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Classic stuffing in a rustic baking dish, made with golden toasted bread cubes, caramelized onions, celery, and fresh herbs like parsley, sage, and rosemary for a savory holiday side dish.

The Best Classic Stuffing Recipe

This classic stuffing recipe features toasted bread cubes, savory onions, celery, and garlic, elevated with a blend of fresh herbs and chicken stock, then baked until golden and delicious. It's a perfect side dish for any festive occasion or family dinner.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 350

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 18 to 24 ounces bread cubes 1.5 loaves of bread, or about 12 to 14 cups, preferably toasted or stale
  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 3 cups sweet onion diced, roughly 2 large onions
  • 2 cups celery diced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • kosher salt
  • pepper
  • 3 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
  • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
  • 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 eggs large
  • fresh herbs a mixture, for sprinkling

Equipment

  • Large baking dish
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Large skillet or Dutch oven
  • Small bowl or measuring cup

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Prepare the bread cubes by toasting them in the oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes until like croutons, or use stale bread. Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9x13 baking dish, then place the prepared bread in a large mixing bowl or the baking dish.
  2. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and minced garlic with a generous pinch of salt and pepper, cooking for 8-10 minutes until softened. Stir in the chopped sage, parsley, and rosemary and cook for one more minute, then add 1 cup of stock.
  3. Pour the cooked onion and celery mixture over the bread cubes and toss well to coat them evenly.
  4. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 ½ cups of stock with 2 large eggs.
  5. Add the stock and egg mixture to the bread cubes, stirring and folding until everything is thoroughly combined. Bake the stuffing for 45-50 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F, tenting with foil if it browns too quickly.

Notes

For best results, use stale or toasted bread cubes, which can be prepared the day before. This stuffing can also be made a day ahead and reheated; remember to remove it from the fridge 60 minutes before reheating. Feel free to use this mixture to stuff a whole bird if desired.