Traditional Bread Stuffing Recipe - Thrift and Spice (2024)

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This traditional bread stuffing recipe made from white sandwich bread is guaranteed to be a hit this Thanksgiving!

It’s a simple yet flavorful recipe that is made with basic ingredients.

Serve it alongside other classic Thanksgiving foods such as baked ham and green beans.

Traditional Bread Stuffing Recipe - Thrift and Spice (1)

Who else agrees that holiday recipes are the best?

I guess it’s because it’s food that we only eat once or twice during the year.

Another one of my favorite recipes from Thanksgiving is the gravy.

I put that stuff on everything! On my mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls, everything!

I don’t have my Nana’s gravy recipe but I found another delicious one from Restless Chipotle.

This stuffing recipe is inspired by my Nana.

It’s very hard to get an exact recipe from her.

If you ask her for one she’ll just say some of this and some of that which isn’t always helpful.

So a few years ago I decided to watch her make it and even then I couldn’t get exact measurements!

I guess she doesn’t need them since she’s been making the same stuffing for decades now.

Thankfully the recipe I’m sharing today taste just as good as hers.

What is traditional stuffing made of?

  • white bread loaves
  • celery
  • yellow onion
  • poultry seasoning
  • chicken broth
  • butter
  • salt
  • pepper

Can I use white sandwich bread for stuffing?

Yes, and in my opinion it is the best kind of bread to use as it has a light flavor that won’t over power the other flavors. Aside from that it’s also the most readily available bread.

What is the key to good stuffing?

I think the key to good stuffing is all about balance.

The stuffing shouldn’t be soft and mushy nor dry and crunchy.

Nor should one of the seasonings used be the dominate flavor.

All the ingredients should work together to compliment each other.

How to make traditional bread stuffing

Chop the onion and celery.

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Now melt the butter in a skillet

Then add celery and saute until it is softened. About 8 minutes.

Once the celery is soft add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Saute until onions are translucent.

Turn the heat off and set aside the celery and onion mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350. Now we are going to toast the bread.

Tear the bread into pieces and place on a baking sheet.

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Bake for about 10 min or until the bread is toasted.

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You may have to do this in two batches. Or you can use two baking sheets.

Not every piece has to get toasted.

I usually just let the top layer get toasted and leave the bread on the bottom a little soft.

After toasting place the bread pieces in a large bowl or two if all the bread doesn’t fit.

Pour the celery, onion, and butter mixture over the bread. Next spread the poultry seasoning evenly over the bread.

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Season with more salt and pepper.

Add the chicken broth and mix everything together really well with your hands.

Transfer the bread over to a baking dish and shape into a loaf.

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Cover it with foil and bake for about 35-40 min on 350.

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When done it will be a nice brown color.

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Isn’t the bread supposed to be stale?

No, it definitely doesn’t have to be. I know a lot of people use stale bread but my nana never has.

While I do like to toast my bread she just uses the bread straight from the bag and it’s always good.

If you prefer a drier stuffing you can always toast the bread a little longer and in a single layer.

Is stuffing better with or without eggs?

For this recipe I’ve found that it really doesn’t matter.

My grandmother does actually use an egg or two in her stuffing.

I however don’t find it necessary to use. I’ve made it both ways and couldn’t tell the difference.

Old fashioned bread stuffing recipe

You’ve got to try this delicious old fashioned traditional bread stuffing this Thanksgiving!

I find this to be a rather uncomplicated and simple recipe compared to other stuffing recipes out there.

While it may be easier and simpler compared to others it is by far the best stuffing I’ve ever tried.

A good Thanksgiving stuffing recipe doesn’t need to have a long list of ingredients.

It just needs the right ingredients.

And this recipe has just that.

It would not be Thanksgiving without this stuffing on our plates.

I’d love to hear what you think of this recipe in the comments below and don’t forget to leave it a rating!

Traditional Bread Stuffing Recipe - Thrift and Spice (13)

Traditional Bread Stuffing Recipe - Thrift and Spice (14)

4.18 from 73 votes

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Traditional Bread Stuffing Recipe

This is an easy and delicious traditional bread stuffing recipe that everyone will love!

CourseThanksgiving

CuisineAmerican

Keywordold fashioned stuffing, stuffing with white sandwich bread, traditional bread stuffing

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 47 kcal

Author Carissa

Ingredients

  • (3) 20ozloaves of bread(torn into pieces)
  • 6celery ribschopped
  • 1yellow oniondiced
  • 1 3/4tsppoultry seasoning
  • 32ozof chicken broth
  • 2sticks of butter
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Melt two sticks of butter in a skillet over medium heat.

  2. Add celery and saute until soft about 8-10 min.

  3. Add onion to the skillet and cook until translucent and season with salt and pepper.remove from heat.

  4. Preheat oven to 350.

  5. Place torn bread pieces on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 min or until bread is toasted. Use two baking sheets if needed.

