Looking for a Classic Stuffing Recipe? My version is made with day old bread, vegetables, apples and mushrooms! Easy to make ahead of time too!
Serve this delicious stuffing for Thanksgiving (you’ll even see it featured in my easy Crockpot Turkey and Stuffing recipe)! Add a side of homemade cranberry sauce for a complete meal.
Whyt his Recipe is Best
As Thanksgiving is approaching, I am trying to be more grateful and thankful for the good things in my life. It’s so easy to take even the littlest things for granted.
I love Thanksgiving…it’s all about the food and family. And I still make the same recipes my mom made when I was growing up.
Classic turkey. Turkey gravy. Sweet Potato Casserole. Jiffy Corn Casserole. Mashed Potatoes. And today’s stuffing!
A delicious Thanksgiving spread that includes this Easy Stuffing recipe is something to be thankful for!
Easy Instructions
STEP 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine stale bread with egg, water, celery, onion, apples, mushrooms, and seasonings. Combine well.
STEP 2: Press into a 9-inch square baking dish (about 2-3 quart). Once you have all your stuffing in the dish, press it in firmly. If it seems EXTRA DRY, add a little bit of chicken broth or water over the top (2-3 Tbsp).
STEP 3: Cover stuffing with foil. Bake for 60 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. ENJOY.
Ingredient Notes
Bread. You will need approximately one loaf (1 lb) of bread. Preferably stale bread. I choose white or wheat bread (but even french bread and Italian bread would work). Dice ahead of time into large one-inch cubes. My preference would be to cut it the day before and leave on the counter overnight to get it slightly stale.
Vegetables. Celery, Onion and Apples should be cut into small pieces. I prefer the sliced mushrooms in a jar as they retain extra moisture and don’t need to be precooked.
Seasoning. A combination of poultry seasoning, sage, salt and pepper is all you need for today’s classic stuffing recipe. The flavor from the vegetables, bread, and fruit all combine to create a delicious side dish!
Don’t forget to pour some of our turkey gravy over the top to serve!
Can this turkey stuffing recipe be doubled
I get it. Sometimes over the holidays you find yourself serving a large crowd.
This recipe for classic stuffing will easily double. I would use a lasagna pan or 13×9 for a doubled batch of the dressing.
If using Corningware, such as a 5qt square dish, that is deeper, you may need to add more cooking time to adjust for the depth in the dish!
Can Stuffing be made ahead of time
Absolutely!
Holidays can be stressful enough, so do as much as you can before the big day. I usually try to have all my side dishes prepped and ready at least a day in advance, so there’s no clean up or stress while family is over for dinner.
You can make this stuffing 24 hours ahead of time to keep things simple on the big day.
I suggest you take it out of the refrigerator at least an hour or two before putting into the oven. If it’s still cold, add extra time to adjust for the chill.
Can this Stuffing Casserole be IN the turkey
I’ve never been a fan of stuffing my turkey with the dressing. I mean, I suppose that’s where it gets it’s name from, but to me, the flavor is off.
However, if you do stuff your turkey with this homemade dressing, make sure the center cooks to 165 degrees F.
What to serve with Classic Stuffing.
Stuffing goes great with anything, it’s not just for Thanksgiving turkey dinners!
I will make a batch to serve with many easy dinners:
- Meatloaf
- Pork Chops
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast
- Beef Stroganoff
- Turkey Cheddar Sliders
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Holiday Side Dishes
See all Side Dishes recipes
Classic Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 loaf bread 1 lb (see notes below)
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 celery heart diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 small yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 jars sliced mushrooms, don't drain 4 1/2 oz each
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large apples cored and diced
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine stale bread with egg, water, celery, onion, mushrooms, apples, and seasonings. Combine well.
- Press into a 9-inch square baking dish (about 2-3 quart). Once you have all your stuffing in the dish, press it in firmly.
- Cover stuffing with foil. Bake for 60 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. You can make this a day ahead of time too! ENJOY.
Notes
- For the bread, white or wheat is fine. I like to take my bread and let it sit open on the counter overnight, making it a little stale. Too fresh of bread will get soft and soggy.
- This recipe for classic stuffing will easily double. I would use a lasagna pan or 13×9 for a doubled batch of the dressing.
- You can make this stuffing 24 hours ahead of time to keep things simple on the big day. I suggest you take it out of the refrigerator at least an hour or two before putting into the oven. If it’s still cold, add extra time to adjust for the chill.
Nutrition
Classic Stuffing recipe with apples, mushrooms, and much more! The perfect Thanksgiving side dish.
I am “anonymous” from the comment just made!
This made me so hungry! Talk about comfort food – this is it! Aside from omitting mushrooms (just me – I don’t eat them) I would use raisin bread for the base. I heard this idea on the radio years ago and I love using it in stuffing – I also love the idea of adding nuts – for me it would be pecans. Thanks for all your great recipes. I read your book last week and really enjoyed it – so honest and meaningful.
Aimee, your recipe for Classic Stuffing looks amazing! Stuffing is definitely my favorite part of the Thanksgiving feast! I’ve never tried adding mushrooms before as we always use a combination of apples and walnuts (to add a little crunch). I’ll definitely try making this the day before Thanksgiving because there is always so much to do on the actual day. Thank you for another great recipe and have a happy Thanksgiving!
The only stuffing for our family is cornbread stuffing. Basically made the same way but using crumbled up cornbread and a half loaf of heavy white bread. I alos use fresh mushrooms.
Looks so flavorful and delicious! Will make this for Thanksgiving!!
I love using shortcuts to make prep easier, especially on big holidays! This is a delicious looking stuffing, I can’t wait to try it out!
We are so spoiled! No need to cut our own apples or shred our own cheese … I love it! LOL. I love CrunchPak because I can give my daughter a healthy snack with zero effort!
This sounds incredibly delicious! Stuffing is often the best part of Thanksgiving dinner!
Covered in gravy, it’s definitely my favorite 🙂
I LOVE how easy this is to throw together! And also? I could eat ONLY stuffing o nThanksgiving and be a happy girl. Okay, not really, but I do really love me some stuffing. This looks amazing, Amy! Recipes from grandmas are the best!
The stuffing IS my favorite part of the meal..covered in gravy of course!
This looks delicious- a total classic 🙂
stuffing is amazing, this classic one is perfect
Perfection! My sister and I have decided to do a sibling thanksgiving this year out west since out parents are in Kentucky instead of heading our separate ways to our inlaws. That means we now have to figure out how to make everything!! Stuffing was one of those things we had neither ever made. I can’t wait to give this a try!
You’ve got this 🙂
We are big Crunch Pak fans – I’m thankful for them in my kids lunchboxes! 🙂 Really loving the sweet and savory you have going on in this stuffing! Looks delicious!
The stuffing is the best part of the meal for me. Then bring on the pie and sweets LOL! It is easy to take everything we have for granted. We have so many things to be thankful for every day!!!
Gorgeous homemade stuffing! I’m so ready for Thanksgiving — lots to be thankful for 🙂
Yes – so agree…definitely thankful for Target!
Classic stuffing is basically all I eat at Thanksgiving. I can’t get enough of its carby deliciousness! Yours looks perfect and i was so nice seeing you this weekend! Pinned!
Stuffing is my fav!! I love your classic version 🙂
This looks a lot like my stuffing, which means I’m now officially hungry and ready for this holiday to happen! I love using an eggy bread (like challah) because it gets so rich and amazing. I’ve never used apples, though, and I’m totally adding them this year. Thanks for inspiring, Aimee!