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You are here: Home / Recipes / Holiday / Thanksgiving Recipes

Perfect Homemade Stuffing

By Susie Weinrich ยท Date Nov 12, 2020ยท 103 Comments ยท May contain affiliate links.

stuffing in a baking dish with pinterest text overlay
stuffing recipe image with pinterest text
A large pan of stuffing with text overlay for Pinterest.
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Homemade Stuffing is a staple side dish for every Thanksgiving table! This is a traditional recipe made with dried bread cubes mixed with onions and celery sauteed in plenty of butter then mixed with herbs and broth (and more butter) and baked until golden and delicious!

a baking dish with homemade stuffing on a Thanksgiving table

If you prefer your stuffing with a little sausage, pop over to this recipe for Sausage Stuffing.

Set the perfect holiday table with Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Corn Casserole, Green Bean Casserole, Turkey, and this Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe!

Table of Contents hide
1 Stuffing or Dressing?
2 Bread
3 Five Star Review
4 How To Make Stale Bread Cubes
5 Stale Bread Cubes
6 How to Make Homemade Stuffing
7 Doubling The Recipe
8 Recipe Card Shortcut
9 More Holiday Recipes To Love
10 Did you make this recipe?
11 Homemade Stuffing Recipe + Video

Stuffing or Dressing?

The old argument โ€“ is it stuffing or dressing?

Traditionally you call this dish stuffing only if it is stuffed and cooked inside of the turkey. It is dressing if it is served on the side of the turkey.

Even though this recipe is not cooked INSIDE of the bird I am still calling it stuffing. That has more to do with people being able to find it on the internet than tradition.

Bread

Bread is the main ingredient in traditional stuffing (dressing). So you want to make sure that you buy a nice hearty bread that will stand up to the butter, eggs and broth that are added.

Look for a thicker cut, quality bread. I have used these brands and they work perfectly:

  • Sara Lee Artesano Bakery Bread
  • Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Hearty White, Butter or Potato Bread
sara lee artesano bread
Sara Lee Artesano Bread

You will also want to make sure that your bread is stale. This is key to allowing the bread to absorb the butter, broth and eggs, which makes your stuffing so buttery and golden!

Five Star Review

โญโญโญโญโญ

โ€œWonderful recipe! Iโ€™ve made it once with the Artesano bread (came out amazing!) and once with Udiโ€™s gluten free hot dog buns โ€“ also came out amazing. I have been using recipes from your website for a few years now, and have yet to find a recipe that isnโ€™t excellent. Thank you for the work you do โ€“ youโ€™ve added variety and yum to my monthly meal rotations as well as to our holidays.โ€

-Vic

How To Make Stale Bread Cubes

You have 2 options to make your bread nice and stale for this stuffing recipe:

Stale Bread Cubes

  1. Overnightโ€“ Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes and let it sit on a sheet pan, on the counter overnight.
  2. Quick Methodโ€“ Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes and spread on a large sheet pan. Dry in a 250 degree oven for 30 minutes, tossing every 5-10 minutes so it doesnโ€™t brown. (You will have time for this while the onions and celery soften!)

Making stale bread cubes allows the bread to absorb all the flavor (butter, broth, seasonings) and not disintegrate! Donโ€™t skip this step.

dried bread cubes in a dish

How to Make Homemade Stuffing

You can also watch Susie make this Stuffing Recipe and Sausage Stuffing Recipe on a 30 minute episode of Pinterest TV!

Make sure that you are starting with stale bread cubes -see the section above for help with that! These steps will give you a general over view of how to make homemade stuffing. For more detailed instructions and ingredient amounts, jump down to the recipe card.

a baking sheet full of stale bread cubes

Step 1

Dry your bread cubes using one of the two methods above.

A 9x9 baking dish buttered

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF and generously butter a 9ร—9 baking pan, if doubling use a 9ร—13 or 10ร—15 baking pan.

softening onions and celery in butter, in a large skillet.

Step 3

In a large skillet over medium heat melt the ยพ cup butter. Add the onions and celery and sautรฉ until they are completely softened, this will take about 20-30 minutes.

celery, onions, sage, parsley and seasonings in a skillet

Step 4

Off the heat stir in the salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, marjoram, fresh chopped sage, and fresh chopped parsley.

two eggs and chicken broth being whisked together

Step 5

Whisk together the 2 eggs and cup of chicken broth.

How to make homemade stuffing with bread-4

Step 6

In a large bowl stir together the onion/herb mixture and stale bread cubes. Now pour in the egg/broth mixture and stir until the bread absorbs the liquid.

holiday stuffing in a butter dish, a hand placing butter cubes over top

Step 7

Pour into the buttered pan. Cube 2 tablespoon of butter and dot the top of the stuffing.

a pan of baked holiday stuffing on the counter

Step 7

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes. If you like a really crispy top you can broil for the last minute or two!

