Traditional Stuffing

This was my first attempt at stuffing. Everyone loved it! And they really enjoyed having straight-forward traditional stuffing for a change, especially since there were so many different things to eat at the meal anyway. No chipotle peppers, no fancy sausage mixed in, etc., though all of that can be delicious. It was just nice to have a very tasty, tummy-warming traditional stuffing.

The simplicity of taste of this stuffing makes it a great accompaniment for any meal,super tasty and was a great hit this holiday,I really liked it.

I want to add Italian Sausage and Mushrooms to this Stuffing Mix, can you give me an idea of how much sausage and mushrooms to add. Also what type of Mushrooms.

If you are making the full recipe for the stuffing (which is for about 10 to 12 people), then I would suggest about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of cooked Italian sausage and about 1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked mushrooms. The mushrooms need to be sliced and cooked in advance as they loose too much water. As for the sausage (which sounds yummy), I would remove it from the casing and then break it up to fry it. I think you would need about 3/4's of a pound of raw meat, and about 3 cups of raw sliced mushrooms. Hope this helps! Let me know how it turns out...

Hi How many sticks or tablespoons of butter equal 1/3lb.

A 1/4 pound of butter (a stick) is 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons of butter. So 1/3 is a bit more (than the 1/4) or about 10 tablespoons and a half. Note: This question is trying to compare a volume measurement (e.g. cup, tablespoon, etc) with a weight. As a suggestion, try to avoid these kinds of measurement comparisons. Sometimes they just don't work out very well and can be confusing.

I did my test Thanksgiving dinner last weekend (first time I have ever done a turkey so I wanted to make sure I got it right for the big day) and I found cooking the stuffing to be a problem because there is no room in my oven to put it along side my turkey. We ended up cooking it on low heat on the BBQ but the bottom was crispy. I am wondering if I can do it in the slow cooker? Do I have to alter the liquid in it at all? Maybe start it in the slow cooker and then transfer to the oven while turkey is resting? Thoughts?

You can make in a crock pot, I have just never done it before, as I like the texture of stuffing that is baked (the crunchy bits on the sides etc). Here is a link to what seems to be a popular recipe for stuffing on All Recipes. There were also several other recipes using this method. I imagine you could do the whole thing in the crock pot or as you suggested you could finish it in the oven. Good luck - Happy Thanksgiving

Just a quick add-on re: cooking stuffing on a BBQ. The BBQ is a great alternative when oven space is tight. When using the BBQ as an oven replacement, you most often do not want to put the cooking item directly over the flame. One good trick is to preheat the BBQ to the correct temperature (most BBQ's have a build in thermometer) and then you turn off all but one burner in the back. Then put the cooking item in, close the lid and keep an eye on the BBQ temperature. This is just like an oven. You can even cook your turkey on the BBQ with fantastic results. I should also add that by Friday this week (oct 2), we will release a really great video Multi-task Player that should help you manage multiple dishes. Watch for it in the top navigation bar.

Is that a basic chicken stock in the video? It looked kind of dark to me, so I wondered what I should be using.

Either dark or light chicken stock would work just find. The main thing is flavor...the better your stock better the end result, which is one of the reasons why we recommend making your own stock.

Due to various time issues I have, I would like to make this a day or two in advance. Is this a good idea, do you think it would still be good?

Sure you can make this ahead of time. However, it is very important that you cool it down (outside of the fridge) as quickly as possible and then refrigerate. Then when reheating, you need to make sure that you bring it back to 165 degrees for food safety reasons. One suggestion is to prep all of the ingredients in advance. Throwing this together is very easy should you like to make this the 'day of'. Just a thought. It will be a better end result for sure. Good luck. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Hi Joe, Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I am going to bake it covered and then finish baking it off uncovered on x-mas day. Is this a bad idea? I just couldn't assemble it all on the day as I have two very young sons who are a complete handful and have to get my cooking done ahead of time while I have Grandma babysitting! Also, I wanted to mention, I found the quantity of bread (28 cups) to be excessive in order to achieve the wet texture you wanted. I ended up using about 22 cups and added an extra egg and an extra cup and a half of stock to get the wet texture. Not sure if that is going to be successful or not! Fingers crossed! Thanks for a great recipe anyways. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Don't get me wrong, I think stuffing is a bad thing. When it comes to stuffing, as in inside the bird, you need to get it up to 165 degrees, and once you do, your bird is usually toast. So doing dressing is a much better option. However, regarding dressing, since carrots are so much harder and denser, I always start cooking the carrots first. In a mirepoix, they are always the slowest to cook. I suppose, as usual, it comes down to personal preference. I don't like crunchy carrots in my dressing, though. :)

