Old fashioned stuffing – stay at home chef

If you've never made homemade stuffing before, you're really missing out! Homemade stuffing is surprisingly easy to make, requiring only a handful of ingredients and putting any boxed mix to shame. The result? The most delicious stuffing that's moist, soft, and the ultimate holiday side dish (or a full meal—who are we to judge?).

Serve it alongside our favorite Juicy turkey Or our simple Oven Roasted Turkey Breast.

The stuffing is made with dry, stale bread, but don't worry, if you still have fresh, we've got you covered with easy instructions for drying it. This will keep your stuffing from getting too soggy. You can make it again and again and it is sure to be devoured every time. Don't take our word for it—try it yourself and you'll never go back to boxed stuffing again!

Material notes

• Bread: You can use any bakery style bread. You want it to be dry and stale for the best texture.
• Onions: You can use a white or yellow onion here. Dice it for texture, or mince it if you want your onion to blend more.
• Celery: The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of chopped celery which would be about 4 or 5 medium celery ribs.
• Chicken Broth: Use a low-sodium option for more control over salt levels.
• Fresh Herbs: You can usually find it in a plastic case in the refrigerated area of ​​the produce section at your local store. You can use dried herbs as an alternative. If using dried herbs, reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon.

Bread Substitutes

Dry and stale bread is best for this recipe. The best type of bread for making stuffing is crusty, bakery-style bread. Options include French bread with a hard crust, a country-style loaf, or even sourdough bread. If your bread isn't dry and stale, it's best to toast your bread before using it to make the stuffing. To toast your bread, cut your bread into 1-inch cubes. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a 225-degree oven for 30 minutes until stale.

Don't stuff a Türkiye

While cooking stuffing inside a turkey may sound nostalgic and tempting, it actually comes with some technical concerns. For stuffing to be safe to eat, it must reach an internal temperature of 165°F, just like your turkey. However, in order for the stuffing to reach that temperature, the surrounding turkey may need to be cooked to 180°F or higher. This results in an overcooked, dry turkey and no one wants that!

Cooking stuffing separately ensures that it is heated evenly and thoroughly without any food safety concerns. Also, baking the stuffing in a dish keeps it moist but lightly crisps the top, which you can't achieve when the bird is inside.