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A scaled-down version of the classic, Bread Stuffing for Two is scrape-the-pan-delicious, and just the right size for smaller holiday gatherings.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
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.
- 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).
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9-inch square baking pan. In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter until foaming. Add the celery and chopped onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the egg. Whisk in the broth, salt, and pepper and set aside.
- Stir in the fresh herbs until fragrant, remove from heat, and add to the bowl with the broth and egg. Add the bread chunks to the bowl and toss to combine. Transfer to the buttered baking dish.
- Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges turn crispy and the top turns golden.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes enough for two very generous servings (2 cups each). For a larger batch, see my classic bread stuffing recipe (serves about 10).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: After you’ve assembled the stuffing, refrigerate it up to 1 day in advance. 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.
- Stuffing a turkey, chicken, or hen: 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, make sure the stuffing is warm when it goes in so it has a head start in cooking (either because you just finished making it, or because you made it in advance and reheated it). 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.
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Bread Stuffing for Two
A scaled-down version of the classic, Bread Stuffing for Two is scrape-the-pan-delicious, and just the right size for smaller holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter (½ stick) plus more for buttering dish
- 1/2 large onion chopped
- 2 celery ribs halved lengthwise and chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup chicken broth (see note 1)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley minced (see note 2)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh sage minced, or ¼ teaspoon dried
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme minced, or ¼ teaspoon dried
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh marjoram minced, or ¼ teaspoon dried
- 1/2 large loaf French bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes and dried overnight on counter (about 8 ounces, see note 3)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch by 9-inch baking dish with butter.
- In large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter until foaming. Add onion and celery and sauté until translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk the egg. Stir in broth, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- To the skillet, add parsley, sage, thyme, and marjoram until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to the bowl with the eggs and mix well. Add bread cubes and toss to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake until mostly heated through, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crispy edges form, about 15 to 20 minutes longer.
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.
- 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).
- Yield: This recipe makes enough for two very generous servings (2 cups each). For a larger batch, see my classic bread stuffing recipe (serves about 10).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: After you’ve assembled the stuffing, refrigerate it up to 1 day in advance. 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.
- Stuffing a turkey, chicken, or hen: 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, make sure the stuffing is warm when it goes in so it has a head start in cooking (either because you just finished making it, or because you made it in advance and reheated it). 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cupsCalories: 559kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 17gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 1219mgPotassium: 469mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1684IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 112mgIron: 5mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Exactly how many cups of cubed bread would be required?
Hi K., 1/2 loaf of French bread is usually about 8 ounces and is about 5 cups. It will vary a little depending on the size of the cubes cut. Take care!
Delicious. My husband and I are the only ones who like dressing so this was the perfect size for us. Full meal plus leftovers!
Happy to hear you and your husband loved this, Ann! Take care!
Made this on Thanksgiving for me and my boyfriend and I came back to make it again because it was perrrrrrfect.