I guess we need to make a new multi-task player for parents with kids - never thought of that... Next put the turkey in the over, after that, make sure Johnny is okay in the living room, etc. I would just bake the whole thing then. Just make sure to fully chill it and then reheat it to 165 degrees for food safety reasons. And this does make a lot of stuffing so you will be fine with the reduced amount. Good call. Good luck.

I know there's no way to get this before Thanksgiving, but... Can you give me any ideas for a corn bread dressing/stuffing? Or,one day would be nice to see you add that for us folks who have a taste for the southern version of this dressing. Thanks!

Actually, what I could use is some help with the flavorings for a corn bread, apple, sausage dressing. I know what I want and how to make it, but don't know the herbs or spices to use. Thanks!

I personally do not have a corn bread stuffing recipe that I use as I am sucker for a more "traditional" stuffing (at least it's the one I grew up with). If you find one out there in the world of recipes please share it with us. In the meantime, perhaps someone else in the forum might have one that they could share with you. Cheers! p.s. Your last comment about herbs and spices came through at the same time my response did. I would say that you might want to think about picking yourself up a copy of "The Flavor Bible". Really the combinations for these sort of things is quite endless and it also comes down to the flavors you like etc.

Last year's turned out pretty good. I also used apple juice in place of water and used pecans. I'm looking over the recipe I used last year and can make great improvements using Rouxbe techniques. Still, would be nice to hear from someone on flavorings. Thanks again. This time I'll try to get a pic. and write down the recipe.

Cornbread 2 1/2 cups corn mill 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour 1 egg 1/2 cup buttermilk Pinch of salt 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise Water - Add water until mixture is kinda soupy 1 heaping tablespoon of shortening (you can use regular vegtable oil but shortening/lard is better) I mix everything together and really well (this is important) I use a large cast iron frying pan- grease well, preheat oven to 450 degree's. Cook until golden brown Dressing Cornbread - crumble up 1 stock/rib of celery - or to taste 1/2 of medium onion - or to taste 1 can of campbell's cream of chicken soup 1 egg 1 to 2 tsp of ground sage - I just taste until amount desired salt & pepper to taste ( I use quite abit of black pepper) 1/4 stick of butter 1/4 to 1/3 heavy whipping cream Chicken broth I mix well and use enough stock to make it soupy, i let mine sit for about 30 minutes to asorb broth, them i add more, if desired before i pour it in dish to bake. Gease dish with butter, Bake on 450 degree until gloden brown or until done~ My problem is i don't measure anything. I do alot of tasting during the cooking process. Most everything in the dressing (onion, celery, salt, pepper, and even sage) you can do to suit your own taste.

Con't I forgot to include i chop my celery and onion fine. Also, when i'm unable to make my own stock, i boil a hen and use the broth from that for my stuffing/dressing. My mon always called it dressing.

Thank you so much for the corn bread recipe! Just wondering how you would incorporate, sausage, apple, pecans, and apple juice into this recipe and what spices you would use. Thanks again for taking the time to write this out. Best, Jude

You're welcome. I would make my cornbread separate. Then i would incorporate everything eles i wanted to use into the stuffing itself. Hope you have a great Thanksgiviing.

Hi Everyone, I made a delicious chicken broth on Wednesday and yesterday I made the dark chicken stock which I don't think came out right. I added no salt because the video didn't call for it. I let it set overnight in the refrigerator and it is jellatin-like. Can I use the chicken broth to make this stuffing instead of the stock? Thank you JoAnn P.s. - Can I also use the broth to make the gravy in place of the stock after cooking the turkey? Again, thank you

Broth and stock can be used interchangeably with most things, especially the ones you listed. It sounds like you have done everything right. If it is gelatinous (which is a great thing) and delicious, you're on the right track. You may find it helpful to review the lessons on how to make stock and broth. Cheers!

I am planning ahead. Could you tell me which other side dishes can I serve in Thanksgiving? I really don't like the green beans casserole...the ones I have had incorporate Campbell soup! Do you have one of your amazing recipes that is a substitute? How about the sides dishes that appear on the Turkey serving plate? Thank you so much for all your great recipes.

