This is seriously THE BEST stuffing recipe ever! (2024)

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This really is The Best Stuffing Recipe Ever. It's full of sweet cranberries and apricots, crunchy walnuts, mushrooms, onion, and celery. The veggies keep this stuffing perfectly moist without ever becoming soggy. It's our family's go-to Christmas and Thanksgiving stuffing recipe!

This is seriously THE BEST stuffing recipe ever! (1)

This is the Thanksgiving stuffing recipe we have been making for years.I know that claiming that it is the best stuffing recipe ever is quite a gigantic claim, but it's 100% true. Seriously, it's the best.

When I first shared this recipe with you back in 2012, it was my handsome man who made it for me. Since then, it's become our go-to stuffing recipe. I have a feeling that once you try it, you'll make it for all your turkey dinners.

Why this is the best stuffing recipe:

  • The bread is always perfectly moist. It's never dry. It's never soggy. All this perfectness is thanks to our friend, mushrooms. They release theirmoisture as the stuffing cooks which means that you don't need to pour tons of stock over the stuffing risking making it soggy.
  • Apricots and cranberries. They take first place in the reasons I love this stuffing recipe list. They add just the right bit of sweetness and go so well with a big turkey dinner.
  • Walnuts! And pine nuts! They soften when cooked and give a great bite to the stuffing.
  • It's so ridiculously easy to make. Toss everything together in your biggest bowl then pack it into your casserole dish.
  • It's totally make-ahead-able. I know that oven space is at a premium at holiday feasts so the less time something has to spend in the oven, the better. This stuffing can be partially pre-cooked then finished with the bird comes out of the oven. #win
This is seriously THE BEST stuffing recipe ever! (2)

See that bowl filled to the brim with all the ingredients for this bread stuffing? Please don't copy that picture. Be smart and choose a MUCH larger bowl.

You'll want room to mix everythingtogether without spilling half the ingredients. Trust me on this one!

In many ways, this is very similar to an old fashionedbread stuffing recipe. There are lots of onions and celery, poultry seasoning and pepper. And (obviously) bread. Kind of hard to make bread stuffing without that one important ingredient!

This is seriously THE BEST stuffing recipe ever! (3)

What takes this from traditional to the best stuffing recipe are the nuts and fruit. Two simple additions that rock the stuffing.

Once you try them in this stuffing recipe you'll seriously wonder how you ever ate stuffing any other way.

If you're making stuffing to go with your Christmas dinner this year, I beg you to make this one. It really is the best stuffing recipe ever.

Also, does anyone not make stuffing to go with their Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey? That thought has me a little worried.

This is seriously THE BEST stuffing recipe ever! (4)

Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes:

  • Ginger Orange Cranberry Sauce
  • Maple Bourbon Glazed Carrots with Pistachios
  • Whole Roasted Brussels with Garlic and Lemon
  • Late Autumn Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
  • Mini Hasselback Potatoes with Roasted Garlic
  • Maple Bourbon Sweet Potato Ribbon Casserole

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4.87 stars (37 ratings)

This is seriously THE BEST stuffing recipe ever! (5)

Best Stuffing Recipe

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

Rate RecipePrint

This really is The Best Stuffing Recipe Ever. It's full sweet cranberries and apricots, crunchy walnuts, mushrooms, onion, and celery. The veggies keep this stuffing perfect moist without ever becoming soggy. It's our family's go-to Thanksgiving and Christmas stuffing recipe!

6 – 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 cups white bread (cut into bite sized cubes (sub your favorite gluten-free bread, if needed))
  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 2 stalks celery (roughly chopped)
  • 1 ½ cups mushrooms (sliced)
  • 1 cup dried apricots (roughly chopped)
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup walnut halves
  • ½ cup pine nuts (or add more walnuts)
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1-2 tablespoons poultry seasoning

Instructions

  • To make the stuffing: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. That's it, seriously!

    4 cups white bread, 1 onion, 2 stalks celery, 1 ½ cups mushrooms, 1 cup dried apricots, ½ cup dried cranberries, 1 cup walnut halves, ½ cup pine nuts, ¼ cup olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons poultry seasoning

  • To cook the stuffing: 1. Either stuff the cavity of the turkey before you roast it in your oven. Remember that a stuffed turkey will take a little longer to cook.

  • Or 2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place stuffing in a lightly greased ovenproof dish and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until the bread is soft and the veggies are cooked. It is good if the vegetables still have a little crunch.

Notes

To make bread crumbs:

  1. Lay bread cubes on 2 large baking sheets and set aside for 2 days. Gently toss after the first day to make sure they are drying evenly.

OR

  1. To speed up the drying process, put the bread cubes on baking sheets in your oven at the lowest temp. This will take about an hour. Watch them closely though, you don't want to make toast.

To make this stuffing ahead of time:

Bake the stuffing for 30 minutes then remove it from the oven. Leave the stuffing on your counter and once the turkey comes out of the oven, put the stuffing back in for 15 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving = ⅛ of the recipe, Calories: 363kcal (18%), Carbohydrates: 36g (12%), Protein: 8g (16%), Fat: 23g (35%), Saturated Fat: 3g (19%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 157mg (7%), Potassium: 464mg (13%), Fiber: 5g (21%), Sugar: 17g (19%), Vitamin A: 650IU (13%), Vitamin C: 2mg (2%), Calcium: 77mg (8%), Iron: 3mg (17%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.