Doubling The Recipe

If you are hosting a larger crowd you can absolutely double this stuffing recipe. Simply double all the ingredients, bake in a 9ร—13 or 10ร—15 dish, and the baking time will be the same.

Recipe Card Shortcut

Use the +/- buttons and change for the amount of people you are serving. It will change all the ingredient amounts for you!!

More Holiday Recipes To Love

Build a beautiful holiday meal around your delicious Homemade Stuffing by adding some of the recipes below:

  • Thanksgiving Pumpkin Trifle Dessert topped with toffee bits
    Thanksgiving Pumpkin Trifle Dessert
  • A plate of turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing with cranberry sauce poured over the turkey
    Canned Cranberry Sauce Recipe
  • mashed potatoes in a bowl
    Creamy & Flavorful Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
  • no dripping gravy in a glass gravy boat
    Super Flavorful Gravy Without Drippings
  • green bean casserole in a white dish
    Classic Green Bean Casserole
  • a table with white place settings and green garland
    Easy Meals for House Guests

Susie leaning on the kitchen counter

๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’›

Did you make this recipe?

I would love to hear your review, especially if you have tips and tricks to add! Pop down to the comment section and connect with me

Rate This Recipeโ†’
homemade stuffing in a baking dish

Homemade Stuffing Recipe + Video

A traditional recipe for Homemade Stuffing made with dried bread cubes mixed with onions and celery sauteed in plenty of butter then mixed with herbs and broth (and more butter) and baked until golden and delicious!
It is the perfect stuffing recipe for your Thanksgiving table! Can easily be doubled for a crowd.
4.88 from 50 votes
Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
Stale Bread Cubes: 1 day day
Total Time: 1 day day 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 people
Author: Susie Weinrich

Equipment

  • 9ร—9 baking dish (use a 9ร—13 if doubling the recipe)

Ingredients

  • 12 cups Stale White Bread โ€“ cut into 1 inch cubes - (approx 1 lb 4 oz loaf of bread โ€“ see notes below for details)
  • ยพ cup plus 2 tablespoon butter - divided
  • 1 large yellow or white onion - chopped
  • 2 cup celery, chopped - stalks and leaves!
  • 1 ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • ยฝ teaspoon marjoram
  • 3 tablespoon (heaping) fresh sage - , chopped
  • โ…“ cup fresh parsley - , chopped โ€“ Curly or Italian will work
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup chicken broth or stock

Instructions
 

Stale Bread Cubes

  • Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes.
    12 cups Stale White Bread โ€“ cut into 1 inch cubes
    a baking sheet full of stale bread cubes
  • Make the bread stale by one of the two options:
    A. Overnight โ€“ Lay the bread cubes on a sheet pan on the counter overnight to dry out.
    B. Quick Method โ€“ Preheat the oven to 250ยฐ, lay the bread cubes on a sheet pan and pop in the oven for 30 minutes, tossing every 5-10 minutes.

Stuffing

  • Preheat the oven to 350ยฐ and prep a 9ร—9 baking dish by generously greasing with butter or oil. (if you are doubling the recipe use a 9ร—13 or 10ร—15 baking dish)
    A 9x9 baking dish buttered
  • In a large sautรฉ pan over medium heat melt ยพ cup butter. Add the onions and celery and sautรฉ until they are completely softened, this will take about 20-30 minutes.
    1 large yellow or white onion, 2 cup celery, chopped
    celery and onions being softened in butter, in a large skillet
  • Off the heat add the salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, marjoram, fresh sage and parsley to the onions.
    1 ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, ยฝ teaspoon marjoram, 3 tablespoon (heaping) fresh sage, โ…“ cup fresh parsley
    celery, onions, sage, parsley and seasonings in a skillet
  • In a small bowl whisk together the eggs and broth.
    2 eggs, 1 cup chicken broth or stock
  • Add the bread cubes to a large bowl, pour the onions/herb mixture over the bread and stir to combine.
    Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes and stir until the liquid is absorbed.
    Stirring homemade stuffing together in a large bowl
  • Pour the stuffing mixture into the buttered baking dish. Cube the remaining 2 tablespoon of butter and dot the top of the stuffing.
    holiday stuffing in a butter dish, a hand placing butter cubes over top
  • Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
    For an extra crispy top turn the broiler on for a minute or two!
    homemade stuffing in a baking dish
  • Serve right away!