I found your Thanksgiving planner. It never occurred to me to type THANKSGIVING. Thank you. If you happen to have an alternative Green beans casserole...I saw the green beans recipes but I know my mother in law expects a casserole. The suggestions look delicious. I am using your website to teach my 13, 18 and 20 year old children to cook. How lucky we are to have these tools available now.

Laura, I can't stand green bean casserole either, so this is what I do: I precook French green beans (boiling salted water about 4 minutes until crisp tender, then plunge in ice water to stop cooking). This can be done the day before and kept in the refrigerator until needed. Then, on thanksgiving day, crisp some thinly sliced pancetta and set it aside. Slice several shallots thinly and sauté until softened in the pancetta drippings (add olive oil or butter if needed) and just beginning to turn golden. Add green beans and toss until warmed through. Crumble pancetta on top, add salt and pepper to taste. Can serve immediately or keep warm in low oven while you're carving the turkey. Sorry there are no amounts, it just depends on how many you are cooking for... But in general about 1 lb. of beans, 3-4 medium shallots, 3 oz. pancetta= 6 servings. You could easily add personalize this to your tastes by adding sautéed mushrooms or substituting those crispy onions for the sautéed shallots. Hope this helps.

We have some non-dairy eaters joining us for Thanksgiving. Is it possible to substitute olive oil (or anything else) for the butter? Will there be a noticeable change in the taste?

Sure, olive oil can be substituted to suit your needs. Yes, the flavor will be different because nothing compares to butter. Sometimes those are the sacrifices that are made when there are dietary restrictions. A good-tasting olive oil will be fine though. Cheers!

Have you made stuffing with gluten free bread? I have a celiac guest coming for Thanksgiving and am wondering if the texture would work as well as the french bread? Also, I have another guest who can't eat eggs. Would arrowroot powder as a substitute be as effective in this recipe?

Sorry, we have not tried this recipe with gluten-free bread and/without the eggs. Most gluten-free breads that I have tried are quite a bit more dense then the French loaf used in this recipe. Therefore, you would need to experiment a bit and maybe use a bit more liquid. As for the eggs, you could try using ground flax and water instead. But again, we have not tried this ourselves. Here is a link to a few more egg substitutes that you may find helpful. I also found a few other recipes for you that you might find useful. This one is called "Gluten-Free Sage Dressing" (she uses no eggs) and this one is called "No-Fuss Gluten-Free Stuffing". Hope that helps. Have a great Thanksgiving!!

We made this last year for Thanksgiving, and we made it again for 2012 because it's just unbeatable in moistness and taste. We cut the recipe in half and that lasted for 3.5 days for just the two of us (plus one dog who got a little bit of the treat). :)

So glad to hear that you (and your dog) like the stuffing. We feel privileged to be a part of your tradition. Cheers!

May I cook the stuffing one day ahead and then warm it up the next day? If so what is the preparation to reheating the stuffing. thanks

I got my answer. When I reheat it do I cover it with foil? thanks love the website

Hi- Stuffing can, of course, be reheated either way. If you'd prefer a crispy stuffing top, leave it uncovered. It's a personal preference with no right or wrong answer. Cheers!

My stuffing came out great - many thanks! I understand the techniques I used to make it and successfully added other flavor ingredients such as mushrooms, friut and nuts. But I am not fully clear why eggs are added. Are they used to bind the bread together? Are they meant to contribute mouth feel or taste as well? If I were making my own recipe, how would I estimate how many eggs I would need? Are there rules of thumb? Eggs are often used in baking cakes, etc - are they used for the same purpose in these instances.

Scott, would be interested in the answer to your question as well. FYI, I stopped using eggs in my stuffing several years ago, and I haven't noticed a difference in texture, moisture, taste or anything. So I can vouch for the quality of a stuffing made without eggs.

