With bread cubes, onion, carrots, celery, herbs and sausage, this old fashioned bread stuffing recipe is a simple but classic side dish for the holidays.
When it comes to the the holidays, let's be honest, it is all about the sides - from brown butter mashed potatoes to sweet corn pudding to truffle mashed potatoes to savory sweet potato casserole to roasted potatoes and broccoli.
And for me, my favorite by far is stuffing. No it isn't really stuffed inside the turkey. I think we've all learned that isn't really the best thing to do. By its definition, it is a dressing as it is cooked in a separate casserole dish and is used to dress up the turkey.
But being from the south, we call it stuffing even if it isn't stuffed in the turkey. And this old fashioned bread stuffing is a classic. There isn't any fancy ingredients here.
And that's quite alright. The bread crumbs get slightly soaked by the stock but still are crisp on top when baked. And sausage makes everything better. Let's be honest. I will say I vary slightly from old school recipes and use fresh herbs as opposed to dry herbs
But fresh is always best in my mind. Either way, there is nothing wrong with using a classic dish for the holidays.
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Ingredient Notes
- Sausage - I'm a fan of breakfast pork sausage as I feel like it works well with the other flavors.
- Mirepoix - the famous combination of onion, celery and carrots which is a base for many recipes including this bread stuffing.
- Herbs - I like to use fresh herbs. Both sage and thyme work great with the flavor of turkey if you are serving this dish with it.
- Bread cubes - I'm a fan of using a combination of seasoned and plain bread cubes so it isn't overloaded with salt.
- Chicken stock - what is used to soak up the bread cubes and allow the stuffing to stick together without being too soggy.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe, you can mix up some of the ingredients. Some variations include:
- While I love breakfast sausage, you can use Italian or spicy sausage if you prefer. Or just omit if you want a vegetarian stuffing.
- I'm a fan of fresh herbs but dried herbs are a good substitute. Just use ⅓ of the amount as they are more potent.
- While I like the ease of the bag of bread cubes, you can also use other bread like cornbread, Challah or Brioche.
Step-by-Step Photos
Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned. Add the butter and mirepoix, cooking for another 10 minutes.
With 30 seconds left, stir in the garlic and herbs. Add the bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour in the sausage mixture and chicken stock. Toss until all of the bread cubes are slightly moist.
Spread the stuffing into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes or until the top is browned.
FAQs
I mentioned before but stuffing is meant to be stuffed inside another food such as turkey, where dressing is cooked in another pan and used to "dress" the protein
However, most people, including myself refer to it as stuffing no matter what.
I'm a fan of the dried cubes in the bag as it soaks up some of the liquid but also keeps some texture.
However you can use any bread you like - from cornbread to Brioche to Challah. Just make sure it is a few days old.
The key to a quality stuffing is you want to add just enough liquid so the bread absorbs it but isn't soggy or sitting in a pool of liquid.
After making this multiple times, I've found 4 cups of stock works best but you can use slightly more or less.
Yes. Just omit the sausage or use tofu and replace the butter with vegetable oil. Then replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
I've found that if you prepare too far ahead, the bread cubes will continue to soak up all of the liquid and become too soggy. You want some texture.
You can prepare 1-2 hours before baking but I wouldn't make the night before.
The easiest way to reheat this bread stuffing is to just place in a dish back in the oven at 350°F for 30 minutes or until warmed through.
You can also add to a pan with a little bit of butter over medium heat.
Stuffing will last 3-4 days in the fridge if covered properly and up to 3 months in the freezer.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- You can replace fresh herbs with dried herbs. Just reduce by ⅓ as it is more potent.
- If using fresh bread, make sure you leave out for a day or two so it becomes stale.
- If you want a little extra fluffiness and binder, add an egg into the mixture.
- You can cut the recipe in half and place in an 8x8 baking pan if needed.
Other Side Dish Recipes
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Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 lb breakfast sausage
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 sweet onion, finely diced
- 4 stalks celery, finely diced
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 (12 oz bag) seasoned bread cubes
- 1 (12 oz bag) plain bread cubes
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and break up, cooking for 7-10 minutes or until browned. Add butter, onions, celery and carrots and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the celery and carrots start to soften. With 30 seconds left, stir in the garlic, sage and thyme.
- Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour the sausage mixture over top with 4 cups of chicken stock. Toss until all of the bread cubes are slightly moist.
- Spread the stuffing into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is browned.
Notes
- You can replace fresh herbs with dried herbs. Just reduce by ⅓ as it is more potent.
- If using fresh bread, make sure you leave out for a day or two so it becomes stale.
- If you want a little extra fluffiness and binder, add an egg into the mixture.
- You can cut the recipe in half and place in an 8x8 baking pan if needed.
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