Buttery Herb Stuffing: The Heart of Every Holiday Meal

This Buttery Herb Stuffing is the quintessential side dish that everyone looks forward to on the holiday table. Imagine soft, pillowy bread cubes toasted to golden perfection in an impossibly rich, herby, and savory butter broth, with a texture that’s crisp on top and irresistibly moist underneath.

It’s a timeless Buttery Herb Stuffing recipe that fills your home with the most comforting aroma, promising a feast of flavor and nostalgia in every single bite.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS STUFFING

You will fall in love with this Buttery Herb Stuffing recipe for so many reasons.

• Firstly, this Buttery Herb Stuffing achieves the perfect textural balance, with a delightfully crispy top and a soft, savory interior.
• Secondly, it’s incredibly aromatic, filling your kitchen with the scent of sage, thyme, and roasting onions, the very essence of the holidays.
• Furthermore, it’s a wonderfully versatile canvas; you can easily add sausage, apples, or nuts to make it your own.
• Finally, it’s a soul-warming, crowd-pleasing dish that feels like a hug on a plate, evoking cherished memories with every forkful.

Print

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

The magic is in the simple, high-quality ingredients.

For the Bread:

• High-Quality White Bread: A sturdy, bakery-style loaf or French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes and dried out (see step-by-step). You’ll need about 12 cups.
• Butter: A full two sticks (1 cup) of unsalted butter. This is the foundation of the rich flavor.
• Yellow Onions & Celery: The classic aromatic base, diced. This creates the foundational flavor.

The Fresh Herb Trio:

• Fresh Sage: The star of the show! You’ll need about 1/4 cup of chopped fresh sage.
• Fresh Thyme: For earthy, aromatic notes.
• Fresh Rosemary: For a piney, warm depth.

The Liquid Ingredients:

• Chicken or Vegetable Broth: Use a good-quality broth for the best flavor. You’ll need about 2 to 2 1/2 cups.
• Eggs: Two large eggs, which help bind the stuffing and give it a richer, more custardy texture.
• Salt and Black Pepper: For seasoning.

TOOLS YOU WILL WANT

You will need a large baking dish (9×13 inch is perfect), two large baking sheets for drying the bread, a large skillet, a very large mixing bowl, and a whisk.

HOW TO MAKE THIS STUFFING

Follow these Buttery Herb Stuffing steps for a perfectly moist stuffing, never soggy.

Dry the Bread Cubes

1. First, preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
2. Then, spread the bread cubes in a single layer on two large baking sheets.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring once, until the cubes are dry and lightly toasted but not browned. This crucial step prevents a mushy stuffing.
4. Let the cubes cool, then transfer them to a very large mixing bowl.

Sauté the Aromatics

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the two sticks of butter.
2. Add the diced onions and celery and cook for 8-10 minutes, until they are soft and translucent.
3. Add the chopped fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary and cook for one more minute until incredibly fragrant.

Combine and Assemble

1. Pour the entire contents of the skillet, the herby butter, and all the vegetables over the dried bread cubes in the mixing bowl.
2. Toss very well until every single bread cube is glossy and coated in the beautiful, fragrant butter.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs, then gradually whisk in 2 cups of the broth.
4. Pour the broth and egg mixture over the bread cubes and toss again to combine thoroughly.

Bake to Perfection

1. Increase your oven temperature to 375°F (190°C).
2. Transfer the stuffing mixture to your greased baking dish and press it down gently.
3. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
4. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crisp.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR PERFECT STUFFING

I want to share my best tips to make your Buttery Herb Stuffing flawless. Drying your own bread is the single most important step for texture; do not use pre-packaged seasoned crumbs. Furthermore, taste the mixture before it goes into the oven! Once the bread and broth are combined, taste a cube.

It should be well-seasoned; this is your chance to add more salt and pepper. For the crispiest top, let the uncovered stuffing bake until it is deeply golden. If you add more mix-ins, ensure they are cooked and cooled before adding to the bread.

VARIATIONS YOU WILL ACTUALLY TRY

This Buttery Herb Stuffing recipe is a perfect base for creativity.

• For a Sausage & Apple Stuffing, brown 1 lb of breakfast sausage, then use the sausage drippings to cook the aromatics.
• Fold in the cooked sausage and 1 1/2 cups of diced apple with the herbs.
• For a Wild Mushroom & Leek version, use 8 oz of sliced wild mushrooms and 2 chopped leeks instead of the celery and onion.
• You can also create a Pecan & Cranberry stuffing by folding in 1 cup of toasted pecans and 3/4 cup of dried cranberries before baking.

MAKE-AHEAD, STORAGE & FREEZING

This Buttery Herb Stuffing is a holiday lifesaver. You can prepare the entire recipe up to the baking point, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. You may need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time since it will be going into the oven cold.

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave. It freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

TROUBLESHOOTING: COMMON QUESTIONS

Let’s solve any potential issues. If my stuffing is too dry, you can drizzle a little extra warm broth over the top before serving. To prevent a soggy stuffing, ensure your bread is thoroughly dried and you are using the correct broth-to-bread ratio.

If the top isn’t browning, you can place it under the broiler for the last 1-2 minutes, but watch it like a hawk! Can I cook this inside a turkey? You can, but baking it in a dish ensures even cooking, a crispy top, and food safety.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

This Buttery Herb Stuffing is the ultimate holiday side dish. Serve it alongside your roasted turkey, honey-glazed ham, or holiday prime rib. It’s also fantastic with a drizzle of turkey gravy. For a next-day treat, pan-fry leftover stuffing in a little butter to make crispy stuffing cakes, and serve them with a fried egg on top.

NUTRITION NOTES

This is a rich, celebratory dish. For a lighter version, you can reduce the butter by 1/4 cup and use a low-sodium broth. Using whole-grain bread will add fiber.

MY STORY: WHY I ADORE THIS STUFFING

This Buttery Herb Stuffing recipe is the one my grandmother always made, and it is the absolute heart of our holiday table. I can still remember standing on a chair as a child, watching her chop the herbs with her ancient wooden-handled knife.

The smell was intoxicating. Now, when I make it for my own family, that same aroma wraps our home in a blanket of love and tradition. It’s more than a recipe; it’s a tangible connection to my past and a dish that I know will be passed down for generations to come.

FINAL CHECKLIST BEFORE YOU BAKE

Before you start, do a quick scan:

• Bread is dried and cooled.
• Oven is preheated to 375°F (190°C).
• Baking dish is greased.
• Herbs are chopped, and vegetables are diced.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS