My Famous Homemade Stuffing Recipe (2024)

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ByMerissa

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Don’t think that the homemade stuffing can be the star of the show? You just haven’t found the right recipe yet! Hopefully, this recipe for my Famous Homemade Stuffing will change your mind about how delicious (and easy!) a stuffing recipe can be.

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Table of Contents

My Famous Homemade Stuffing

Every year for any major holiday I’m asked to bring 2 things, the dessert and my famous homemade stuffing. After deciding many years ago that the boxed mixed stuff will never work for us this recipe has developed, and we just love it.

The reason I’ve put off posting it for so long is that I don’t have amounts for anything. It’s just one of those “by taste” recipes. So, really, it’s more of a “guideline” than a recipe. But you should see that as a plus since it’s so much more easily adaptable to your own family’s tastes!

Ingredients in Homemade Stuffing from Scratch

  • Bread. You’ll need at least 1/2 loaf of Homemade Bread. You can use store-bought bread too if that’s what you have. Use a hearty variety so it holds up well.
  • Apples. Any nice sweet variety will do for this recipe. Something like a Fuji apple will also stay nice and crispy but you can use a Gala as well.
  • Onion. A must-add item to give it great flavor!
  • Egg. This will help with flavor and coating the bread and rice well.
  • Salt. You can also add pepper or any other spices you like. We like salt, pepper, and sage.
  • Rice. This is the secret ingredient! Rice will add so much to this stuffing recipe as well as help keep it frugal.
  • Chicken Broth. You can use homemade or store-bought but something with great flavor is helpful here.
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Start with a half loaf of fresh bread. (Note that you can use Gluten Free Bread. It will work great in this recipe!) Use one small loaf from the store if you don’t have homemade. You want about 1 lb of bread in this recipe. Place pieces of the bread out on the countertop and let them begin to dry overnight. Once the bread is dry, break it into small pieces the size of croutons. Place these in a very large bowl.

If you don’t have the time to let it dry, tear it into pieces first stick it in the oven for a little bit. Take it out when it’s dry but not totally hard and crispy.

Cook the rice. Try and use freshly cooked rice in this recipe, not day old rice so it won’t get so hard.In the large bowl mix together your bread cubes and the cooked rice.

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Use butter or oil and beginto fry a medium-sized onion in it.

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Cut up at least 1 or 2 medium-sized apples. You won’t need them just yet but you will in a minute. We use our Rada Utility Knife to cut apples. It’s the best!

In the meantime, your onions should be about cooked through by now so add in the apples and fry together. You don’t want to fry the apples too long, just a few minutes.

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In a small bowl, mix together the egg, chicken broth (about 1 c. or more depending on how moist you want the stuffing to be) and the salt or any spices you might like. We like to add sage.

Pour the chicken broth/egg mixture over the bread and rice mixture. Let it soak in for a couple of minutes. Add in the apple/onion mixture and mix together. If the mixture doesn’t seem moist enough, add a little more broth, remember that some of the moisture will cook out in the oven.

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Lightly grease a large cookie sheet and pour the whole mixture onto it. Bake it at 350F for about 20 minutes. You will want to use a spatula and stir it around occasionally. You want to watch it bake carefully because if you cook it too long it will get too dry.

Yum. This could really be a meal all unto itself. Enjoy!

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Homemade Stuffing Recipe

How to make your own frugal stuffing to go with your Thanksgiving turkey!

CourseSide Dish

CuisineAmerican

KeywordHomemade Stuffing

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 8 people

Calories 126 kcal

Creator Merissa

Ingredients

  • Breadat least 1/2 loaf of Homemade Bread
  • 2Applesany nice sweet variety
  • 1mediumOnion
  • 1Egg
  • Saltand pepper or any other spices you like
  • 1cupRiceuncooked
  • 1cupChicken Broth

Instructions

  1. Start with a half loaf of fresh bread. Use one small loaf from the store if you don’t have homemade. You want about 1 lb of bread in this recipe. Place pieces of the bread out on the countertop and let them begin to dry overnight.

  2. Once the bread is dry, break it into small pieces the size of croutons.

  3. If you don’t have the time to let it dry, tear it into pieces first stick it in the oven for a little bit. Take it out when it’s dry but not totally hard and crispy.

  4. Cook the rice. Try and use freshly cooked rice in this recipe, not day old rice so it won’t get so hard.

  5. Use butter or oil and beginto fry a medium-sized onion in it.

  6. Cut up at least 1 or 2 medium sized apples. You won’t need them just yet but you will in a minute.

  7. In a large bowl mix together your bread cubes and the cooked rice.

  8. In the meantime, your onions should be about cooked through by now so add in the apples and fry together. You don’t want to fry the apples too long.

  9. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, chicken broth (about 1 c. or more depending on how moist you want the stuffing to be) and the salt or any spices you might like. We like to add sage.

  10. Pour the chicken broth/egg mixture over the bread and rice mixture. Let it soak in for a couple minutes.

  11. Add in the apple/onion mixture and mix together.

  12. Lightly grease a large cookie sheet and pour the whole mixture onto it. Bake it at 350F for about 20 minutes. You will want to use a spatula and stir it around occasionally. You want to watch it bake carefully because if you cook it too long it will get too dry.

