An easy Bread Stuffing made with all the classic flavors. Baked outside the bird but still buttery and moist, this recipe tastes just like Mom used to make!

Classic bread stuffing in a white baking dish.

This stuffing is rich and savory, soft but with crispy edges. There are some vegetables, but nothing so strange that it changes the overall texture.

There are no walnuts, pears, or gorgonzola. There are no jalapeños nor bacon. It's traditional, like your mom's or grandma's maybe, and I hope you love it as much a I do.

Table of Contents
  1. Recipe ingredients
  2. Ingredient notes
  3. Step-by-step instructions
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Classic Bread Stuffing Recipe

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for classic bread stuffing in various bowls.

Ingredient notes

  • Chicken broth: I keep jars of homemade chicken broth in the freezer (it's a delicious by-product of poaching a chicken), but store-bought is also good. Or use turkey broth if you have that.
  • Herbs: Fresh herbs taste the best in this stuffing, but dried work too. I rarely find fresh marjoram and almost always substitute dried.
  • French bread: You can also use brioche, challah, or Italian bread. Dry the bread up to 3 days in advance (keep it covered with a dry kitchen towel on counter, or slice and dry in a 300-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes).

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with butter. In large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter until foaming. Add onion and celery and sauté until softened, about 7 to 8 minutes.
Onion and celery cooking in a skilet.
  1. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in large bowl. Stir in broth, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
A bowl with chicken broth, eggs, and spices to make stuffing.
  1. To skillet, add parsley, sage, thyme, and marjoram until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with eggs and mix well. Add bread cubes and toss to combine.
Bread stuffing in a bowl before baking.
  1. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake until mostly heated through, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crispy edges form, about 15 to 20 minutes longer.
Bread stuffing in a baking dish after baking.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This recipe will serve at least 10 as a side dish.
  • Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Make ahead: After you've assembled the stuffing, refrigerate it up to 1 day in advance. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Keep stuffing tightly covered with foil and bake until mostly heated through, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crispy edges form, about 10 to 20 minutes longer.
  • Small batch: Stuffing for two is perfect for a couple.
  • Stuffing a turkey, chicken, or hen: For food safety reasons, and for a more evenly cooked bird, most modern recipes don't encourage stuffing a turkey. If you decide to stuff your turkey, make sure the stuffing is warm when it goes in so it has a head start in cooking (either because you just finished making it, or because you made it in advance and reheated it). Use a large spoon or your hands to loosely stuff the body and neck cavities (do not pack it tightly because the stuffing expands while it cooks). Truss the main cavity with trussing pins to keep the stuffing inside. The stuffing must register 165 degrees on an internal thermometer to be safe to eat.
A plate of roasted trukey, stuffing, vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cranberries.

How to Make Chicken Broth

For the best, most delicious homemade chicken broth, start with a whole raw chicken or chicken pieces and simple vegetables and herbs. At the end of it, you'll have 4 cups of delicious cooked chicken and…

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Classic Bread Stuffing

An easy Bread Stuffing made with all the classic flavors. Baked outside the bird but still buttery and moist, this recipe tastes just like Mom used to make!

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 50 mins

Total Time 1 hr 10 mins

Servings 10 servings, 1 cup each

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Calories 231

  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) plus more for buttering dish
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 4 celery ribs halved lengthwise and chopped
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups chicken broth (see note 1)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley minced (see note 2)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh sage minced, or ½ teaspoon dried
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme minced, or ½ teaspoon dried
  • 1 teaspoon fresh marjoram minced, or ½ teaspoon dried
  • 1 loaf French bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes and dried overnight on counter (about 1 pound, see note 3)

  • Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with butter.

  • In large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter until foaming. Add onion and celery and sauté until translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in large bowl. Stir in broth, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.

  • To skillet, add parsley, sage, thyme, and marjoram until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with eggs and mix well. Add bread cubes and toss to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish.

  • Cover tightly with foil and bake until mostly heated through, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crispy edges form, about 15 to 20 minutes longer.

  1. Chicken broth: I keep jars of homemade chicken broth in the freezer (it's a delicious by-product of poaching a chicken), but store-bought is also good. Or use turkey broth if you have that.
  2. Herbs: Fresh herbs taste the best in this stuffing, but dried work too. I rarely find fresh marjoram and almost always substitute dried.
  3. French bread: You can also use brioche, challah, or Italian bread. Dry the bread up to 3 days in advance (keep it covered with a dry kitchen towel on counter, or slice and dry in a 300-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes).
  4. Yield: This recipe will serve at least 10 as a side dish.
  5. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  6. Make ahead: After you've assembled the stuffing, refrigerate it up to 1 day in advance. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Keep stuffing tightly covered with foil and bake until mostly heated through, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crispy edges form, about 10 to 20 minutes longer.
  7. Small batch: Stuffing for two is perfect for a couple.
  8. Stuffing a turkey, chicken, or hen: For food safety reasons, and for a more evenly cooked bird, most modern recipes don't encourage stuffing a turkey. If you decide to stuff your turkey, make sure the stuffing is warm when it goes in so it has a head start in cooking (either because you just finished making it, or because you made it in advance and reheated it). Use a large spoon or your hands to loosely stuff the body and neck cavities (do not pack it tightly because the stuffing expands while it cooks). Truss the main cavity with trussing pins to keep the stuffing inside. The stuffing must register 165 degrees on an internal thermometer to be safe to eat.

Serving: 1 cup Calories: 231 kcal Carbohydrates: 25 g Protein: 7 g Fat: 12 g Saturated Fat: 7 g Trans Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 80 mg Sodium: 495 mg Potassium: 194 mg Fiber: 2 g Sugar: 2 g Vitamin A: 701 IU Vitamin C: 9 mg Calcium: 48 mg Iron: 2 mg

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