Baked Herb Stuffing
4.4
(57)
The beauty of this herb stuffing recipe is its unabashed ease: Rather than dice up a loaf of fresh bread just to dry it out, you’ll start with packaged dried bread stuffing mix, which is already loaded with flavorful dried herbs. Instead of following the package directions, you’ll zhuzh things up with a pinch more dried sage, plus fresh parsley, celery, and plenty of melted butter. Of course, this is your Thanksgiving stuffing, so if you want more add-ins, go for it, sauté some mushrooms along with the celery and onions, or toss in a handful of dried cranberries and toasted pecans. Add a sprig of fresh thyme or fresh rosemary on top while it bakes, both for decoration and to perfume the whole house. You can also scroll down to find suggestions for a sausage and sage variation, as well as one with dried apricots and toasted pecans.
This herb stuffing was developed to fill a 12-pound turkey, as in our Classic Stuffed Turkey With Old-Fashioned Gravy, but it also works well baked in a large skillet or covered casserole to serve as a holiday side dish. Garnish the pan with whatever fresh herbs you have on hand (a combination of parsley and fresh sage is particularly nice) and serve with a big boat of our very best turkey gravy.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Position a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°. Butter a 3-qt. casserole or 13x9” baking dish and set aside.
Step 2
Melt ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter in a 12" heavy skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped (about 3 cups), and 6 medium celery stalks, finely chopped (about 2½ cups); cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 15–20 minutes.
Step 3
Transfer onion mixture to a large bowl and add 2 large eggs, lightly beaten, 1 (12–14-oz.) package instant stuffing mix, ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves, 1 tsp. dried sage, crumbled, ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, and 2¼ cups Homemade Turkey Stock, canned turkey stock, or chicken stock, heated until warm. Gently stir to evenly distribute everything and saturate the bread cubes.
Step 4
Transfer stuffing to prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake until top is crispy and golden brown, about 40 minutes more. Garnish with more chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Do ahead: Stuffing can be prepared up to the baking step, transferred to a baking dish, covered with foil, and refrigerated several hours before baking.
VARIATIONS:
For a sausage and sage variation: Sauté 1 lb. bulk pork sausage in a heavy skillet over medium heat, breaking up pieces with a spoon until meat shows no sign of pink, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl. Wipe out pan, then proceed with recipe using same pan to cook celery and onions, tossing remaining ingredients into bowl with sausage, and substituting 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage for the dried rosemary and sage.
For an apricot-pecan variation: Spread 1½ cups pecans on rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven at 350°., stirring occasionally, until browned and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Cool and coarsely chop. Pour hot water over 1½ cups diced dried apricots in a medium bowl to cover. Soak until apricots plump, about 30 minutes, then drain well. Proceed with recipe, tossing apricots and pecans with other ingredients in large bowl.
Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed in 2007 as Farmhouse Herbed Stuffing. It has since been adapted to include fewer dried herbs and extra butter. Head this way for more of our favorite classic and not-so-classic stuffing recipes →
Recipe notes
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