Herb Bread Stuffing with Mushrooms and Celery

This is a classic baked bread stuffing with a crisp golden top and a soft, savory middle, built on toasted bread cubes, buttery onions and celery, browned mushrooms and plenty of fresh sage, thyme and parsley. It is baked in its own dish rather than inside a bird, which makes it easier to time and safe to serve to vegetarians when you use vegetable broth.

Good stuffing depends more on the bread than anything else. A sturdy loaf, cut into cubes and dried properly, soaks up broth without falling apart, so every spoonful has texture instead of turning into paste.

Herb Bread Stuffing with Mushrooms and Celery

This is a classic baked bread stuffing with a crisp golden top and a soft, savory middle, built on toasted bread cubes, buttery onions and celery, browned mushrooms and plenty of fresh sage, thyme and parsley. It is baked in its own dish rather than inside a bird, which makes it easier to time and safe to serve to vegetarians when you use vegetable broth.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb sturdy bread country loaf, sourdough or whole wheat, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter divided
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
• 1 large onion diced
• 3 stalks celery diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp fresh sage chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth warm
• 2 large eggs beaten
• 1 tsp salt reduce if your broth is salted
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Spread the bread cubes on two baking sheets and bake 25–30 minutes, stirring once, until dry and lightly crisp but not browned. Let cool. (You can do this a day ahead.)
2. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in an even layer and cook without stirring for 3 minutes, then stir and cook until browned and their liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining butter to the skillet. Cook the onion and celery with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent, 8–10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, sage and thyme for 1 minute.
4. Raise the oven to 375°F (190°C) and butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
5. Add the dried bread, onion mixture and parsley to the bowl with the mushrooms. Whisk the broth, eggs, salt and pepper together and pour over, folding gently until the bread has absorbed the liquid evenly.
6. Spread in the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes, then uncover and bake 20–30 minutes more until the top is golden and crisp and the center reaches 165°F (74°C).

Notes

• If the mixture seems dry after folding, add broth a few tablespoons at a time; the bread should be moist but not soggy.
• Day-old bread dries faster in the oven than fresh bread.

Choosing and drying the bread

Soft sandwich bread collapses into mush once broth is added. A crusty country loaf, sourdough or a hearty whole-wheat loaf has a firmer crumb that holds its shape. Cut the cubes evenly so they dry at the same rate.

Drying is not the same as toasting. The goal is to remove moisture so the cubes can absorb broth, not to brown them. Low oven heat does this in about half an hour; leaving cubes out on the counter overnight works too, though less evenly.

Stuffing or dressing?

Strictly speaking, stuffing is cooked inside the bird and dressing is baked separately, though most families use the words interchangeably. Baking it in a dish gives you more of the crisp edges everyone fights over. It also avoids a common problem with stuffed turkeys: by the time the stuffing in the cavity reaches a safe 165°F (74°C), the breast meat is often overcooked.

Getting ahead

Assemble the stuffing up to the point of baking, cover and refrigerate for up to one day. Add 10–15 minutes to the covered baking time since it will start cold. Herbs and sautéed vegetables can also be prepped two days ahead and kept in a container in the fridge.

Variations and swaps

• Make it vegan with olive oil instead of butter, vegetable broth and no eggs; add an extra 1/2 cup broth.
• Use cornbread for part of the bread for a Southern-style version.
• Add a diced apple and a handful of dried cranberries with the onions.
• Stir in cooked crumbled sausage if you are not serving vegetarians.

Storing and reheating

Refrigerate leftovers, covered, for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven with a splash of broth, covered, until hot, then uncover for a few minutes to re-crisp the top.

Questions readers ask

Can I use dried herbs?

Yes. Use about one third the amount: 2 teaspoons dried sage and 1 teaspoon dried thyme.

Why are there eggs?

They help the stuffing set so it can be scooped neatly. You can leave them out for a looser texture.

Can I cook this inside a turkey?

It is safer and more reliable to bake it separately. If you do stuff a bird, the stuffing must reach 165°F (74°C) in the center.

This recipe is for general cooking information only and is not medical or nutrition advice. See our Disclaimer and Image Credits.