Make Ahead Stuffing

Meggan Hill

4.99 from 186 votes

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This Make Ahead Stuffing is based on my favorite (and wildly popular) bread stuffing recipe. It’s a great way to get a jump-start on the holiday!

Bread stuffing on a plate with a fork.


 

This Thanksgiving stuffing recipe is my mom’s creation and my favorite part about Thanksgiving. Add in the advantages of make-ahead convenience and you’re officially out of excuses not to make it!

And if you love getting ahead of the game (Thanksgiving is the Super Bowl of the food world, after all), check out my full Make Ahead Thanksgiving menu: Make Ahead Roasted Turkey, Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes (they won’t get watery in the freezer), and Make Ahead Pumpkin Pie.

Table of Contents

  1. Recipe ingredients
  2. Ingredient notes
  3. Step-by-step instructions
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Frequently Asked Questions
  6. Make Ahead Stuffing Recipe

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for make ahead stuffing.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Chicken broth: I keep jars of homemade chicken broth in the freezer (it’s a delicious by-product of poaching a chicken), but store-bought is also good. Or use turkey broth if you have that.
  • Herbs: Fresh herbs taste the best in this stuffing, but dried work too. I rarely find fresh marjoram and almost always substitute dried. Or, customize with your favorite herbs like rosemary or poultry seasoning.
  • French bread: Use any sturdy bread such as Italian, challah, or sourdough bread. Dry the bread up to 3 days in advance (keep it covered with a dry kitchen towel on counter, or slice and dry in a 300-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes).

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Coat a 9″ by 13″ baking dish with butter. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt butter until foaming. Add onion and celery and sauté until translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes.
Onions and celery cooking in a skillet.
  1. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in large bowl. Stir in broth, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
Melted butter and spices in a glass measuring cup for make ahead stuffing.
  1. To skillet, add parsley, sage, thyme, and marjoram and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl with eggs mixture and stir well. Add bread cubes and toss to combine. Transfer to buttered casserole dish and cover with foil. Freeze until ready to bake.
Bread stuffing in a baking dish before being baked.
  1. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Keep stuffing tightly covered with foil and bake until mostly heated through, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crispy edges form, about 10 to 20 minutes longer.
Baked bread stuffing in a baking dish.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This recipe will serve at least 10 as a side dish.
  • Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Freezer: For best results, assemble and freeze the bread stuffing uncooked. Bake from frozen as directed in the recipe.
  • Classic stuffing recipe: To make my homemade Bread Stuffing recipe, preheat oven to 400 degrees and rub a 9×13 inch baking dish with butter. Add stuffing to the baking dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake until mostly heated through, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crispy edges form, about 10 to 20 minutes longer.
  • Crockpot stuffing: Save your oven space and make bread stuffing in your slow cooker. You’ll still have soft, chewy bread cubes with plenty of crispy edges without using your oven.
  • Gluten-free stuffing: transforms gluten-free bread into a side dish worth making. You’d never know the difference when you tuck into this glorious gluten-free bread stuffing.
  • Small batch: My Bread Stuffing for Two is the same delicious, buttery stuffing with all your favorite flavors, but scaled down to a smaller quantity for small gatherings. See my full Thanksgiving for Two Menu which includes a pair of roasted Cornish Hens with Stuffing and two Mini Pumpkin Pies for dessert.
  • Sausage stuffing: My homemade Cornbread Dressing is made with plenty of sausage for a spicy kick.
  • Vegan stuffing: Filled with wild mushrooms, leeks, fresh kale, and all the classic Thanksgiving herbs you love, this Vegan Stuffing recipe has bread cubes that are soft and chewy on the inside with browned, crispy edges outside. The entire recipe is 100% vegan and delicious.
  • More Thanksgiving side dishes: Round out your Thanksgiving dinner with Green Bean Casserole, Cranberry Sauce, Soft Yeast Dinner Rolls, and Vegetable Casserole.
A plate of roasted trukey, stuffing, vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy, and cranberries.
A Classic Midwestern Thanksgiving: Perfect Roast Turkey, Mashed Potatoes with Turkey Gravy, Classic Bread Stuffing, Vegetable Casserole, Roasted Asparagus, and Cranberry Sauce with Apples.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best bread for stuffing?

The best bread for stuffing is a sturdy loaf with a tight crumb. Bakery French bread, Italian bread, Challah, and Sourdough are all good choices. When you cut up a 1-pound loaf into cubes, it should fit in an even layer on a single half-size rimmed baking sheet. If you need 2 sheet trays to fit your pound of bread cubes, the bread is too soft an airy. It won’t make good stuffing and you’ll wind up with a dish full of mush, no matter how well you dry it out.

How do you dry bread cubes for stuffing?

Dry the bread up to 3 days in advance (keep it covered with a dry kitchen towel on counter, or slice and dry in a 300-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes).

Can I make this stuffing in an aluminum foil pan?

Yes! I’ve tested this homemade stuffing recipe in a 9-inch by 13-inch aluminum foil pan.

Can you cook stuffing in a turkey?

For food safety reasons, and for a more evenly cooked bird, most modern recipes don’t encourage stuffing a turkey. If you decide to stuff your turkey, combine wet and dry stuffing components just before placing them in the cavity, ensuring any raw meat, poultry, or seafood used in the stuffing is fully cooked beforehand. Do not stuff a bird with cooked stuffing. Use a large spoon or your hands to loosely stuff the body and neck cavities (do not pack it tightly because the stuffing expands while it cooks). Truss the main cavity with trussing pins to keep the stuffing inside. The stuffing must register 165 degrees on an internal thermometer to be safe to eat. For more information, see the USDA website. Stuffing a chicken or Cornish hens is also discouraged.