The eggs in the stuffing — as well as cakes — are used to provide structure — they give the stuffing (or cake) lightness and stability. A beaten, or aerated, eggs helps to incorporate air into, which also helps with leavening. Eggs are also used to provide flavor, richness and in some cases color. For instance, the golden hue of an egg yolk will add a soft yellow color to a cake. In the case of cake batters, emulsifying the eggs helps to bring together the fats and liquids in the cake batter. This will make for a cake that seems less greasy. Eggs also provide fat and moisture to a cake, which will make for a more tender, moist cake. With all that said, many recipes do not call for eggs in stuffing. The number of eggs really depends on the recipe and whether or not you like your stuffing dry and crisp or moist and dense. A good idea would be to try making another stuffing and take half of it and add the appropriate amount of eggs (as per your recipe), with the other half, leave the eggs out. Then cook and test the two to see which one you prefer. You could even go so far as to test this theory with a cake batter (or even stuffing). Add 1 egg, then 2, then 3....etc. you will see a drastic difference in the final results, depending on how many eggs you used. Hope that helps. Cheers!

No fresh sage leaves available! Can I substitute sage powder and if so what quantity? Thanks!

Dried sage is fine, as long as it's somewhat fresh and not from the last decade. Typically with dried herbs, you use 1/4 as much. I would suggest adding 1 Tbs dried sage or thereabouts. ~Ken

I would've thought that Rouxbe recipes would break down the ingredients. The use of "poultry seasoning" doesn't tell me what's in "poultry seasoning." I would think that you'd simply detail the herbs and provide their measurements. I purchased an upcoming course and it's a little disconcerting to discover that we're encouraged to use prepared formulations. I want to know what goes in my food and why. I want to understand why/how certain ingredients spices heighten flavor. So this is a little disappointing.

There are many spice combinations that are perfectly fine to use — meaning they are not full of additives etc. Most Poultry Seasoning mixes (or at least all that I have seen) are just a mixture of different herbs, which are all listed on the spice mix itself. Also, when it comes to preparing a big meal, many people are happy to have a few things that they don't have to make from scratch — like a poultry seasoning for example. That being said, here is a Rouxbe recipe for Poultry Seasoning, which is what we use here. Hope that helps. Cheers!

I'm going to be making this stuffing, then bringing it over to a friend's house for dinner. Rather than completing the recipe at home, and keeping it warm at my friend's house before dinner, might it make sense to do the first 30 minutes here, and then doing the uncovered part at my friend's house? Or does it not matter at all?

Either way it should work out just fine. I know that when going to your friends house, they may not have the room in their oven to finish your dish. Also, it depends on how long you will have to wait between cooking etc. In the end, stuffing is pretty forgiving. Good luck!

I'd like to substitute wild rice for the bread. Any suggestions on how to adapt the recipe?

For adapting to a wild rice and omitting the bread I would recommend a few things. Cook the wild rice in accordance with the rice or rice blend you are using. In place of the water, you will use your stock and ( herbs as well if you choose ). When your rice is 3/4 of the way cooked you may add your cooked onions, carrots, and celery as well as other seasonal options if desired such as apples, cooked sausage, roasted butternut squash, etc. You may take your wild rice mix and put it into a casserole dish to bake for a remaining 20-30 minutes covered. Remove from heat and let rest before stirring up the rice. *Alternately you could cook your rice with stock until ready, let sit before fluffing and then incorporate all your accompanying ingredients without baking. One will give you a casserole result while one will leave you with a lighter and much fluffier dish. I hope this helps

Hi, Can you please tell me the approximate amounts(Tablespoons, Teaspoons/measurements) for the Sage and Thyme? Thank you so much! Ron

Hi Ron, 8 sprigs of thyme would be approximately 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh thyme. 30 sage leaves would be approximately 4 Tablespoons/1/4 cup of chopped fresh sage. If you wanted to use the dried version of either, the standard conversion is about 3:1 (fresh:dry). I hope this is helpful. Cheers, Sandy

What is the size of the casserole dish

Hi Amy— When I make this, I use a 9” by 12” pan. That size works well for me. Thanks for writing. Char

We’re travelling and my only opportunity to make the stuffing is the weekend before. Can I freeze the cooked stuffing? If so, what is the best method to reheat?

Hello, Kevin- Here are my suggestions for cooking frozen stuffing. 1- cook frozen, covered, in an oven-safe dish; If the stuffing is frozen uncooked Preheat oven to 350°F. Do NOT thaw — bake straight from frozen. Bake 45–60 minutes, depending on thickness. Then, remove cover and bake 10–15 minutes to brown the top. Check for temperature — it should reach 165°F in the center (74C). I use this method and it works well and the stuffing is moist. Happy travels, Char