Many people believe that the key to great Thanksgiving stuffing (or dressing) is the bread: if you have great bread, you will have great stuffing. But in my years of cooking, I have found that most stuffing bread cubes in the bag are just as good, not to mention a real time-saver. The real key to great stuffing is the broth, and most of us have plenty of that on hand as the bird is roasting.

Fun Fact: National Stuffing Day is November 21st each year!

It Starts With Broth!

One of the first things my grandmother did on Thanksgiving morning was to take the neck and giblets from the cavity of the turkey and throw them into a stock pot with a quartered onion (peel on), some celery stalks with tops, a carrot or two (also with tops), and some parsley stems. And then she just let it simmer for hours, fortifying it with extra pan drippings from the roasted bird. Some people add some bouillon cubes or chicken base. Whichever you choose, remember the secret to tasty stuffing is in the broth.

I tend to start all my stuffing recipes with bagged stuffing bread cubes, such as Pepperidge Farm®, and then make additions. Not that I have anything against using a loaf of good stuffing bread, hand cubed and toasted in the oven and adding my own blend of fresh or dried herbs. But the best advice I can give for magnificent stuffing every time is this: add your homemade broth by eye, rather than by following a recipe for the exact amount. There are too many variables in the dryness of the bread. You are aiming for a moist stuffing, but not something so saturated that the bread cubes lose cohesion.  The chances of that happening are less when you use a bagged mix because in the bag, the bread is as dry as dry can be.

Perfect Stuffing: A 5-Step Process

Foolproof stuffing is basically a five-step process:

  • Sautee your onions and celery in the butter
  • Prepare your additions
  • Toss everything together with your bag of stuffing mix
  • Ladle on your homemade turkey broth and mix until you achieve that desired moistness; and then
  • Bake (either stuffed in the bird, or in a casserole dish).

NOTE: for safety, stuffing in the bird must reach 165°F. If your turkey is done to 180°F (thigh), and the stuffing is not quite up to temp, remove it from the bird and finish baking it in a dish.

Here are three stuffing recipes that traditionally go well with roast turkey; either one or all three are perfect for your Thanksgiving table:

Traditional Oyster Stuffing

Chestnut-Sausage Stuffing

Wild Rice and Mushroom Stuffing

  • Edward Higgins
  • #molongui-disabled-link
  • March 19, 2022
  • St. Paddy’s Day Leftovers? Whip Up Some Corned Beef Hash!
  • Edward Higgins
  • #molongui-disabled-link
  • May 27, 2021
  • American Flag Rules & Etiquette
  • Edward Higgins
  • #molongui-disabled-link
  • April 12, 2021
  • Fly Fishing: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Edward Higgins
  • #molongui-disabled-link
  • January 7, 2020
  • 5 Mistakes You Might Be Making With Your Cast Iron Skillet