4.70 stars (10 ratings)
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This will be the only stuffing recipe you will ever need! So much fresh herbs and so buttery. It’s simply the best EVER!
Turkey shmurkey.
The only thing I truly look forward to during Thanksgiving time is the stuffing. That and the pumpkin cheesecake.
But we’ll get to that a little later.
The stuffing though – holy moly. Smothered in someturkey gravywith an afternoon nap – that right there is the holy grail.
And why mess with a classic, right? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
So that’s what we have here. A true classic made with perfectly toasted sourdough bread, so much fresh herbs, and all the buttery goodness one can hope for (mixed in with some of the sausage pan drippings, of course).
Classic Thanksgiving Stuffing
Yield: 8 servings
Prep: 25 minutes minutes
Cook: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
Total: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
This will be the only stuffing recipe you will ever need! So much fresh herbs and so buttery. It’s simply the best EVER!
4.7 stars (10 ratings)
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Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) loaf sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound breakfast sausage
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
- 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 ½ cups chicken stock
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 10-13 minutes; set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, about 5-8 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks. Transfer sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.
Melt butter in the skillet. Add garlic, onion and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in parsley, sage, thyme and rosemary until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Remove from heat. Stir in bread and sausage; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in chicken stock until absorbed and well combined. Let stand 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed.*
Spread bread mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place into oven and bake until top is browned, about 30-35 minutes.
Serve immediately.
Notes
*This can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
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posted on November 20, 2018under side dish, thanksgiving
44 CommentsLeave a Comment »
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44 comments -
Gretchen — November 15, 2022 @ 12:50 PM Reply
What kind of parsley is used? Thanks! I’m
-
patricia — September 19, 2022 @ 8:46 AM Reply
I love this recipe. Has anyone prepped it and baked it the next day? Any tips?
-
Cassie — November 25, 2021 @ 5:56 PM Reply
This is absolutely the perfect Thanksgiving stuffing. It had all the flavors people expect, so easy to make, and I LOVE it only uses fresh herbs. This will be my go-to. Thank you!
-
Jeno Nyerges — November 24, 2021 @ 11:37 AM Reply
I think I made this before. And it was very good My question is – in step 6. Is the oven temp 400 F ? I like the comments about adding Apple’s. It’s close to my father-in-law s recipe. I think he also added some shredded chadder. Thanks for the great and simple recipe.
-
Felicia — October 5, 2021 @ 2:31 PM Reply
Hi there. If I make it the day before would I bake for the 30-35 then cover, or do the final cook the day off ? Thank you
-
Mindy Van — September 23, 2021 @ 4:52 PM Reply
OKAY WOW. I am prepping to host my very first Thanksgiving dinner in my new house with my family and I have never even made stuffing nor did I have a clue. THIS is the BEST recipe ever. I added a little more butter than recipe calls for but the breakfast sausage addition is so yummy!!!! thank you so much! This is my go-to recipe and it’ll be a hit. thank you thank you thank you!!!!
-
Myra — August 27, 2021 @ 8:29 AM Reply
i dont cook on thanksgiving; my mom does hehe. so, i will be sharing this recipe of yours with her and have her make it on thanksgiving. looks promising and delicious.
-
Anne — December 26, 2020 @ 5:30 AM Reply
OMG!!!
Made your easy thanksgiving turkey, your classic stuffing (baked inside the turkey) and your turkey gravy!
Everything was on point!!! Soooo Delicious! You are my first stop for any new recipe. Thank you!
These 3 recipes are for sure keepers! My husband was supper impressed and I loved it as much as he did.
Fallowed the recipes almost exactly, (used some dried spices as fresh were hard to find) Adjusted amounts from fresh to dry.
Prepped the stuffing and turkey butter the night before. Having leftovers tonight, yum!
-
Terry — November 27, 2020 @ 5:01 PM Reply
This stuffing was so good. I was lucky and had all of these spices my garden. I get recipes online all time and have never written a review before but this was the hit of my
Thanksgiving dinner!
