Unlike the “tomatoh/tomahto,” agree-to-disagree philosophy, the “Stuffing” versus “Dressing” versus “Filling” battle has staunch party lines, steep expectations, and the types of establishments even the most rebellious dare not defy (Grandmas can be scary!). To avoid hate mail in our mailbox, we won’t suggest you change whatever filling, dressing, or stuffing recipe your family expects on Thanksgiving Day. However, what we suggest is an extension of the fall spirit of bread and broth coming together in a comforting way. We’re giving you permission to mess with stuffing on all other days except Thanksgiving.

Stuffing is most simply a skillet of staple flavor inducers, stale bread, and liquid. To ease your transition to disrupting tradition, try any of these three flavor combinations. Just combine the ingredients with your bread mixture before soaking with an eggy broth. Once you take that leap, mix and match these combinations according to your cupboards and craving. Our only rule? Start with quality bread, then enjoy (without telling Grandma)!

Why Does Good Bread Make Better Stuffing?

Bread is the backbone of stuffing, so it pays to start with a great loaf. We use bread from Pittsburgh’s Mediterra Bakehouse, whose crusty loaves have the sturdy structure stuffing needs. A soft, squishy sandwich bread tends to collapse into paste once the broth goes in, while a crusty artisan loaf holds its shape and keeps a pleasant chew.

Cut the bread into ¾-inch pieces and toast them in a single layer on two baking sheets at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until dry and pale golden. Toasting does two jobs: it dries the bread so it can absorb broth without turning soggy, and it adds a deeper, nutty flavor.

Specialty loaves are part of the fun. Two of our combinations trade the crusty base for a different bread altogether: an unseeded rye for an earthy, slightly sour backbone, or a pecan cranberry loaf for built-in sweetness and crunch.

How Do You Make Holiday Stuffing From Scratch?

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook diced onion, celery, and garlic until softened, about 7 minutes, then stir for one minute more. Transfer the aromatics to a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, and stir in chopped parsley, beaten eggs, and the toasted bread. Then fold in your chosen add-ins.

Add the broth in two batches, letting the bread absorb the first before pouring in the second. Season generously, transfer the stuffing to a buttered 9-by-13-inch dish, and bake on the middle rack until the top is deep golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let it rest five minutes before serving.

Which Stuffing Variations Should You Try?

Choose one set of add-ins, or use them as a starting point for your own:

Sweet and savory: Roasted sweet potatoes, fresh figs, chopped walnuts, and fresh sage.

Vegan-friendly: Beets, kale, cooked cranberry beans, and tart Granny Smith apples.

Meaty: Fennel and its feathery fronds, black seedless grapes, pre-cooked sausage (Quelcy suggests a local or organic apple chicken sausage), and shallots.

Full fall flavor: Sweet potatoes, sage, and sausage, all tucked into rye bread.

Sweet: Figs, beets, and black grapes with pecan cranberry bread.

Roasted grapes turn jammy and sweet in the oven, a lovely surprise next to savory sausage and fennel. Fresh figs bring a honeyed sweetness.

Tips for Recipe Success

Cool the bread completely. Let the toasted cubes cool on the pans while you cook the aromatics. Warm bread steams in the bowl and turns soft before the broth even goes in.

Add the broth in two batches. Pouring it in stages keeps every cube evenly moist instead of leaving soggy spots at the bottom of the bowl.

Pre-cook dense add-ins. Soften the sweet potatoes by boiling or roasting them first. For tender beets, roast them too, since raw chunks will stay firm after a 30-minute bake.

Season boldly. Bread mutes salt, so taste the aromatics and season them well before they meet the bread.

Short on time? Unseasoned dried bread cubes from the store can stand in for the toasted loaf; skip the toasting step and start checking moisture after the first batch of broth.

Can I Make This Holiday Stuffing Recipe Ahead of Time?

Toast the bread up to two days ahead and store it in an airtight container. Cook the aromatics and prep the add-ins the day before, then combine and bake just before serving.

What Dietary Swaps Can You Make for This Recipe?

Vegan: Use avocado oil instead of butter, vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and an egg replacer instead of eggs.

