

I’ve made my stuffing so much, I’ve even played around with flavors. Some of our favorite flavor variations include sausage stuffing and cranberry stuffing. If you’d like to try dressing instead, I have a great recipe for cornbread dressing or cornbread dressing with sausage and apples.

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in November 2018.