Recipe Tips and Notes:

Bread: You want a nice thick and hearty bread. Some brands that have worked for me in the past are Sara Lee Artesano Bakery Bread, Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse White, Butter or Potato Bread.ย 
Doubling the recipe: Simply double the all the ingredients, you can also use the +/- button on the serving size above and change the serving amount. It will change the ingredient amounts for you. However you will want to bake the stuffing in a 9ร—13 or 10ร—15 baking dish. You will bake for the same amount of time.ย 

To make a meat stuffing, pop over to this recipe for Sausage Stuffing!
You can also watch Susie make this stuffing recipe and sausage stuffing recipe on a 30 minutes episode of Pinterest TV!ย ย 
Did you make this recipe?Connect with me and let me know by commenting below!
Jump to Comments

About Susie Weinrich

Susie Weinrich is the recipe developer, food photographer, and content creator behind Mom's Dinner. She has over 20 years experience in the food industry. Currently, Susie shares all her recipes and food knowledge on Mom's Dinner. You will find her recipes are easy to follow and full of tips and tricks to make sure the recipe you are making turns out perfect!

Comments

    4.88 from 50 votes (26 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Kim says

    December 15, 2024 at 8:37 pm

    5 stars
    This was CRAZY amazing! We just had family Christmas with a Thanksgiving dinner and oof! Compliments to you and your recipe! Thank you for sharing it and spreading cheer in the kitchen! House smelled scrumptious! There was not much left at all! & I’m not scared to make stuffing anymore! TY! p.s. & thank you for your video! That really helped. And I’m very grateful you put the ingredient/measurements within each step! That is extremely helpful when you are trying to stay on time and toggle back and forth between other recipes!

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      December 16, 2024 at 7:12 am

      What a wonderful review, Kim!! Thank you so much! I’m so glad the video helped AND the ingredients in the instructions is one of my
      favorite features on Mom’s Dinner too๐Ÿงก I hope you will stick around for more recipes if you are new here.

      Reply
      • Kristin says

        December 17, 2024 at 4:57 pm

        5 stars
        Made this for the first time this Thanksgiving. It was a bit of work but SOOOOO worth it. This will be my go-to recipe for each holiday season (the only time I make it from scratch).

      • Susie Weinrich says

        December 18, 2024 at 7:08 am

        Excellent!! We call that a “labor of love” especially at the holidays.

      • Connie says

        December 21, 2024 at 2:48 pm

        If I want to make this the day of the meal but have no oven space, can it bake in a crockpot?

      • Susie Weinrich says

        December 21, 2024 at 6:48 pm

        I have not tried that, but it should work. You just won’t have the crispy bits on the top.

      • Gloria says

        December 26, 2024 at 10:53 am

        1 star
        Quite disapointed, at least the bacon I added gave it a bit of flavor. Not recommending it at all.

      • Susie Weinrich says

        December 26, 2024 at 11:15 am

        This is a very surprising review. Between the butter, chicken stock, onions, celery, seasonings, and all the fresh herbs I think it has quite a bit of flavor. If you are looking for that meaty flavor you would probably prefer this Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing Recipe, I hope you will check it out.

  2. Elissa says

    December 03, 2024 at 9:23 am

    I made this in triple for Thanksgiving dinner and it got RAVE reviews!!! The flavors were amazing and it smelled like the Holidays!

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      December 03, 2024 at 10:12 am

      Wonderful! Hope you had some leftovers too.

      Reply
  3. Star says

    December 01, 2024 at 4:05 pm

    5 stars
    Loved this recipe. It was easy to make and comes together pretty quick. Family loved it. It is moist and very well seasoned. I will definitely continue to use this recipe.

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      December 01, 2024 at 5:08 pm

      That is great! Thank you so much for coming back to review the recipe!!

      Reply
  4. Patty says

    December 01, 2024 at 1:42 pm

    5 stars
    Having struggled for years trying to replicate my mother’s stuffing recipe, I tried the Mom’s Dinner — almost identical in taste to my mom’s with all of the timing and tips I needed.
    I doubled the recipe, with half going inside the bird for cooking and the rest in the oven.
    I’m so grateful to have found this site and — for the first time in decades — to have found exactly the recipe I needed. So straightforward, so user-friendly, so delicious!
    (Now, time to find the amazing-gravy recipe comment spot!)

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      December 01, 2024 at 3:27 pm

      I love this so much! Whenever you can make a recipe that reminds you of parents or grandparents, it is GOLD! I hope you will stick around for more recipes through the year. Happy Holidays and thank you so much for taking the time to write such detailed and kind reviews. It means the world to me.