  6. After toasting place the bread pieces in a large bowl or two if all the bread doesn't fit.

  7. Pour celery, onion, and butter mixture over the bread.

  8. Sprinkle the poultry seasoning evenly over the bread.

  9. Season with salt and pepper.

  10. Slowly add in the chicken broth while you mix everything together with your hand.

  11. Make sure there are no dry pieces of bread, everything should be moist.

  12. Transfer bread mixture to a casserole dish and cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35-40 min.

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

Traditional Bread Stuffing Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 47Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Sodium 91mg4%

Potassium 171mg5%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 115IU2%

Vitamin C 1.6mg2%

Calcium 30mg3%

Iron 0.6mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Traditional Bread Stuffing Recipe - Thrift and Spice (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional stuffing made of bread? ›

BREAD STUFFING INGREDIENTS

Classic dried bread cubes, butter, celery, onion, herbs, and chicken broth or chicken stock is all you need for this moist bread stuffing. The recipe itself is very basic, but make no mistake, it does not skimp on flavor, presentation, sturdiness, or everything Thanksgiving.

In what did recipes did people originally use stuffing? ›

So how far back can we find stuffing used in cooking? Some time between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD, a chef by the name of Apicius created a cookbook entitled, “Apicius de re Coquinaria.” In its pages are recipes for stuffed chicken, rabbit, pig, and even dormouse.

What ingredients go in turkey dressing? ›

Ingredients
  • 1 loaf bread day old, torn into pieces.
  • 2 sticks salted butter use plant based butter for vegan version.
  • 2 cups yellow onions chopped.
  • 2 cups celery chopped.
  • 32 ounce chicken stock use vegatable stock for vegan version.
  • 2 tablespoons Fresh Sage If you use dried sage, use 2 teaspoons.
  • 1 teaspoon Salt.

Why put eggs in stuffing? ›

Vegetable broth – To moisten the bread. Eggs – They add richness and moisture, helping to create the stuffing's irresistible gooey center.

What is English stuffing made of? ›

In England, a stuffing is sometimes made of minced pork shoulder seasoned with various ingredients, such as sage, onion, bread, chestnuts, dried apricots, and dried cranberries. The stuffing mixture may be cooked separately and served as a side dish. This may still be called stuffing or it may be called dressing.

Why is it called dressing in the south? ›

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.

What is Christmas stuffing made of? ›

Starting with dried sourdough bread, celery, onion, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, chicken broth and eggs. A whole stick of butter goes in the pan adding onions, herbs and garlic (sausage is optional). Eggs combine everything together before going in the oven on a baking dish.

Why does stuffing taste so good? ›

As it cooks, the herbs in the stuffing infuse into the bird, giving it a lot more flavor. The turkey, in turn, drips all its delicious juices into the stuffing as it cooks, moistening it and making it taste great.

What is Thanksgiving stuffing made of? ›

The BEST traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing recipe is easy to make dried bread cubes, sausage, diced vegetables, and chicken broth. It's a great side dish to make ahead of time and it definitely tastes best homemade! Pair this easy homemade stuffing with our popular turkey recipe, homemade rolls, and Thanksgiving pie.

Do you cook stuffing before putting it in the turkey? ›

Give stuffing a head start by heating it up before placing inside the turkey. Like the turkey, stuffing needs to reach the 165 degree mark. If the bird is done before the stuffing, remove stuffing from the cavities and continue to cook in a baking dish.

How to make stuffing Gordon Ramsay? ›

Make the stuffing, melt butter in a large frying pan and gently sauté onion and garlic for five minutes until soft. Stir in the herbs for one minute then add breadcrumbs to absorb butter. Mix in zest, pine nuts and seasoning and cook over medium heat for about seven minutes until crumbs start to brown and crisp.

What is the difference between stuffing filling and dressing? ›

"Stuffing is cooked in the cavity of the turkey, so the juices soak into the ingredients, making it more flavorful. Dressing gets cooked on its own and needs extra liquid to make it flavorful." So stuffing is cooked inside the bird. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish.

Why is my stuffing so moist? ›

The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much. Add more bread to soak up the excess moisture.

Does stuffing contain bread? ›

Stuffing is a mix of edible ingredients such as herbs, bread and a binder such as egg, traditionally stuffed into a meat cavity before it is cooked. Other ingredients in stuffing might be meat, nuts, butter, chopped vegetables and even fruit or oysters.

What is stuffing mostly made of? ›

Stuffing, according to Merriam-Webster, is "a seasoned mixture (as of bread crumbs, vegetables, and butter) that is typically placed inside the cavity of a turkey, pepper, etc. and cooked." In other words, a mixture that is "stuffed" inside your poultry.

What is bread stuffing called? ›

Stuffing and dressing are commonly used as different names for the same thing—a dish consisting of bits of bread (or other starchy things) and various seasonings.

Is cornbread the same as traditional stuffing? ›

Dressing and stuffing are staples of a Thanksgiving dinner. While dressing is more of a Southern affair, stuffing is a Northern spin on the dish. The significant difference between the two is the bread. Dressing is made from cornbread, and stuffing is made from other breads.

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