This is seriously THE BEST stuffing recipe ever! (2024)

FAQs

Should you put an egg in stuffing? ›

Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture. Water: You can add a few tablespoons of water, if you'd like, to achieve your desired consistency. Seasonings: This turkey dressing recipe is seasoned with salt, pepper, rubbed sage, and garlic powder.

What makes stuffing unhealthy? ›

Stuffing is not strictly a healthy food, because it is typically high in calories, fat, sodium, and refined carbohydrates. 1 But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, All foods can fit into a healthy diet in moderation.

What makes stuffing mushy? ›

You'll need day-old loaves to get stale so that the stuffing doesn't get too mushy. Don't cube that bread! Ragged, imperfect pieces of bread have more surface area; it's those nooks and crannies that give you good texture. Speaking of texture, that's what stuffing is all about--you want a mix of crispy and soft pieces.

How do you keep stuffing moist? ›

Use enough liquid: The key to keeping stuffing moist is to use enough liquid. You can use chicken or vegetable broth, melted butter, or a combination of both. The amount of liquid you need will depend on the recipe, but a good rule of thumb is to use about 1/2 to 1 cup of liquid for every 4 cups of bread cubes.

What can you use as a binder instead of eggs in stuffing? ›

16 egg substitutes
  1. Mashed banana. Mashed banana can act as a binding agent when baking or making pancake batter. ...
  2. Applesauce. Applesauce can also act as a binding agent. ...
  3. Fruit puree. Fruit puree will help bind a recipe in a similar way to applesauce. ...
  4. Avocado. ...
  5. Gelatin. ...
  6. Xanthan gum. ...
  7. Vegetable oil and baking powder. ...
  8. Margarine.
Mar 30, 2021

Does stuffing spike blood sugar? ›

For people with diabetes, Thanksgiving can be as scary as Halloween, but with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and stuffing providing the frights instead of ghosts and goblins. These types of foods are carbohydrates and convert to glucose in our bodies, raising our blood sugar (blood glucose).

Is Pepperidge Farm stuffing bad for you? ›

Another product from a well-known brand, Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoning Stuffing, gets a “5” in EWG's Food Scores. That's not too bad, but it's in the “yellow” range because of its nutritional content.

Why is Stove Top stuffing so bad for you? ›

Like many convenience foods, Stove Top stuffing has gotten a bad rap in recent years, especially from people who have *opinions* about what is healthy to eat. It's got too much sodium, there are weird ingredients that you can't pronounce, and it's just better to make your own stuffing. But “better” is subjective.

Is Italian or French bread better for stuffing? ›

What is the best bread to use for stuffing? Pick a bread, any bread! The best part about stuffing is that there are so many types of bread based on your families preferences. You can use cornbread, Italian bread, French bread, white sandwich bread, challah, or even sourdough.

Is it better to make stuffing with fresh or dry bread? ›

Any attempts to make stuffing with soft, fresh baked bread will result in a bread soup with a soggy texture. Follow this tip: Stale, dried-out bread makes the best stuffing.

Is it better to make stuffing with fresh or stale bread? ›

In fact, using stale bread and fresh bread will both leave you with equal amounts of mush. The longstanding tip to use old, stale bread for the perfect stuffing is actually a myth. Letting bread go stale doesn't actually dry it out. After sitting out on your counter, bread goes through the process of retrogradation.

What can I add to stuffing for more flavor? ›

Fruit, especially dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, figs and apricots can seriously improve a dreary box of stuffing. That bit of sweetness plays beautifully with other flavors on the table. I've found that fresh fruits like apples and pears are stellar as well.

What do Southerners call stuffing? ›

But for the Thanksgiving side dish in the South, the term dressing was adopted in place of stuffing, which was viewed as a crude term, during the Victorian era. Although dressing and stuffing are interchangeable terms, the signature ingredient of this Thanksgiving side dish in the South is cornbread.

Is it better to make stuffing the day before? ›

Absolutely. Most Thanksgiving stuffing recipes can be made at least partially in advance since: A) They're easily assembled a day or two ahead of Thanksgiving Day; and B) They're often baked using a two-step process (once covered with foil to cook through, then uncovered to achieve a crispy top).

What is traditional stuffing made of? ›

Classic stuffing made with bread cubes, seasonings, and held together with chicken stock and eggs. A holiday staple!

Why do we need to apply egg yolk in some dressing? ›

You can use boiled egg yolks in scratch-made dressings or whisk them into store-bought dressings for the ultimate creamy upgrade. Boiled egg yolks can thicken a dressing without breaking or clumping while creating a silky consistency that thoroughly coats your salad ingredients.

Can you mess up stuffing? ›

Using too much (or not enough) liquid.

The key to a good stuffing is using just the right amount of liquid so you get a good contrast of soft and firm pieces. Add too much stock and you'll find yourself with soggy stuffing. Don't add enough stock, and you have an overly dry stuffing on your hands.

How do you make stuffing moist after cooking? ›

Add Butter and Broth Before Reheating

Often upon refrigeration, the stuffing will soak up any excess moisture and will appear drier than when originally served. Depending on the amount of stuffing you plan to reheat, drizzle a few tablespoons or up to 1/4 cup of chicken or turkey broth into the stuffing to moisten it.

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