      Reply
  5. Annette says

    November 30, 2024 at 4:31 pm

    5 stars
    This is a keeper! I ditched the boxed version this year and was determined to make it from scratch. I’m never going back! This was the classic version I craved from growing up. I used the bread you recommended (which I always use for French toast, too). I didn’t have marjoram, but had everything else listed. The fresh sage was heavenly!

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      December 01, 2024 at 8:57 am

      That is so great! I love having foods that remind you of your parents or grandparents cooking. Nothing better!

      Reply
  6. Staci says

    November 29, 2024 at 7:57 pm

    5 stars
    I never leave comments on anything but this recipe deserves a comment! It was SO good. Multiple people at Thanksgiving told me it was the best theyโ€™ve ever had. Be warned thatโ€™s it so delicious you will be dubbed โ€œthe stuffing personโ€ and it will be your responsibility from here on out to bring the stuffing to Thanksgiving dinner.

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      November 30, 2024 at 9:49 am

      Thank you so much for leaving a comment and rating. It means the world to me!!
      You have definitely been bestowed “The Stuffing Person” title!! Don’t make my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or you will also be “The Mashed Potato Person”. LOL

      Reply
  7. Megan Miller says

    November 29, 2024 at 1:43 pm

    I used this recipe for my time making stuffing from scratch. It was a hit! So good! My only question is, can this be prepared the night before and put in the oven the next day?

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      November 30, 2024 at 9:51 am

      Yes, it can be made the day or night before and baked the day of!

      Reply
  8. Faith says

    November 29, 2024 at 11:33 am

    5 stars
    This stuffing is perfect! I made this yesterday for Thanksgiving. This will be the recipe I use going forward for every holiday dinner. Thank you!!๐Ÿฉท

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      November 29, 2024 at 11:44 am

      Wonderful!! Thank you so much for leaving a comment๐Ÿงก Happy Holidays

      Reply
  9. Shari says

    November 28, 2024 at 3:54 pm

    I had great hopes for this recipe. Should never make a new recipe on Thanksgiving!! I felt like the amount of stale bread was way too much for the amount of liquid. I also needed to use a much bigger pan. The floor was good, but was very dry. Even using 3-times the liquid.

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      November 28, 2024 at 6:07 pm

      Hmmm, that is strange. Did you use 1 loaf of bread or multiple?

      Reply
  10. Tia says

    November 28, 2024 at 6:30 am

    Thanks so much for the response! One last thing. I have a casserole dish two of them one is small then medium size that is smaller then 9×13 for doubling then my bigger pan is a lasagna size dish. What should I use? I donโ€™t want to mess this up.

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      November 28, 2024 at 10:15 am

      The 9×13 (lasagna size) pan will work great.

      Reply
  11. Nicole says

    November 27, 2024 at 10:14 pm

    I made the stuffing and put it in the fridge and then I was going to stuff the turkey with it tomorrow. Can I bake it that way instead of baking it in a dish?

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      November 28, 2024 at 10:17 am

      I have not put stuffing in a bird before, so unfortunately I don’t know for sure. But I would think it should work just fine.

      Reply
      • Nicole says

        November 28, 2024 at 10:54 am

        Thank you! Iโ€™ll let you know how it turns out!

  12. Denise pins says

    November 27, 2024 at 6:26 pm

    Can you use jarred parsley and sage because thatโ€™s what I have on hand but really want to try this recipe

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      November 27, 2024 at 6:50 pm

      Sure! Just lessen the amount of dried sage to 1 tsp, and the amount of parsley to 1.5 tsp.

      Reply
  13. Jessica Sanchez says

    November 27, 2024 at 5:39 pm

    Can I make this overnight? And then bake in the morning?

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      November 27, 2024 at 6:48 pm

      Yes, mine is in the fridge right now!

      Reply
  14. Jamie says

    November 27, 2024 at 12:48 pm

    Can I use rubbed sage? Looks like a great recipe I canโ€™t wait to try!!

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      November 27, 2024 at 3:36 pm

      Definitely! If you are using it in place of the fresh sage, lower the amount to 1 tsp up to 2 tsp.

      Reply
      • Tia says

        November 27, 2024 at 7:52 pm

        Hello. How much fresh parsley if I doubled the recipe?

      • Susie Weinrich says

        November 27, 2024 at 8:49 pm

        I would just add 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley when doubling… up to 2/3 cup if you like more parsley.

  15. Susan Ilene Creagh says

    November 27, 2024 at 10:23 am

    I followed the instructions It was perfect thank you

    Reply
    • Susie Weinrich says

      November 27, 2024 at 11:03 am

      Wonderful!! Happy Holidays

      Reply
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