Stuffing, also referred to as dressing, is one of my absolute favorite holiday side dishes. My homemade stuffing is a quick yet delicious recipe that can be made any time of the year.
While I grew up eating stuffing on holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, the first time I really realized how much I love it came from working at Honeybaked Ham as a teen.
If you’ve never tried the stuffing at Honeybaked Ham you’re missing out. It’s easy to make, but it packs a flavorful punch. And it’s best in a leftover holiday ham sandwich with cranberry chutney. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
But when you can’t get your hands on premade stuffing mix, this recipe for homemade stuffing is a winner. Savory celery and onions pack a huge flavor punch along with herbs like oregano, thyme, sage, and rosemary, which goes perfectly with a holiday meal or in a zucchini stuffing casserole!
Ingredients
- Bread
- Any kind of bread works great. Use what you like or have on hand.
- Mirepoix
- celery
- yellow onion
- Spices
- Any poultry spice you like or:
- sage
- thyme
- rosemary
- oregano or marjoram
- Salt and pepper
- Any poultry spice you like or:
- Butter
- Vegetable broth
- Egg
- Add-ins
- Dried cranberries, raisins, sausage, or shredded carrot
- Parsley or other fresh herbs
Method
1. Preheat your oven to 350˚F. If using fresh bread, dice into 1/2 pieces and bake or toast on low heat for about 5 minutes, or until sufficiently dried out.
2. Mince your onions and celery, and add into a pan on medium heat with a dash of olive oil. Add in your spices and butter. Then saute, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant.
3. Mix together your vegetable broth and egg until well incorporated while you wait for your veggies to saute.
3. Once softened, let cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring into a large bowl with your bread pieces.
4. Slowly add in your eggy broth to soak the bread pieces. Toss gently until they are moist. Then transfer to a greased baking dish.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the stuffing is heated thoroughly and golden brown on top.
Substitutions and Additions
Feel free to use leftover cornbread or whatever bread you prefer. I used white bread and whole wheat nut and seed bread because it’s what I had on hand. The beauty of stuffing is that it uses stale bread to create a savory almost-bread pudding. So experiment and have fun with it!
Add in dried cranberries, sausage, raisins, nuts, shredded carrot or whatever your heart desires. I’m a fan of the dried cranberries personally. Fresh herbs like parsley are also a great addition.
A note on using eggs: If you don’t like using eggs or plan to use this for a recipe that doesn’t require a long cooking time, like zucchini stuffing casserole, feel free to skip it. (Or use it after it’s been fully cooked through)
Storage
Store your homemade stuffing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freezes for up to 3 months.
Homemade Stuffing from Scratch
Ingredients
- 4 slices white bread
- 4 slices whole wheat bread sub: sourdough or french bread
- 1/4 tsp olive oil
- 1 cup onion minced
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp poultry spice sub: oregano, thyme, sage, and rosemary
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg*
- 2 cup vegetable broth
- parsley optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350˚F.
- Bake your slices of bread on low heat in the oven/toaster oven to draw out the moisture. If you already have stale bread, skip this step.
- Melt butter in a small pan with a little olive oil. This helps prevent burning.
- Add in the onions, celery and poultry spice. Saute on medium low heat for 10 minutes or until soft. Then add salt and pepper to taste.
- While waiting for the onions and celery to cool, prepare your vegetable broth or bouillon. Mix together your broth and egg so it's ready to add to the bread mixture.
- Put your stale bread into a large mixing bowl. Top it with the buttery onions and celery and mix together.
- Pour your broth mixture in a little at a time until moist. Toss gently with a large spoon until the bread has soaked up the broth.
- Transfer into a large, greased baking dish, and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Notes
- Leave out the egg*.
- Don’t bake the stuffing in the oven. Instead, add it to your casserole dish or ramekins.
