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A close-up of a white baking dish filled with homemade stuffing, featuring cubes of bread, celery, cranberries, and fresh thyme.

Why Everyone Loves This Stuffing Recipes (+ Make-Ahead Tips)

This stuffing recipe is a holiday favorite, combining savory herbs, sweet apple, and tender vegetables with toasted bread. It includes make-ahead tips for easy holiday meal preparation.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Make-Ahead Storage 24 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 49 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Holiday, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 240

Ingredients
  

For the Bread
  • 16 slices whole wheat bread cut into 1 inch cubes
For the Herb Butter Mixture
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt-free chicken seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
For the Stuffing Mix
  • 1 Honeycrisp apple cored and diced
  • 3 celery stalks diced
  • 1/2 medium sweet onion diced
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 2 cups chicken broth

Equipment

  • 9x13 baking dish
  • Large Baking Sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • medium saucepan
  • Aluminum foil

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Cube the bread slices and place them in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until toasted.
  3. While the bread toasts, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in the rosemary, thyme, salt, chicken seasoning, parsley, pepper, and garlic powder until combined.
  4. Add the diced apple, celery, onion, and dried cranberries to the butter mixture. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
  5. Transfer the toasted bread cubes to a 9x13 baking dish. Pour the butter mixture over the bread and toss to combine. Cover with aluminum foil. You can refrigerate at this point for up to 24 hours for make-ahead. If making ahead, allow it to come to room temperature before proceeding to the next step.
  6. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Stir the chicken broth into the stuffing mixture, tossing to combine. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
  7. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 15 minutes, or until the stuffing is golden brown and heated through. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 240kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 6gFat: 13gSodium: 529mgFiber: 4g

Notes

This stuffing can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. Store it covered in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before proceeding with the baking instructions.

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