-
Carole Norman — November 23, 2020 @ 10:27 AM Reply
This is my recipe too, except for a big omission. Where’s the chopped apple ? It’s gotta have apple in it, otherwise it’s not classic!
-
Randy — November 18, 2020 @ 3:13 AM Reply
Sounds good…how many does it serve
-
Veronica — November 29, 2019 @ 3:34 AM Reply
Delicious stuffing! I actually prepared the stuffing up until step 6 and cooked it on low in a crock pot for 3h to save on oven space. The toasted bread and fresh herbs were spot on. Will definitely make next year!
-
teresa Goodrum — November 24, 2019 @ 8:17 AM Reply
I was torn between this recipe and the apple walnut sausage dressing. Which do you recommend?
-
Jen — November 23, 2019 @ 3:29 PM Reply
If you make the stuffing one day in advance of Thanksgiving, what is the best way to reheat this dish so it’s delicious?
-
Susie Omang — November 14, 2020 @ 8:06 AM Reply
Wondering the same thing!
-
Sharee — November 17, 2020 @ 7:45 AM Reply
You stop before it’s baked. You can see an * at the end of step 5. Then it has the note about a day ahead. So you would leave it “raw” in the fridge and bake it fresh the next day.
-
Mike — November 23, 2019 @ 5:33 AM Reply
Love to try this recipe looks delish!! How many does it serve? I have 20-25 people!
Thanks
-
Cristina — October 10, 2019 @ 2:39 PM Reply
Can this be made in the slow cooker?
-
Chungah @ Damn Delicious — October 10, 2019 @ 5:05 PM Reply
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! Good luck! 🙂
-
Healthy Eating 101 — November 26, 2018 @ 12:42 AM Reply
Aw, cannot I missed out this delicious pan at Thanksgiving! It’s such a great combination, I’d save it for my Christmas instead ❤
– Natalie
-
Becki Mollareza — November 17, 2020 @ 10:13 AM Reply
Any ol’ Sunday dinner will do, too!
-
Karl — November 24, 2018 @ 3:57 AM Reply
Will give this a go for a change on our UK Christmas Day dinner
-
Christine — November 23, 2018 @ 6:11 PM Reply
This is almost identical to the stuffing I make every year, I add much more butter, to sauté the onion and celery in. I also use 3 different kinds of Jimmy Dean sausage, regular, hot and sage. I also chop up a tart apple to round the flavors out. The only stuffing my kids will eat!
-
Jana @ Damn Delicious — November 26, 2018 @ 9:23 AM Reply
Sounds delicious!
-
Tina B. — November 23, 2018 @ 2:30 PM Reply
I assume you mean 2 ribs of celery, instead of 2 whole stalks? Sounds so delicious! (Except for the breakfast sausage. I use turkey fat drippings.) Thank you for posting all of the wonderful Thanksgiving side dishes!! I printed a lot of them, and am going to try them out all winter, LOL! 🙂
-
Nicole M — November 21, 2018 @ 5:18 PM Reply
I adore this recipe so much! This works well with gluten free stuffing mix as well. This year, I’m going to try adding a chopped apple to it, and see how it goes.
-
Stephanie Hyden — November 27, 2020 @ 12:41 PM Reply
This was AMAZING! I always make a recipe as is for the first time. It was excellent the way it is written. I think I would prefer less sausage- that is not to say their is anything wrong with the recipe itself- again, just my preference!
-
Stephanie Hyden — November 27, 2020 @ 12:43 PM Reply
This was not supposed to go here; don’t know why it did that
-
Patti — November 21, 2018 @ 1:45 PM Reply
This is my mother’s delicious recipe exactly but w/out the sausage. Who needs sausage in stuffing when you’re already eating turkey?
-
Linda Carroll — November 21, 2018 @ 10:37 AM Reply
This stuffing looks great but I do not eat meat. Do you think I could substitute you delicious brown butter mushrooms for the sausage? Thanks so much. I love your site!
-
Jana @ Damn Delicious — November 21, 2018 @ 11:27 AM Reply
Yes! But please use your best judgement when making substitutions and modifications. I hope it turns out!
