This Turkey Stuffing Recipe is perfect for any meal! Dry bread pieces are combined with celery, onions, and butter, then covered with broth and baked till hot and golden.
This recipe is my grandma’s recipe and it has been passed down through the generations. My mom always makes it this way, and now this is the only way I like my stuffing. Don’t get me wrong, I love mashed potatoes and gravy, but I always save room on my plate for a good helping of stuffing. I could have stuffing as a side at every meal.
Turkey talk: to stuff or not to stuff
For many years, we always stuffed our turkeys, hence the word “stuffing,” but then you start hearing words like “food-borne illnesses” from stuffing being cooked inside a turkey. Many people are now choosing to just cook it as a casserole or in a loaf pan. Personally, I still do both and just make sure my stuffing reaches an internal temperature of 165° F.
In my opinion, there are three reasons to cook it outside of the turkey.
- It is much easier to get an even cook on your turkey without the stuffing inside.
- I find it so much easier because you don’t have to spoon out all the stuffing from the inside cavity and the neck cavity.
- You can make as much stuffing as you want because you are not limited to the amount of space inside your turkey. In my opinion, this is the most important reason for cooking it in a casserole.
If you are wanting to stuff the inside of your turkey, this recipe will make enough for inside your turkey, a small loaf pan, or a small casserole.
Making a good stuffing
Stuffing is an important part of a holiday meal. It can be served along with mashed potatoes or garlic green beans. Desserts such as apple pie or pumpkin pie, of course, cannot be overlooked.
Some recipes I have come across have cranberries, walnuts, grated carrots, and raisins. All of these are great additions. This is a classic stuffing recipe.
If you have never used poultry seasoning, this spice is great for using with chicken or turkey. I do find around the holidays that it does sell out pretty quickly, so sometimes when I do find I will grab a few packages so that I know I won’t run out during a holiday
If you have never heard of poultry seasoning before, it is a blend of thyme, sage, and rosemary. It adds a great flavor to soups, stews, and turkey dinners. You can, of course, make your own blend as well.
The trick to a good stuffing
To get a really good stuffing, you’ll want to start off with the bread. If you’re buying the bread, take it out a couple of days before and cut it or tear it into cubes or pieces and spread them onto a cookie sheet or place them in a bowl to dry out. I find any combination of bread will work. I like a mixture of white and brown bread.
Sometimes, if I have the time, I will make a loaf of stuffing bread, which is bread with poultry seasoning in it. I let it sit out for a few days just like mentioned above. If you are short on time, you can put it into the oven at a low temperature of 225°F. I like to cook it at a low temperature so that it doesn’t burn. It usually only takes about 20 minutes, and you have nicely tried bread crumbs.
Turkey stuffing
Ingredients
- 2 small onions diced
- 4 ribs celery diced
- ⅔ cup butter
- 2 tsp poultry seasoning or 1/2 tsp ground sage
- salt and pepper
- 12 cups bread cubes
- 3-4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and poultry seasoning. Cook for 10–12 minutes on medium-low heat until tender (do not brown).
- Place bread cubes in a large bowl. Add onion mixture, parsley and fresh herbs.
- pour broth overtop until cubes are moist (but not soggy) and gently toss. I like to add a little bit of broth at a time because its easier add more. You may not need all of the broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place mixture in a serving dish, dot with additional butter and cover.
- Bake 35 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram or Facebook #tiannaskitchen.
