Make Ahead Stuffing

This Make Ahead Stuffing is based on my favorite (and wildly popular) bread stuffing recipe. It's a great way to get a jump-start on the holiday! Dry your bread the night before on the counter or in a 300-degree oven for 40 minutes.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 10

Servings servings (1-cup each)

Calories 241kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter plus more for buttering baking dish (1 stick)
1 large yellow onion chopped
4 celery ribs sliced lengthwise and chopped
3 large eggs
2 cups chicken broth (see note 1)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley minced (see note 2)
1 teaspoon fresh sage minced, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon fresh thyme minced, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon fresh marjoram minced, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 large loaf French bread about 1 pound, cut into 1/2" cubes and dried overnight on counter (see note 3)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Coat a 9" by 13" baking dish with butter. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt butter until foaming. Add onion and celery and sauté until translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk eggs in large bowl. Stir in broth, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
To skillet, add parsley, sage, thyme, and marjoram and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with eggs and mix well.
Add bread cubes and toss to combine. Transfer to buttered baking dish and cover with foil. Freeze until ready to bake.
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.

Video

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 will serve at least 10 as a side dish.
Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition