Traditional Bread Stuffing

If I had to choose my favorite sides for Thanksgiving, Traditional Bread Stuffing is definitely at the top of the list. That's what I grew up on and my mom's was always the best! This stuffing is moist and packed with onion, celery, sage, thyme and chicken (or turkey) flavor.

When it comes to stuffing I prefer a traditional style. It's super easy to make and packed with simple flavor. So when you have a ton of other food to make on Thanksgiving, this bread stuffing is perfect.

I could basically eat the whole pan of this and Southern Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole! I usually make extra just for that reason!

More delicious Thanksgiving recipes

• Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes
• Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Pie
• Glazed Shallots
• Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Bars
• Homemade Au Gratin Potatoes
• Southern Sweet Potato Pie
• Dutch Apple Pie
• Easy Thanksgiving Charcuterie Board

Jump to:

• Can I make Traditional Bread Stuffing ahead of time?
• How long will Traditional Bread Stuffing keep?
• Ingredients you'll need
• Tips for Traditional Bread Stuffing
• Equipment you'll need
• How to make Traditional Bread Stuffing
• Traditional Bread Stuffing

Can I make Traditional Bread Stuffing ahead of time?

Traditional Bread Stuffing is really best straight out of the oven. Don't get me wrong, I'll eat stuffing leftovers all week long and love them. The stuffing just tends to stay a little more moist and fluffy when it's first baked.

You can however, make it all the way up until you put it in the oven then wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil and freeze it. When you're ready to bake it, remove from freezer and cook covered for 45-60 minutes at 350°F then uncovered for 10-15 minutes.

This same method works for sourdough stuffing!

How long will Traditional Bread Stuffing keep?

This bread stuffing will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. I prefer to reheat it in the microwave, wrapped tightly in plastic to keep the moisture in. The leftover stuffing can be enjoyed by itself, on a sandwich or topped with and egg and gravy!

Ingredients you'll need

• Onion - What is stuffing without onion?
• Celery - Celery is a basic ingredient in most stuffing
• Butter - Butter gives this stuffing a classic flavor, I prefer unsalted so I can add my own salt later
• Bread - For this stuffing I love regular plain white bread
• Kosher Salt - Salt will help bring out all of the flavors
• Sage - Sage is one of those traditional poultry and Thanksgiving flavors. It's unmistakable
• Thyme - I use fresh thyme but thyme is actually one of the herbs I don't mind using dried either
• Black Pepper - I prefer course ground black pepper
• Chicken Base - If you have turkey broth, base, stock then you can use that, otherwise use chicken base. On Thanksgiving we always boil the gizzards and use the broth from that. Here is my very favorite chicken base!

Tips for Traditional Bread Stuffing

• Mix your bread stuffing together right before you intend to bake it.
• Let the bread sit out overnight, uncovered. The best way to do this is laying it out on a sheet pan so all the surface area of the bread is exposed to the air. You can do this with whole slices or cut it into chunks then lay it out.
• If you want to get ahead a bit you can sauté and mix everything together except the bread up to 3 days ahead of time. Then reheat the butter mixture and add the bread right before baking.
• Apples are a delicious addition to this traditional bread stuffing. Sauté 1 cup of apples that have been cut into half inch cubes with the veggies and mix in.
• If you want the most delicious chicken stock concentrate, THIS is what I use.
• Make sure to thoroughly coat each bread piece in the butter mix to get a moist stuffing.
• You can also use challah or brioche bread for this stuffing.
• Gluten free bread can be used to make this a gluten free bread stuffing.
• Use veggie base instead of chicken base for a vegetarian stuffing.

Equipment you'll need

• Casserole Dish - Here are a couple of my favorite baking dishes This grey dish and this white dish
• Oven - You'll need to bake the traditional bread stuffing
• Sauté Pan - The veggies will need to be sautéed with the butter and herbs
• Chef Knife - A sharp knife for cutting. Using a super sharp knife really makes a huge difference when cutting

How to make Traditional Bread Stuffing

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sauté the onion and celery over low - medium heat in the butter just until it starts to get soft. Add the salt, sage, thyme and pepper then give it a good stir and cook it a couple more minutes.

While the veggies are cooking, cut the bread and put it in a large bowl. Pour the onion and celery mix over the top of the bread then stir well until fully coated.

Pour in the chicken stock then toss until evenly coated. Add the bread stuffing mixture into a lightly sprayed baking dish.

Bake for 20 minutes covered then uncovered for 5-10 minutes to get a little crispness on the top. Remove the Traditional Bread Stuffing from the oven and serve immediately.

If you make this Traditional Bread Stuffing please leave me a rating and/or review!

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Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes? Try my Glazed Shallots, Perfectly Spiced Pumpkin Pie or Old Fashioned Candied Sweet Potatoes!