Our Favorite Buttery Herb Stuffing Food

OUR FAVORITE BUTTERY HERB STUFFING

Steps:

• Note about the bread cubes! You have options here. Stale or toasty bread works best. The first option is that you can cut 1 ½ pounds of bread into cubes, place it in a large baking dish, loosely tent with foil and let it sit overnight. You can also cut the cubes and put them in oven, toasting them at 350 degrees F until they are like croutons, about 15 minutes or so. Finally, you can buy the toasted bread cubes in bags from the store. It's your choice! You can also choose the size of your cubes. They can be small or larger for a more rustic stuffing.
• My mom has always used a mixture of stale and fresh bread. Also, I like to use different kinds of bread (usually two), like a sourdough and italian, and mix the cubes. It provides great texture.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a 9x13 baking dish (you can also use a larger baking dish or a larger foil roasting pan too!) with melted butter, olive oil or spray with nonstick spray. Place the bread in a large mixing bowl (this may be easier for you to stir!) or the baking dish that you will bake it in. You can also separate this into two baking dishes if it's easier.
• Heat the butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the onion, celery and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper - at least ½ to 1 teaspoon each. Cook until the onions and celery soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the sage, parsley and rosemary. Cook for another minute. Stir in 1 cup of stock.
• Pour the onion celery mixture over the bread crumbs and toss well to coat.
• In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the remaining 1 ½ cups stock and 2 eggs.
• Pour that mixture into the bread cubes and stir and fold the bread cubes until thoroughly combined. Bake the stuffing for 45 to 50 minutes, until the internal temperature registers 160 degrees F. If the stuffing is getting too browned, you can tent it with foil.
• I have successfully made this a day ahead of time and reheated it - it's just as good! emove the pan from the fridge 60 minutes before reheating it. You can also use this mixture to stuff the bird if you wish!
• To serve 4: Cut this recipe in half exactly and bake it in an 8x8 or 9x9 inch dish. I bake for the same amount of time.
• To serve 12 to 18: Double this recipe exactly. Bake in a large baking dish, like a 10x15 roasting pan, or baking in two 9x13 baking dishes. I bake for roughly the same amount of time, or about 15 minutes longer.

STUFFING RECIPE

Steps:

• To lightly toast the bread, place on a baking sheet and toast in the oven at 210°F (100°C) for 90 minutes, flipping every 30 minutes. This can be done a few days ahead.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• In a medium skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the onion and celery until tender (not brown). Add the garlic, and cook for a minute or until it's fragrant then remove from heat.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the toasted bread with the butter-veg mixture, and chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Add a cup of stock, and mix everything with a spatula or your hands.
• Combine beaten eggs with the remaining stock or broth, and add it gradually to the bread. Keep mixing and make sure that the bread is soaked all the way through but not mushy.
• Transfer to a 13 x 9-inch baking pan, cover with foil, and bake for 35-45 minutes or until an instant read thermometer registers 160°F in the center of the stuffing. Uncover the brown the top for 10 minutes or until it's golden and crispy.

CLASSIC HERB STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Melt butter in large skillet on medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir 5 minutes. Stir in thyme, poultry seasoning, seasoned salt and pepper.
• Place bread cubes in large bowl. Add celery mixture and broth; toss gently until well mixed. Spoon into lightly greased 13x9-inch baking dish.
• Bake 35 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned.

MUSHROOM HERB STUFFING

Steps:

• Clean and slice the mushrooms with an egg slicer. Sauté in 1 tablespoons of butter with the chopped onions and celery.
• Combine the bread cubes, seasonings, sautéed mushrooms, onions, and celery.
• And the remaining butter.
• Add the chicken broth and mix well.
• Mixes 8 cups of stuffing or enough to stuff.
• A 10-12 lb. Turkey.

THE BEST SOURDOUGH STUFFING

Steps:

• Chop the onions, celery, mushrooms, garlic, optional walnuts or chestnuts, and herbs.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute and add salt and pepper to taste (the amount you use will depend on your preference and your stock e.g. homemade unsalted or not).
• When the vegetables have softened, add the herbs and optional nuts, and saute for another minute or so, then add 1 cup of the stock.
• In a medium bowl (with a pour spout if possible), beat the eggs, then add the remaining 2 cups of stock.
• Place your cubed sourdough bread in a large mixing bowl. (You could put the bread directly in the baking pan, but stirring may be difficult.)
• Pour the saute mixture over the cubed bread and mix. Then pour on the stock-egg mixture and fold everything until it's thoroughly combined.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly oil or butter a 9x13 baking dish.
• Transfer the mixture to your baking dish and spread evenly, cover and let sit for about 20 minutes for the bread to absorb the liquids.
• After the rest, if the top bread cubes seem dry and there is no loose liquid underneath, sprinkle on 1-2 cups of water, stir everything again inside the pan, and then put the pan in the oven.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the internal temperature is at least 160°F. Cover with foil if the stuffing begins to brown too much.
• After removing from the oven, sprinkle with additional fresh herbs if you want.

CORNBREAD SAUSAGE STUFFING FOR THANKSGIVING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter baking dish; set aside. Arrange bread and cornbread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, tossing occasionally, until completely dried out, 35-50 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet, then transfer to a very large bowl.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high. Break sausage into ½" pieces and cook, stirring and breaking up into smaller (about ¼") pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula, until browned, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread but do not stir.
• Heat remaining 1 stick butter in same skillet over medium-high. Cook onions and celery, stirring often and scraping browned bits off bottom of pan, until just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add to bowl with bread mixture and let cool.
• Whisk eggs, broth, parsley, sage, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add to bread mixture and fold gently until thoroughly combined.
• Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Transfer mixture to prepared dish, cover with foil, and bake stuffing until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 160°F, 40-45 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until set and top is browned and crisped, 45-50 minutes more.
• DO AHEAD: Stuffing can be assembled, but not baked, 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. When ready to bake, bring to room temperature and bake according to recipe. Stuffing can be baked 1 day ahead. Let cool completely, then cover with foil and chill. Keep covered and bake in a 350°F oven until warmed through, 25-30 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is crisped, 7-10 minutes more.