-
Chrissy Kiely — November 21, 2018 @ 2:17 PM Reply
Wow, substituting the sausage with the brown butter mushrooms is a brilliant idea!!!
-
Katie — November 5, 2023 @ 4:56 PM Reply
How did the mushroom substitution for sausage turn out? Did you make any other tweaks?
-
Cynthia Brunette — November 21, 2018 @ 10:20 AM Reply
No, No! Never make the stuffing the day before if you are going to put it in the turkey as stuffing. If it is cold and is used as stuffing, it will not cook thoroughly. That is when people become ill. However, if one is going to put this in a casserole to bake separately, prepping it the day before will be all right as long as the casserole will not be so full that the entire breading mix does not bake thoroughly. If you make this entirely on Thanksgiving, the stuffing will be warm from cooking the sausage, onions, and celery and using warmed broth. You are making turkey broth with the giblets, right? Why would you use chicken broth when it is so easy to make turkey broth?
-
Chungah @ Damn Delicious — November 21, 2018 @ 1:17 PM Reply
Cynthia, yes, you can absolutely make stuffing ahead of time, but if that is not what you prefer, you can make it the day of. If one does not have access to turkey broth, they can use chicken broth. It’s as simple (and easy) as that! 🙂
Have a great Thanksgiving!
-
Jeff D — November 21, 2018 @ 2:00 PM Reply
If anyone is looking for turkey broth I just got some from Trader Joe’s. I’m in Mission Viejo, CA
-
Lynne — November 21, 2018 @ 9:37 AM Reply
I’ve made my stuffing like this for forty or more years,it never disappoints! Mmmmmm good!!
-
Jana @ Damn Delicious — November 21, 2018 @ 11:29 AM Reply
That’s great!
-
Chrissy Chung — November 21, 2018 @ 9:31 AM Reply
Thank you for sharing this when you did! I was going to combine and modify your stove top and apple walnut recipes to make a classic stuffing dish. This is exactly what I was looking for! I love you recipes, Damn Delicious is my go-to recipe box!
-
Jana @ Damn Delicious — November 21, 2018 @ 11:35 AM Reply
Oh perfect timing!
-
Chrissy — November 21, 2018 @ 4:38 PM Reply
Reheating directions??
-
Chungah @ Damn Delicious — November 22, 2018 @ 9:44 AM Reply
If you are making this ahead of time, you can proceed with step 6, adding a few more minutes to make sure the stuffing has been heated through.
-
Briana — November 20, 2018 @ 11:24 PM Reply
Hi! I’m looking forward to making this for thanksgiving. One question though. If I were to prepare this the day before as noted, would I add the chicken stock as well and let it sit in the fridge overnight? Would that make it mushy when cooked the next day?
-
Chungah @ Damn Delicious — November 21, 2018 @ 7:10 AM Reply
Not at all! 🙂
Gretchen — November 15, 2022 @ 12:50 PM Reply
What kind of parsley is used? Thanks! I’m
patricia — September 19, 2022 @ 8:46 AM Reply
I love this recipe. Has anyone prepped it and baked it the next day? Any tips?
Cassie — November 25, 2021 @ 5:56 PM Reply
This is absolutely the perfect Thanksgiving stuffing. It had all the flavors people expect, so easy to make, and I LOVE it only uses fresh herbs. This will be my go-to. Thank you!
Jeno Nyerges — November 24, 2021 @ 11:37 AM Reply
I think I made this before. And it was very good My question is – in step 6. Is the oven temp 400 F ? I like the comments about adding Apple’s. It’s close to my father-in-law s recipe. I think he also added some shredded chadder. Thanks for the great and simple recipe.
Felicia — October 5, 2021 @ 2:31 PM Reply
Hi there. If I make it the day before would I bake for the 30-35 then cover, or do the final cook the day off ? Thank you
Mindy Van — September 23, 2021 @ 4:52 PM Reply
OKAY WOW. I am prepping to host my very first Thanksgiving dinner in my new house with my family and I have never even made stuffing nor did I have a clue. THIS is the BEST recipe ever. I added a little more butter than recipe calls for but the breakfast sausage addition is so yummy!!!! thank you so much! This is my go-to recipe and it’ll be a hit. thank you thank you thank you!!!!
