(How to Make) Easy Classic Traditional Stuffing Recipe (2024)

Published: Nov 14, 2023 by Morgan Peaceman · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

Your Thanksgiving table always has the classic sides on hand: sweet potatoes, classic mashed potatoes, some sort of protein like turkey or chicken, and of course a classic, traditional stuffing. There are a whole lot of different recipes out there for the best stuffing, but I can promise you, this one is THE recipe to make during the Thanksgiving season. I am going to show (and tell) you just how to make this easy, classic and traditional stuffing recipe. It's a keeper for sure!

Making a stuffing doesn't technically have to be just for Thanksgiving or the holiday season. If this is something you love to eat, then you can absolutely make this all year round.

Some of my favorite thanksgiving sides help round out this stuffing like my sweet potato casserole, garlic red bliss mashed potatoes, and my infamous baked macaroni and cheese.

What are the ingredients for making this stuffing recipe?

The best part about learning how to make your own stuffing recipe is realizing that there's not much to it, especially when it's super pantry-friendly.

• Cubed Bread - You can certainly dry out your own bread, but in my opinion, if you can find the cubed bread already, go for it! If I can some time by simply finding something already made, as Ina Garten says, "store-bought is fine!" I found using a herbed cubed bread gives the stuffing great flavor!
• Vegetable Stock - Don't be like me and forget to add the EXTRA CUP of chicken stock, leaving it dry the first, maybe second time, I made this. Add all of the liquid. Trust me, it makes a difference.
• Eggs - the whisked eggs help to bind the bread mixture to create that jiggly, soft texture we seek when we eat stuffing.
• Mirepoix - A mirepoix is a mix of essential vegetables that cook down and add a lot of flavor to a dish. It's the beginning step for a lot of recipes and making sauces from scratch. For this mirepoix, we use onion, carrot, and celery.
• Butter - The butter is used to sauté the mirepoix until it becomes fragrant and the onion becomes semi translucent.

How do I make this stuffing?

Step 1: Sautè the minced onion, carrot, and celery in butter until fragrant and soft, approximately 5 minutes, then set aside.

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 350º. Add cubed bread to an oven-safe baking dish.

Step 3: To the bread cubes, add then whisked egg, and spoon the mirepoix over the top then toss to combine and distribute the sautéed vegetables.

Step 3: Pour the vegetable stock into the baking dish, coating all of the bread to make sure the bread gets wet with liquid. Cover with aluminum foil, then bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, then bake for an additional 15 minutes.

See Also

Granny’s Award Winning Homemade Chili RecipeOld-Fashioned Bread Stuffing with Sausage Recipe77 Best Soup Recipes for Fall and WinterBenefits of Homemade Bone Broth (Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Recipes)

HINT: Be sure to coat ALL of the cubed bread when adding the liquid as to ensure none of it dries out as it bakes. In my testing, I determined that 3 cups of liquid is plenty to get that jiggly, soggy, texture a classic stuffing is known for!

Recipe Swaps and Substitutions

If you are going to swap or substitute any ingredients from this recipe, whether it's swapping for dietary or allergy needs, or what you have on hand, here's what I would recommend:

• Stock - If you already have beef or chicken stock in the pantry, you can definitely use this in replacement of the vegetable stock. Same measurements apply.
• Bread - You can opt to dry out your own bread the night or two before, or swap for a gluten-free version.
• Butter - You can still sauté the mirepoix in olive oil if you'd prefer to not use butter for dairy reasons.
• Vegan - Omitting the butter, using vegetable stock, and ensuring that the cubed bread is vegan as well is the best way to make this a vegan-friendly option at your dinner table.

Can I make my own bread cubes?

You absolutely can make your own bread cubes, and it can be done in a few ways:

• Slice up a fresh Italian loaf of bread and dice into smaller cubes. Lay flat on a baking sheet overnight. Et voilà, cubed bread for stuffing.
• Slice up a loaf of bread, then dice into smaller cubes. Lay the bread flat on a baking sheet. With the oven on a low temp, approximately 150º, bake the cubed bread for at least 4 hours, checking to make sure the bread is becoming dry and crisp. Continue to bake until the bread hardens and entirely dries out.

Ways to serve this stuffing recipe

Of course, this stuffing is great with a roast turkey on Thanksgiving, but other ways to pair it include:

• Roast some of my juicy chicken thighs for a protein to go along with this stuffing
• Add ground sausage or ground turkey (from my ground turkey stuffed sweet potatoes) into the stuffing itself.
• Pair this with my Italian style turkey meatballs and a salad and you've got a complete meal sans turkey.
• Make a classic meatloaf with this stuffing as the side dish.

How do I store the leftovers? Can I freeze it?

You can add any leftovers of the stuffing to an air-tight container and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.

You can also add whatever leftovers you have to the freezer. Be sure to take out the night before and thaw in the fridge, adding to an oven safe baking dish to reheat the day you'd like to eat it. Set the oven 325º for 20 minutes and you're good to go!

Hungry for more?

Check out other delicious recipes to pair this stuffing with:

If you're just as in love with this recipe as I am, please share a comment below and rate it! Better yet, share this recipe with family and friends!! Thank you for being here!!