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close up of grandmas stuffing on a wooden spoon

Traditional Turkey Stuffing (Homemade Old Fashioned Recipe)

A classic Thanksgiving stuffing recipe made from scratch with bakery bread, sweet onions, celery, and fresh herbs. Simple, easy, and full of flavor, this tastes just like Grandma’s holiday table. Serve it as a vegetarian stuffing or add sausage for extra richness.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large bakery loaf of bread about 16 oz, Italian, French, or sourdough
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ large sweet onions chopped into ½-inch pieces
  • 5 celery stalks chopped into ½-inch pieces
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley minced
  • ¼ cup fresh sage minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary minced
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 ½ cups chicken or turkey broth
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Equipment

  • 9x13 pan

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 250°F. Cut or tear the bread into 1-inch cubes. Spread cubes on a large baking sheet and bake for 40–60 minutes, stirring once or twice, until dried out. Cool completely.
  2. Raise oven to 350°F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook 8–10 minutes until softened and lightly browned.
  3. In a large bowl, mix the bread cubes with the cooked vegetables, parsley, sage, and rosemary.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, broth, salt, and pepper. Pour over the bread mixture and toss gently until evenly coated.
  5. Butter a 9x13 baking dish with 2 tablespoons butter. Spread the stuffing mixture into the pan and dot the top with the remaining butter.
  6. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15–20 minutes until the top is golden brown and crisp and the center is hot.

Notes

  • Use pre-cut bakery bread cubes if available to save time.
  • Stir in diced apples when cooking the vegetables for a sweet twist.
  • Add browned sausage to the skillet for a heartier stuffing.
  • Recipe can be halved for smaller gatherings or scaled up 50% for a crowd.