Myra — August 27, 2021 @ 8:29 AM Reply
i dont cook on thanksgiving; my mom does hehe. so, i will be sharing this recipe of yours with her and have her make it on thanksgiving. looks promising and delicious.
Anne — December 26, 2020 @ 5:30 AM Reply
OMG!!!
Made your easy thanksgiving turkey, your classic stuffing (baked inside the turkey) and your turkey gravy!
Everything was on point!!! Soooo Delicious! You are my first stop for any new recipe. Thank you!
These 3 recipes are for sure keepers! My husband was supper impressed and I loved it as much as he did.
Fallowed the recipes almost exactly, (used some dried spices as fresh were hard to find) Adjusted amounts from fresh to dry.
Prepped the stuffing and turkey butter the night before. Having leftovers tonight, yum!
Terry — November 27, 2020 @ 5:01 PM Reply
This stuffing was so good. I was lucky and had all of these spices my garden. I get recipes online all time and have never written a review before but this was the hit of my
Thanksgiving dinner!
Carole Norman — November 23, 2020 @ 10:27 AM Reply
This is my recipe too, except for a big omission. Where’s the chopped apple ? It’s gotta have apple in it, otherwise it’s not classic!
Randy — November 18, 2020 @ 3:13 AM Reply
Sounds good…how many does it serve
Veronica — November 29, 2019 @ 3:34 AM Reply
Delicious stuffing! I actually prepared the stuffing up until step 6 and cooked it on low in a crock pot for 3h to save on oven space. The toasted bread and fresh herbs were spot on. Will definitely make next year!
teresa Goodrum — November 24, 2019 @ 8:17 AM Reply
I was torn between this recipe and the apple walnut sausage dressing. Which do you recommend?
Jen — November 23, 2019 @ 3:29 PM Reply
If you make the stuffing one day in advance of Thanksgiving, what is the best way to reheat this dish so it’s delicious?
-
Susie Omang — November 14, 2020 @ 8:06 AM Reply
Wondering the same thing!
-
Sharee — November 17, 2020 @ 7:45 AM Reply
You stop before it’s baked. You can see an * at the end of step 5. Then it has the note about a day ahead. So you would leave it “raw” in the fridge and bake it fresh the next day.
-
Mike — November 23, 2019 @ 5:33 AM Reply
Love to try this recipe looks delish!! How many does it serve? I have 20-25 people!
Thanks
Cristina — October 10, 2019 @ 2:39 PM Reply
Can this be made in the slow cooker?
-
Chungah @ Damn Delicious — October 10, 2019 @ 5:05 PM Reply
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! Good luck! 🙂
Healthy Eating 101 — November 26, 2018 @ 12:42 AM Reply
Aw, cannot I missed out this delicious pan at Thanksgiving! It’s such a great combination, I’d save it for my Christmas instead ❤
– Natalie
-
Becki Mollareza — November 17, 2020 @ 10:13 AM Reply
Any ol’ Sunday dinner will do, too!
Karl — November 24, 2018 @ 3:57 AM Reply
Will give this a go for a change on our UK Christmas Day dinner
Christine — November 23, 2018 @ 6:11 PM Reply
This is almost identical to the stuffing I make every year, I add much more butter, to sauté the onion and celery in. I also use 3 different kinds of Jimmy Dean sausage, regular, hot and sage. I also chop up a tart apple to round the flavors out. The only stuffing my kids will eat!
-
Jana @ Damn Delicious — November 26, 2018 @ 9:23 AM Reply
Sounds delicious!
Tina B. — November 23, 2018 @ 2:30 PM Reply
I assume you mean 2 ribs of celery, instead of 2 whole stalks? Sounds so delicious! (Except for the breakfast sausage. I use turkey fat drippings.) Thank you for posting all of the wonderful Thanksgiving side dishes!! I printed a lot of them, and am going to try them out all winter, LOL! 🙂
Nicole M — November 21, 2018 @ 5:18 PM Reply
I adore this recipe so much! This works well with gluten free stuffing mix as well. This year, I’m going to try adding a chopped apple to it, and see how it goes.