Gluten-free: Use a crusty gluten-free loaf, and check that your broth and sausage are labeled gluten-free.

Dairy-free: Replace the butter with avocado oil or olive oil.

Nut-free: Skip the walnuts in the sweet-and-savory version and add toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch, and choose a cranberry bread made without pecans for the sweet version.

What Can I Serve With This Thanksgiving Stuffing?

Any of these stuffings belongs beside a roast turkey, roast chicken, or pork loin. The meaty version pairs especially well with poultry, while the vegan beet-and-kale version, served with roasted squash and a green salad, can anchor a plant-based holiday plate.

Cheryl Alters Jamison’s Ultimate Stuffing Recipe builds a classic with leeks, mushrooms, and homemade stock, and Anna Franklin’s Bread Pudding Stuffed Squash with Savory Black Truffle tucks a rich, savory filling into roasted squash. 

For more recipes from Quelcy, try her Roasted Beet Hummus or Sweet and Savory Pie for Dinner. Then round out the holiday table with our Cozy Fall and Winter Squash Recipes, Thanksgiving Finger Foods, and Thanksgiving Drinks to Inspire Gratitude This Year.

Inspired Holiday Stuffing

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• Author: Quelcy Kogel
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 10 servings (one 9×13-inch dish) 1x

Print Recipe

Description

An easy holiday stuffing base of toasted crusty bread, onion, celery, garlic, parsley, eggs, and broth, with five add-in combinations, including sweet potato and fig, vegan beet and kale, and sausage, fennel, and grape.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the base stuffing:

• 1 crusty bread loaf, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (about 8 cups)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for the dish
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 large celery stalks, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Sweet and savory add-ins:

• 2 sweet potatoes, softened by boiling or roasting, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 4 to 5 fresh figs, cut into chunks
• 1 to 2 cups chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup fresh sage, coarsely chopped

Vegan add-ins:

• 2 beets, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 large kale leaves, coarsely cut
• 1 1/2 cups cooked cranberry beans
• 2 organic Granny Smith apples, chopped

Meaty add-ins:

• 2 fennel bulbs, coarsely chopped, including greens
• 2 cups black seedless grapes, halved
• 2 pre-cooked sausages, such as apple chicken sausage, sliced
• 4 to 5 large shallots, chopped

Full fall flavor add-ins (mix and match):

• 1 unseeded rye deli loaf, in place of the crusty loaf
• 2 sweet potatoes, softened and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/4 cup fresh sage, coarsely chopped
• 2 pre-cooked sausages, sliced

Sweet flavor add-ins (mix and match):

• 1 pecan cranberry loaf, in place of the crusty loaf
• 4 to 5 fresh figs, cut into chunks
• 2 beets, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 cups black seedless grapes, halved

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F with racks in the middle and lower thirds. Spread the bread in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets and toast until dry and pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool.
2. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion, celery, and garlic, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes, then stir 1 minute more. Transfer to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
3. Stir in the parsley, eggs, and toasted bread.
4. Fold in your chosen set of add-ins.
5. Add the broth in 2 batches, letting it absorb after each. Season generously, transfer to the prepared dish, and bake on the middle rack until deep golden on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Vegan: Use avocado oil instead of butter, vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and an egg replacer instead of eggs.

Gluten-free: Use a crusty gluten-free loaf; check broth and sausage labels.

Dairy-free: Use avocado oil or olive oil in place of butter.

Nut-free: Omit the walnuts (add toasted pumpkin seeds), and use a cranberry bread without pecans.

Beets: For tender beets, roast them before adding (a TABLE suggestion).

Make ahead: Toast the bread up to 2 days ahead and store airtight.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cup
• Calories: 340

About the Recipe Author

Quelcy Kogel is a food and prop stylist, event designer, blogger, and photographer. Her first cookbook, The Gluten-Free Grains Cookbook, was published by Page Street Publishing in 2019. She lives in Pittsburgh’s Polish Hill neighborhood with her dog, Julep. Her TABLE recipes include Roasted Beet Hummus and the Smoked Maple and Scotch Old Fashioned.

Photo Courtesy of Chelsea Shapouri
All featured bread varieties from Mediterra Bakehouse

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