Description
Our Favorite Buttery Herb Stuffing is a classic holiday side dish featuring toasted bread cubes mixed with sautéed onions, celery, garlic, fresh herbs, and rich butter, baked until golden and flavorful. Perfect for serving 8 to 12 people, this stuffing can be made ahead and reheated or used to stuff your bird.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread
- 18 to 24 ounces bread cubes (1.5 loaves of bread, about 12 to 14 cups), preferably toasted or stale
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 3 cups diced sweet onion (roughly 2 large onions)
- 2 cups diced celery
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
Herbs and Seasonings
- Kosher salt and pepper (at least ½ to 1 teaspoon each)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- A mixture of fresh herbs for sprinkling
Other Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Prepare the bread cubes: Cut 1½ pounds of bread into cubes and either let them sit loosely tented with foil overnight to stale, or toast them in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes until crisp like croutons. You can also purchase pre-toasted bread cubes. Mix different breads like sourdough and Italian for texture if desired.
- Preheat and prepare baking dish: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a 9x13 inch baking dish (or larger if needed) with melted butter, olive oil, or nonstick spray. Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl or directly in the baking dish.
- Sauté vegetables: In a large skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add diced onion, celery, and minced garlic along with salt and pepper (½ to 1 teaspoon each). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and celery soften, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add herbs and stock: Stir in fresh sage, parsley, and rosemary and cook for another minute. Then add 1 cup of the chicken or vegetable stock. Remove from heat.
- Combine bread and vegetable mixture: Pour the sautéed vegetable and stock mixture over the bread cubes. Toss well to coat the bread evenly.
- Mix eggs and remaining stock: In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the remaining 1½ cups of stock with 2 large eggs until blended.
- Combine all ingredients and bake: Pour the egg and stock mixture over the bread cubes. Gently stir and fold to thoroughly combine. Transfer to the baking dish if not already there and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
- Make ahead and serving tips: This stuffing can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated. Remove from the fridge 60 minutes before reheating. You can also stuff it inside your bird before cooking. For smaller servings, halve the recipe and bake in an 8x8 or 9x9 inch dish for the same amount of time. To serve 12 to 18 people, double the recipe and bake in a larger roasting pan or divide between two 9x13 inch pans, increasing cook time by about 15 minutes.
Notes
- Use a mixture of stale and fresh bread for the best texture.
- Mix different bread types, such as sourdough and Italian, for a more complex texture and flavor.
- If browning too fast during baking, tent the stuffing with foil to prevent burning.
- You can make the stuffing a day ahead and reheat it, allowing time to bring it to room temperature before warming.
- This recipe works well for stuffing poultry or as a standalone side dish.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste, especially if using salted stock.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