-
Stephanie Hyden — November 27, 2020 @ 12:41 PM Reply
This was AMAZING! I always make a recipe as is for the first time. It was excellent the way it is written. I think I would prefer less sausage- that is not to say their is anything wrong with the recipe itself- again, just my preference!
-
Stephanie Hyden — November 27, 2020 @ 12:43 PM Reply
This was not supposed to go here; don’t know why it did that
-
Patti — November 21, 2018 @ 1:45 PM Reply
This is my mother’s delicious recipe exactly but w/out the sausage. Who needs sausage in stuffing when you’re already eating turkey?
Linda Carroll — November 21, 2018 @ 10:37 AM Reply
This stuffing looks great but I do not eat meat. Do you think I could substitute you delicious brown butter mushrooms for the sausage? Thanks so much. I love your site!
-
Jana @ Damn Delicious — November 21, 2018 @ 11:27 AM Reply
Yes! But please use your best judgement when making substitutions and modifications. I hope it turns out!
-
Chrissy Kiely — November 21, 2018 @ 2:17 PM Reply
Wow, substituting the sausage with the brown butter mushrooms is a brilliant idea!!!
-
Katie — November 5, 2023 @ 4:56 PM Reply
How did the mushroom substitution for sausage turn out? Did you make any other tweaks?
Cynthia Brunette — November 21, 2018 @ 10:20 AM Reply
No, No! Never make the stuffing the day before if you are going to put it in the turkey as stuffing. If it is cold and is used as stuffing, it will not cook thoroughly. That is when people become ill. However, if one is going to put this in a casserole to bake separately, prepping it the day before will be all right as long as the casserole will not be so full that the entire breading mix does not bake thoroughly. If you make this entirely on Thanksgiving, the stuffing will be warm from cooking the sausage, onions, and celery and using warmed broth. You are making turkey broth with the giblets, right? Why would you use chicken broth when it is so easy to make turkey broth?
-
Chungah @ Damn Delicious — November 21, 2018 @ 1:17 PM Reply
Cynthia, yes, you can absolutely make stuffing ahead of time, but if that is not what you prefer, you can make it the day of. If one does not have access to turkey broth, they can use chicken broth. It’s as simple (and easy) as that! 🙂
Have a great Thanksgiving!
-
Jeff D — November 21, 2018 @ 2:00 PM Reply
If anyone is looking for turkey broth I just got some from Trader Joe’s. I’m in Mission Viejo, CA
-
Lynne — November 21, 2018 @ 9:37 AM Reply
I’ve made my stuffing like this for forty or more years,it never disappoints! Mmmmmm good!!
-
Jana @ Damn Delicious — November 21, 2018 @ 11:29 AM Reply
That’s great!
Chrissy Chung — November 21, 2018 @ 9:31 AM Reply
Thank you for sharing this when you did! I was going to combine and modify your stove top and apple walnut recipes to make a classic stuffing dish. This is exactly what I was looking for! I love you recipes, Damn Delicious is my go-to recipe box!
-
Jana @ Damn Delicious — November 21, 2018 @ 11:35 AM Reply
Oh perfect timing!
-
Chrissy — November 21, 2018 @ 4:38 PM Reply
Reheating directions??
-
Chungah @ Damn Delicious — November 22, 2018 @ 9:44 AM Reply
If you are making this ahead of time, you can proceed with step 6, adding a few more minutes to make sure the stuffing has been heated through.
-
-
Briana — November 20, 2018 @ 11:24 PM Reply
Hi! I’m looking forward to making this for thanksgiving. One question though. If I were to prepare this the day before as noted, would I add the chicken stock as well and let it sit in the fridge overnight? Would that make it mushy when cooked the next day?
-
Chungah @ Damn Delicious — November 21, 2018 @ 7:10 AM Reply
Not at all! 🙂
