Julie Clark
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Grandma’s Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffing
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My Grandma’s Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffing has stood the test of time. This buttery, savory, melt-in-your-mouth stuffing is the best stuffing recipe around!
Stuffing….or dressing? Which is it in your house? What is the difference between the two?
It’s simple…stuffing is “stuffed” inside the bird. Dressing is usually baked on the side. My mom usually stuffs the turkey. I usually stuff the turkey AND bake dressing on the side.
Call this recipe whichever you’d like and bake it whichever way you prefer. You’ll love this best turkey dressing or homemade stuffing recipe either way!
Grandma’s Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffing Recipe
Are you all so excited that Thanksgiving is almost here? I think I love Thanksgiving more than Christmas. And one reason why? The food, of course! It’s all about the corn casserole, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.
Today we are sharing with you one of our classic family recipes that without fail, ends up on our Thanksgiving menu: Grandma’s Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffing.
This recipe was my Grandma’s classic stuffing recipe and was passed down to my mom. I grew up enjoying this savory traditional stuffing recipe, and now my kids are enjoying the tradition, too!
Ingredients
What spices do you put in turkey stuffing?
Our recipe has just a few key seasonings: poultry seasoning, salt and black pepper. You’ll also get flavor from the butter, onion, celery and chicken stock, but for the most part, all that savory flavor comes from poultry seasoning.
What does poultry seasoning have in it?
We use a pre-mixed poultry seasoning that you can buy in the spice aisle at the grocery store. You can mix your own if you’d like. It generally has sage, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, a touch of nutmeg and black pepper.
How do you make traditional stuffing?
If you’ve never made Thanksgiving turkey stuffing before, you may think it is difficult. Our recipe is very simple, though and calls for just a handful ingredients: bread, butter, onion, celery, chicken broth, eggs and spices.
- You’ll want to start this recipe about two days beforehand. Cut fresh bread into 1″ cubes and put them in a big bowl. I like to use a heavier white bread (such as French or Italian bread). You can also use dried hot dog/hamburger buns. Sometimes I throw in whole wheat bread. Use whatever kind of bread you prefer.
About the bread cubes
We say to use 13-15 cups of bread cubes. Make sure the bread cubes are tightly packed into the cup. Don’t drop them in so there is a lot of air around them, but press them down into the cup. This will help make sure you have enough bread to soak up the liquid. If you like a drier stuffing, use more bread cubes.
- Leave the bread cubes sitting out for about 48 hours so they dry out. Stir them once or twice a day so all of the bread dries out evenly. If you run out of time, dry the bread cubes in the oven preheated to a low heat.
- When it comes time to make the stuffing, sauté the onions and celery in butter over medium heat until the veggies are tender. This is the best aroma ever. Of all the smells of Thanksgiving dinner cooking, this is the one that always starts it all off. There’s just nothing better.
- Mix it all up well and you’re ready to either stuff the bird or bake the stuffing in a casserole dish. It’s a big debate over who likes to stuff the turkey and who doesn’t.
- Spread the stuffing evenly in a 9×13″ baking pan or a pretty 2 quart baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
Why Put Eggs in Stuffing?
Pour this mixture over the dry bread cubes, then add the chicken stock, eggs and spices.
Why add eggs to bread stuffing? Many of you have asked this question. The main reason is because my grandma did it, my mom continued making stuffing this way, and there is just no better stuffing. 🙂 Simple, right?
I’ve never not put eggs in stuffing, but also, the eggs act as a bit of a binder. They prevent the stuffing from being crumbly.
Is it safe to stuff a turkey?
Yes. If you stuff a turkey with bread stuffing, make sure the center of the stuffing cooks to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. You’ll need a long thermometer to go through the turkey and test it. But it is safe to eat if cooked to the correct temperature.
Our Thermoworks ThermaPen tests the internal temperatures of meats, breads and cakes INSTANTLY. This instant-read thermometer is AMAZING. Get it here.
I like both stuffed turkeys and unstuffed. I prefer my stuffing just a little crispier, so cooking it in a casserole dish allows the top of the bread to get a little toasty. And who doesn’t like herbed, buttered, toasted bread?!
For food safety guidelines as far as stuffing the turkey, you can read some info from the USDA here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you stuff a turkey?
It’s important to spoon the stuffing into the turkey loosely. You don’t want to pack it in. Plan about ¾ cup of stuffing per 1 pound of turkey.
When do you stuff a turkey?
For food safety reasons, stuff the turkey immediately before you place it in the oven. Have the oven preheated and ready to go. Stuff the turkey, then pop it in the oven.
Can you make stuffing in a slow cooker?
This recipe also works well in the slow cooker. Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray, then add the bread cube mixture. Cover and cook on low for about 6-8 hours. Check the internal temperature to make sure it cooks through.
This will help save space for the rest of your Thanksgiving meal.