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Bread stuffing on a plate with a fork.

Make Ahead Stuffing

By Meggan Hill
This Make Ahead Stuffing is based on my favorite (and wildly popular) bread stuffing recipe. It's a great way to get a jump-start on the holiday! Dry your bread the night before on the counter or in a 300-degree oven for 40 minutes.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 10 servings (1-cup each)
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Calories 241
4.99 from 186 votes
ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 cup butter plus more for buttering baking dish (1 stick)
  • 1 large yellow onion chopped
  • 4 celery ribs sliced lengthwise and chopped
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups chicken broth (see note 1)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley (see note 2)
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage or ½ teaspoon dried
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram or ½ teaspoon dried
  • 1 (1-pound) loaf French bread cut into 1/2" cubes and dried overnight on counter (see note 3)

Instructions 

  • Coat a 9″ by 13″ baking dish with butter. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt butter until foaming. Add onion and celery and sauté until translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, whisk eggs in large bowl. Stir in broth, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
  • To skillet, add parsley, sage, thyme, and marjoram and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with eggs and mix well.
  • Add bread cubes and toss to combine. Transfer to buttered baking dish and cover with foil. Freeze until ready to bake.
  • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Keep stuffing tightly covered with foil and bake until mostly heated through, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crispy edges form, about 10 to 20 minutes longer.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Chicken broth: I keep jars of homemade chicken broth in the freezer (it’s a delicious by-product of poaching a chicken), but store-bought is also good. Or use turkey broth if you have that.
  2. Herbs: Fresh herbs taste the best in this stuffing, but dried work too. I rarely find fresh marjoram and almost always substitute dried.
  3. French bread: You can also use brioche, challah, or Italian bread. Dry the bread up to 3 days in advance (keep it covered with a dry kitchen towel on counter, or slice and dry in a 300-degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes).
  4. Yield: This recipe will serve at least 10 as a side dish.
  5. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 cupCalories: 241kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 7gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 459mgPotassium: 187mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 787IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill

4.99 from 186 votes (171 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Leftover stuffing is wonderful! We have used the leftovers by putting into a muffin tin, freezing, then popping them out to store in a bag. Then, when the craving starts, just pull one out to heat and cover with gravy (who doesn’t like gravy). Our kids, who are all grown now with families of their own, labeled these “Stud Muffins” and would always look for them in the freezer! We have also made patties, fried them, and used for breakfast the next day.

    Reply

    1. That sounds absolutely delicious, Beth! What a great idea! I would love some pan-fried stuffing patties, yum! Take care again! – Meggan

  2. As to the Crockpot reference, I have been hosting Thanksgiving for family for over 25 years. It is our big holiday and one that gets at least 40 of us together from all over the country. If it were not for my Crockpot collection, I am not sure I would have survived. I have done both cooking in the pot as well as cooking ahead of time and then using the pots as “serving” dishes for our buffet table. To make it even better, we use the crockpot liners to ensure easy cleanup. This also allows us to accommodate family/friends with dietary restrictions (we use fun place cards to designate). Besides, those that bring a contribution, only need to have it in the pot and plug it in. The best part is that it allows us to get to the real reason for the holiday…relaxing extended family visit!

    Reply

    1. Hi Beth, that’s so wonderful! What a lovely memory, thank you so much for sharing! I love the tip about using a liner as well, one of my slow cookers is challenging to wash as the insert doesn’t come out. (I love it, though!) I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday. Take care! – Meggan

  4. Do you think I could do this in a crockpot instead of the oven? I am cooking for 50 and need to free oven space for the vegetables.

    Reply

    1. Hi Janet, I haven’t tried this myself but what a great idea! I’m adding this to my list to test. I would follow the recipe until step 4. After tossing the bread cubes and cooked vegetables, transfer to the slow cooker and cook on Low for 3 to 4 hours until the stuffing reaches 165 degrees. I worry that it may loose some of the crispy browned edges, but I think it would still be delicious. Take care and I hope your feast goes well! – Meggan

  5. What do eggs do for the recipe, have never added egg to stuffing before. Thank you I want to try this and maybe add chestnuts/

    Reply

    1. Hi Frances, the eggs are a binder, helping hold the stuffing together and giving it structure. Sounds delicious! Take care! – Meggan

  6. Hi Meggan! I just read that it is better if you can thaw this. SO I am making this on Wed and not serving until Sat, but I will have time to thaw. Do you recommend I freeze and thaw? Or just refrigerate..? OR freeze and directly bake frozen? What is the best outcome? Thanks Meggan!5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Jennifer, since you’re making it three days in advance I’d suggest freezing it and baking it straight from the freezer. No need to thaw. Hope you enjoy! – Meggan

  7. Hi Megan. Love this recipe. Can I make this on a Wednesday and keep in fridge until Saturday afternoon to bake for Christmas?4 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Sherry, this recipe calls for a large loaf French bread that’s about 1 pound (or 16 ounces). Hope this helps. – Meggan

  9. Call me a novice but what do you mean by “largge loaf of bread”? Be more specific! How many cups of cubed, dried bread? I’m very annoyed by the vagary here.

    Reply

    1. Hi Juley, it’s in the recipe card – “1 large loaf French bread about 1 pound, cut into 1/2″ cubes and dried overnight on counter (see note 3)”. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving! – Meggan

  10. Hi Meggan- I am so curious to try this… what do you think having a combo of french bread cubes and corn bread cubes? Do you think the recipe would hold up?

    Thanks!5 stars

    Reply