Best Stuffing Recipe

Best stuffing recipe. Loaded with croutons and flavored with aromatic herbs, this classic dish is a winning side for your next Thanksgiving meal. The crispiness of the croutons gives it a beautiful crunchy texture, and the incredible addition of fall flavors make it ideal for the season. For extra crunch, top with toasted chopped walnuts or pecans. Without a doubt, this dish features the ultimate combination of holiday flavors.

Best Stuffing Recipe

We all know that the perfect stuffing or dressing is one of the most important sides of Thanksgiving dinner. While there’s some debate about whether it’s really called a stuffing or dressing, it does add the finishing touch to your roast turkey. If you are a beginner in the kitchen, this easy yet incredible recipe is a great place to start.

Contrary to the classic version, homemade croutons get a simple flavoring of cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Add these crispy croutons to a lip-smacking sauce made with sautéed onions and celery, stock or broth, herbs including thyme, sage and rosemary, eggs, and beautiful vibrant cranberries. The croutons, when baked, form a crispy topping – simply amazing!

Key Ingredients In Thanksgiving Stuffing

• Croutons – Homemade is the best, but store bought is the way to go if you are short on time.
• Spices – Cayenne pepper and garlic powder are extra additions to level up the flavor.
• Butter – Key ingredient for maximum flavor.
• Chicken or turkey stock (broth) – This forms the base of the sauce.
• Herbs – Fresh or dried classic herbs of holiday cooking including sage, thyme and rosemary.
• Dried cranberries – I really love the vibrant pops of red.

Best Stuffing Recipe

Make croutons – For homemade croutons, you just need to bake cubes of bread with a dash of salt of pepper until crisp. You can add your favorite seasoning, I opted for garlic powder and cayenne pepper.

Make stuffing – Start with melting butter followed by sautéing onions and celery. Stir in stock (broth). All the herbs go in next alongside the crispy croutons, eggs and cranberries. Bake this in the oven for about 40 minutes, and you will get the tastiest Thanksgiving side with golden, crispy top and creamy center.

Yield: 6

Best Stuffing Recipe

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Crispy croutons, aromatic herbs and all the Thanksgiving flavors in one dish. Best stuffing ever!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

Croutons:

• 1 loaf crusty bread, cut into cubes, about 4 cups
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Stuffing mixture:

• 110 g butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups chicken or turkey stock (broth)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Make croutons:

1. Preheat oven to 190 C or 375 F. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
2. Place bread cubes on the baking sheet.
3. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper and garlic powder, and toss to coat.
4. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until crisp and golden brown.
6. You can make this a day ahead, and once cooled, store in an airtight container.

Make stuffing mixture:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C or 350 F. Grease an 8x11 or 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. Melt butter in a large frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add onions, celery and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 4-5 minutes or until the onions are soft and leeks are tender.
4. Add stock or broth. Stir. Simmer for about 3 minutes.
5. Add croutons, eggs, dried cranberries, thyme, sage and rosemary. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. 
6. Transfer stuffing mixture to the baking dish. 
7. Bake, covered, for about 40 minutes or until the middle sets and top turns crisp and golden brown.

Notes

• Vegetarian stuffing - For vegetarian version, opt for vegetable stock (broth).
• Herbs - Substitute dried herbs with 1 tablespoon each of sage and thyme. With rosemary, I highly recommend using the dried version.
• Croutons - Plain crusty bread works well in this recipe. I used sourdough. Store bought croutons are a great option if you are short on time. Use day-old bread for best results.
• Plan a day ahead - You can make croutons a day ahead, and add to the stuffing mixture before baking.
• Variations - Stir fry sausages with onions for meaty filling. You can also add diced fruits like apple or pear for a touch of sweetness.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 377Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 145mgSodium 423mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 2gSugar 8gProtein 17g

The nutritional data is for information purposes only

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