Grandma’s Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffing
Grandma’s Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffing. This is a long-time family recipe for simple and savory turkey stuffing. Bake it in the oven or in the turkey!
Servings 10
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 13-15 cups dry bread cubes* about 2 1 pound loaves (We like to use a heavier bread such as French bread so it soaks up more juice)
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
- 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (I use low sodium broth)
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 2 quart casserole or 9×13" baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, sauté the onion and celery in the butter over medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes, or until the onion and celery are tender.
- Place the bread cubes in a large bowl.
- Pour the butter, onion and celery mixture over the bread cubes and mix. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Spread the stuffing evenly in the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
- Garnish with fresh parsley or other fresh herbs such as rosemary if desired.
- Serve warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Video
Notes
*I like to make my own dried bread cubes . Two days before preparing the stuffing, I cut bread into 1″ cubes, then allow them to dry in a big bowl for about 48 hours. Stir the bread cubes once or twice a day so they dry out evenly. They should be dry so they soak up the liquid in the recipe.
*We say to use 13-15 cups of bread cubes. This is homemade dry bread cubes that still have a little bit of softness to them. Make sure the bread cubes are tightly packed into the cup. Don’t drop them in so there is a lot of air around them, but press them down into the cup (even dried homemade bread cubes will press down in a little). This will help make sure you have enough bread to soak up the liquid. If you like a drier stuffing or if you use store bought crispy bread cubes, use more.**
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 10, with 1 serving being 1/10 of the recipe. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 1029mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 965IU | Vitamin C: 1.5mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 1.8mg
I hope you enjoy this Thanksgiving turkey stuffing recipe as much as my family has over the past decades. Just read the reviews below to see how many people have loved this! It’s continually one of our most popular holiday recipes and we thank you for that.
Q: Do you have a recipe that has stood the test of time?
Stores out of poultry seasoming. I have sage, etc. How much would I use?
Silly question but do you use salted or unsalted butter?
My stuffing is very basic, bread (fresh white sandwich bread) onion, celery, butter, salt pepper to taste, 1 cup of broth and add 1 lb of browned sausage, stuff the Turkey and what stuffing is left over I fry in butter in a skillet (my Grandmother always did this) usually that’s what I have for breakfast on Thanksgiving, fried stuffing. It’s close to being the best, Think I may actually make extra this year as a side dish during dinner.
I just cut up my bread, used 2 loaves of multigrain Italian bread. If I cook it in a crock pot, will the top get crusty? I love the crockpot idea! If not, I’ll bake it in the oven – love “crusty!”
I can’t wait to try this!! The photo looks like there’s a fresh herb on top. Is that parsley? By the way, thank you for sharing your family’s recipe!
Do you cut the crusts off of the bread or leave them? What brand of white bread do you use?
Would I be able to add sausage (such as jimmy dean’s)to this recipe? Could I cook it separately and then add it? It’ll be my first time making it (well cooking thanksgiving all together, yikes!) thank you for sharing!
This is exactly how mom made hers but she never used chicken bRoth. I used 5 to 6 medium eggs . If the stuffing seemed too wet I added some bread if it was too dry I added an egg
I was wondering if this is a stuffing that I could cook inside the bird… I’m new to this making thanksgiving dinner thing ????
My mother-in law,gave me this recipe over 48 years ago.When I say gave me, I mean she showed me how to make it. Because the ingredients & how to assemble where in her head, never written down.God rest her loving soul!!!! Only difference,she used 1 1/2 loaf of white bread,& 1/2 loaf rye bread. It tasted amazing. And as for frying any left over stuffing,if there ever is any left, that’s what we do too. Makes it crusty & amazing all over again!!! Isn’t it glorious how the matriarch cooks of families never wrote their recipes down but shared from… Read more »
Does this recipe make enough to stuff the turkey as well as a 9/13 casserole dish? Also, has anyone ever tried using sour dough bread for the cubes?
with minor differences…I lightly toast my bread then dry it, I cook 3 or 4 or more lbs of chicken thighs, save the broth….run the meat through the food processor and add that to my dressing, If I can get the neck out of the turkey early I cook that, grind it and add as well, but can’t plan on that…I use the broth as part of the liquid in my dressing.
My recipe!! Learned this when I was young & it’s a tradition. My only differences are adding 1 bag of the Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix, blue bag. Helps my seasonings be perfect & it’s how I learned. No other brand or type tastes as good. & eggs, I’ve never used them before but it makes sense & I’ll use them this year. Oh my, I’m craving this yummy goodness now!
Do you mix the eggs first or just crack them open and mix in?
Wouldn’t the drippings from the turkey be a better substitute for chicken broth?
OMG, my mouth dropped after reading your grandmothers’s ingredients, because this is exactly the ingredients I use when making my Thanksgiving Dinner. Yours looks amazingly yummy!