Yankee Herbed Bread Stuffing

This homemade stuffing recipe is buttery, herby, and oh so savory.  Whether you stuff the bird with it or bake it in a casserole dish, this stuffing tastes like what grandma used to make.  

Stuffing is one of my favorite dishes and yet, I only make it on thanksgiving.  I love the simplicity of this recipe. The sauteed onions and celery, lots of sage and poultry seasoning, and an obscene amount of butter.  Oh, it’s so decadent, rich, and delicious. My oldest brother adored eating the stuffing before it was baked and tradition called for saving a small amount of uncooked stuffing to indulge him.  Use pasteurized eggs to eliminate any worry of food poisoning,

White serving bowl of bread stuffing with herbs, onion, and celery.

I have had the stuffing, or dressing as its called in the South, with sausage, cornbread, oysters, even Cajun seasoning and crab.  They were good, but I craved the old fashioned stuffing that I grew up on.

WHAT DO I NEED FOR THIS HOMEMADE STUFFING RECIPE?

  • The bread is the star of this show.  White bread is a given, but try bumping it up a notch by using a rich and buttery brioche, a tangy sourdough, or even a crusty French loaf.
  • Fresh onions and celery.  I like tiny bits of onion, but a bigger dice of the celery.  Yellow or Spanish onions work well. It is a matter of taste on the type of onion and how large you like the dice on your vegetables.
  • As for the herbs, you could use fresh.  Double the amount of dried herb and mince the fresh herbs very small.  Saute the herbs with the onion and celery to infuse the butter with their flavor.
  • Taste the stuffing for seasoning and adjust as needed.  Too dry? Add more broth or even butter. Need more flavor?  Keep in mind the flavor will intensify and marry together when it bakes, but season with additional salt, herbs, or pepper.

WHAT EQUIPMENT WILL I NEED FOR THIS RECIPE?

White serving bowl of bread stuffing with herbs, onion, and celery.

Complete your holiday meal planning with these great, classic side dish recipes:

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YANKEE HERBED BREAD STUFFING

This homemade stuffing recipe will transport you back to grandma’s house.  Buttery and savory, full of herbs, this Yankee herbed stuffing recipe is way better than the stovetop boxed variety.

  • Author: Eats By The Beach
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6 - 8 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

10 cups lightly packed bread cubes (from 1 pound loaf of bread)

2 sticks butter

2 large onions, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

2 tablespoons dried sage

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

11 ½ cups chicken or turkey broth

3 eggs, beaten

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Tear the bread into small bits and spread out onto a baking sheet.  Toast in the oven, stirring a couple of times until the bread is beginning to crisp, become firm and just starting to brown on the edges.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter until foamy, but not browned.  Add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the bread, onion mixture, poultry seasoning, sage, salt, and pepper.  Toss gently to mix.

Add 1 cup of broth and the eggs.  Using your hands or a large spoon, mix until all the bread is moistened.   If still dry, add the additional broth and mix completely.

You can use this to stuff your turkey and then bake per your recipe’s instructions or coat a 9×1-inch baking dish with butter and spoon the stuffing into the dish.

Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.  If desired, remove the foil during the last ten minutes for crispy edges.

Serve warm.

Notes

 This dish can be prepared up to two days ahead and baked when needed.

Keywords: homemade stuffing recipe, bread stuffing, Yankee bread stuffing, herbed stuffing, Thanksgiving recipes, Holiday recipes