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Faith Durand
Faith DurandSVP of Content
Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.
updated Jul 6, 2023
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On Thanksgiving, I don’t think any dish inspires quite as much love and jealousy as stuffing. Or, for that matter, technical debate over stuffing vs. dressing. Sure, if it’s baked inside the turkey it’s stuffing, and if it’s not, it’s dressing. But to me, it will always be stuffing — it sounds so much more satisfying than dressing, which brings to mind vinaigrette.
And on my table, the stuffing is always some version of this classic sage and onion mix. No cornbread, oysters, or dried fruit for me. This is Pepperidge-esque, Stovetop-style stuffing — but all homemade and full of toasty flavor from good bread, along with onion, garlic, celery, butter, and savor from turkey stock.
Let me describe this stuffing (dressing, if you insist). It starts with toasted bread — the drier and toastier the better. I don’t bother with leaving it out all night; why leave crisp bread to the vagaries of the atmosphere. No, I bake it until browned and crisp in a low oven.
This recipe is surprisingly simple; in fact, why not make some tonight? It never hurts to practice your stuffing, whatever you call it.
Ingredients for Sage and Onion Bread Stuffing
From there, bread dressing is almost laughably easy. It has one of these ingredient lists that seem weirdly bare; how could they possibly turn into that seductively delicious centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner? But all it takes is some onion, garlic, celery, and a bracing quantity of butter, along with turkey stock, which turns everything it touches to gold.
How to Make My Stuffing Ahead of Time
I like to make this ahead of time; I’ll whip it up the night before Thanksgiving and leave it in the refrigerator, unbaked. Then I’ll slip it into the oven when the turkey is done. This gives a stuffing with a slightly moister interior, and it may need to bake a few minutes longer. But I like a moist stuffing, just as if it baked inside the bird, and the convenience is a gift.
Classic Sage Dressing
Serves 6 to 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 (16- to 18-ounce) loaf
rustic white bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 10 cups)
- 4 tablespoons
unsalted butter, plus an additional 2 tablespoons melted
- 1 pound
yellow onions, diced
- 4 large stalks
celery, diced
- 4 cloves
garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup
finely chopped fresh sage leaves
Leaves from 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 cups
low-sodium turkey, chicken, or vegetable broth
- 2
large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 225°F. Spread the bread cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until quite crisp, stirring every 30 minutes, about 90 minutes total. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients.
Lightly grease a 9x13-inch or 3-quart baking dish; set aside. Melt the 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are very soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the sage and thyme and cook for 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat. Place the broth, eggs, salt, and a generous quantity of fresh black pepper in a medium bowl and whisk to combine; set aside.
Transfer the toasted bread cubes and onion mixture to a large bowl and fold to combine. Drizzle the egg mixture into the bowl and fold until evenly moistened. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. (At this point, the dressing can be refrigerated overnight or up to 24 hours.)
When ready to bake, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375°F. Bake covered for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is lightly browned, about 15 minutes more. If you are baking the dressing directly from the refrigerator, expect to add 10 extra minutes baking time. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The assembled stuffing can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Hear The Kitchn on The Splendid Table
Listen to Faith talk to Lynn Rossetto Kasper about our Thanksgiving menu on
The Splendid Table’s Thanksgiving episode
- Air date: Saturday November 23
- Listen online or on your local NPR station
Photos by Rachel Joy Photos of Columbus, Ohio
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