Classic Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing

Classic Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing – Nothing frilly or trendy. Classic, amazing, easy, homemade stuffing that everyone loves! This is sure to be a hit at Thanksgiving! This stuffing is one of the best parts about our Thanksgiving meal. We even make it throughout the year just for fun. It is great at Christmas time as well with a delicious citrus cider ham in the crock pot… ohhh my. Ok my mind is thinking food, food, food!

This is our go to recipe. Fresh Thyme, Parsley, Rosemary and Sage make this stuffing as flavorful as can be. It is quite a simple recipe yet checks all the boxes. It is so moist. Technically this is dressing because it’s not stuffed inside the bird, but in my family we still call it stuffing rather than dressing. Our age old mis-naming tradition.

Preheat oven to 250F. Place cubed bread on a baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until dried out, about 45 minutes. You must begin with very dry bread or it’ll turn to mush. Tip – To save time on the day of, bake and dry out the bread the night before and leave uncovered on the counter uncovered until the morning you’re ready to make the stuffing. To a large skillet, add 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter and heat over medium-high heat to melt. Add the onions, celery, and cook until vegetables have softened and are just beginning to lightly brown, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Transfer vegetables to bowl with bread.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
1 pound day-old white French bread, diced into 1/2-inch cubes and dried
1 extra-large (about 2 1/2 cups) sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small
1 1/2 cups celery, diced small
2/3 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely minced
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, finely minced
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary (sticks discarded), finely minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme (sticks discarded), finely minced
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 large eggs

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 250F. Place cubed bread on a baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until dried out, about 45 minutes. You must begin with very dry bread or it’ll turn to mush. Tip – To save time on the day of, bake and dry out the bread the night before and leave uncovered on the counter uncovered until the morning you’re ready to make the stuffing.
When you’re ready to make the stuffing, transfer bread to a very large bowl; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 9×13-inch pan or 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
To a large skillet, add 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter and heat over medium-high heat to melt.
Add the onions, celery, and cook until vegetables have softened and are just beginning to lightly brown, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Transfer vegetables to bowl with bread.
Add the parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, 1 1/4 cups chicken broth, and toss well to combine; set aside. Note about salt – the saltiness level of low-sodium chicken broth varies, and so do personal preferences, so salt to taste.
To a small bowl, add the remaining 1 1/4 cups chicken broth, 2 eggs, and whisk to combine. Pour mixture over bread and toss well to combine. Turn mixture out into prepared baking dish.
Dice the remaining 1/4 cup (half of 1 stick) butter into 8 to 10 pieces and evenly dot the butter over the top of the stuffing. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 40 to 45 minutes, or until top is as lightly golden browned as desired. Serve immediately. Stuffing is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently as desired.