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Stuffing Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 126Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 0.3g2%

Trans Fat 0.003g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.3g

Cholesterol 20mg7%

Sodium 19mg1%

Potassium 128mg4%

Carbohydrates 26g9%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 55IU1%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 17mg2%

Iron 0.4mg2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Do you make your own homemade stuffing? Have you tried this recipe?

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Merissa Alink

Merissa has been blogging about andliving the simple and frugal life on Little House Living since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from theContact Page.

This recipe was originally published on Little House Living in December 2011, it was updated in November 2023.

My Famous Homemade Stuffing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is stock or broth better for stuffing? ›

Homemade stock is the best, but if you don't have homemade, a good store bought stock will work as well. If you use a store bought stock, try to buy one with no/low sodium. I personally have started using bone broth in my stuffing and LOVE it.

Why put eggs in stuffing? ›

Broth: Chicken broth keeps the stuffing moist without making it soggy. Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture. Water: You can add a few tablespoons of water, if you'd like, to achieve your desired consistency.

What makes stuffing unhealthy? ›

Nutrition Notes

Stuffing is essentially bread, salt, and butter, so it probably comes as no surprise that it isn't the healthiest food served on Thanksgiving.

What is traditional stuffing made of? ›

Turkey stuffing was popularized in the early days of Thanksgiving, as it is written in many 16th-century Boston area documents. Stuffing most often uses dried bread, herbs, and vegetables that are reconstituted with liquid, stuffed into the turkey cavity, and baked until it is firm and finished cooking.

What happens if I use broth instead of stock? ›

In most cases, stock and broth are interchangeable. If you're in the soup aisle and can't remember whether the recipe called for stock or broth, either will do for making soup, gravy, or a flavorful pot of rice or grains. Keep in mind that stock is unseasoned, and broth is seasoned.

Can you put too much broth in dressing? ›

I suggest adding a little at a time, say 1 cup of broth for every 4 cups of dry mix. Give it a good stir, then let it sit for a minute. The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much.

Are you supposed to cook the stuffing before putting it in? ›

Fully cook raw meat, poultry, or seafood ingredients before adding to stuffing. Combine the ingredients and place them in your bird immediately before cooking. Don't stuff whole poultry with cooked stuffing. In addition to the turkey, the stuffing's center needs to reach 165 F.

How do you keep stuffing moist when cooking? ›

Typically, baking the stuffing inside the bird helps keep the mixture moist. “I prefer stuffing (in the bird) to dressing (outside of the bird) because all those delicious drippings that come off the turkey gets absorbed right into the stuffing,” Bamford says.

Why you shouldn't eat stuffing? ›

Bacteria can survive in stuffing that has not reached 165 degrees that could then cause food poisoning. After removing the bird from the oven, wait for 20 minutes before taking the stuffing out of the turkey's cavity; it will cook a little more this way.

Is pepperidge farm stuffing bad for you? ›

This product contains a high percentage of the Institute of Medicine's recommended adequate intake for sodium of 1500 mg a day (IOM 2005). This value is much lower than what the FDA requires be listed on food labels -- 2400 mg. Americans average 3,400 mg of sodium a day.

What to use instead of butter in stuffing? ›

Coconut oil, olive oil, safflower oil, and coconut butter are some of the most used butter alternatives. Depending on temperature, coconut oil can be both a solid and a liquid.

What is Christmas stuffing made of? ›

Easy stuffing

Starting with dried sourdough bread, celery, onion, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, chicken broth and eggs. A whole stick of butter goes in the pan adding onions, herbs and garlic (sausage is optional). Eggs combine everything together before going in the oven on a baking dish.

What is Teddy stuffing made of? ›

There are quite a lot of stuffing possibilities but the main two types of soft stuffing materials I like to use are polyester fibrefil and wool roving. In my sewing workshops for kids I use a polyester fibrefil stuffing as it's reasonably priced, does a great job and is also machine washable.

Why is stuffing so tasty? ›

Stuffing has a symbiotic relationship with turkey. As it cooks, the herbs in the stuffing infuse into the bird, giving it a lot more flavor. The turkey, in turn, drips all its delicious juices into the stuffing as it cooks, moistening it and making it taste great.

When should you use broth or stock? ›

As a result, stock is usually a healthier product, delivering a richer mouth feel and deeper flavor than broth. Stock is a versatile culinary tool that can deliver taste to any number of dishes. Darker in color and more concentrated in flavor than broth, it's ideal for use in soups, rice, sauces and more.

Can you substitute beef broth for chicken broth in stuffing? ›

But, if you are in a pinch, and your recipe calls for chicken broth and all you have is beef broth, you can substitute one for the other without ruining the dish. You will notice subtle changes in the color or flavor of the finished dish, but it will still taste great, and it will get dinner on the table on time.

What is the difference between Swanson broth and stock? ›

What is the difference between Swanson's cooking stock and broth? Technically speaking, homemade broth is made from meat, bones, and vegetables, while stock is made strictly from bones and vegetables.

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