Thanksgiving isn’t Thanksgiving without a big pan of Classic Stuffing. This is the buttery, cozy, old-school kind: soft and tender in the middle with a golden, crispy top. It’s made with simple sandwich bread, onions and celery cooked low and slow in a whole stick of butter, and a little fresh parsley. Its exactly the thing you want alongside your turkey and gravy!
The best part? You don’t need to leave bread out for days to get it stale. A quick 30 minutes in a low oven dries out the bread cubes perfectly, so you can make this stuffing from start to finish the same day. No planning ahead, no stale-bread countdown on the counter.
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Quick Look: Classic Thanksgiving Stuffing
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🧑🍳 Cook Time: 1 hour 50 minutes (including drying the bread)
- 🍞 Servings: 10 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 259 calories per serving
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Baked in the oven at 350°F
- 🛒 Main Ingredients: White sandwich bread, butter, onion, celery, turkey or chicken broth
- 📅 Make-Ahead: Dry the bread cubes up to 2 days ahead OR prep the whole dish up to 2 days ahead, store in the fridge, and bake on Thanksgiving day.
- 🍽️ Best For: Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, Christmas dinner
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy! Very beginner friendly
Mad’s Testing Notes: I wanted this stuffing to taste JUST like my family’s classic stuffing. That means no carrots, no sausage and no extra herbs. It’s perfectly simple on purpose. In my opinion stuffing is meant to compliment the flavor of the turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes, not steal the show!! This simple stuffing does just that AND gives you a shortcut so you don’t need to plan days ahead with stale bread.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No stale bread needed. Oven-drying the bread takes just 30 minutes, so you can make this on Thanksgiving Day. Plus, you only need the white bread plus 8 other very simple ingredients.
- The best of both textures. Baking it covered, then uncovered, gives you a soft, fluffy middle and a crispy, golden top.
- Baked in a casserole dish. It’s easier and safer than stuffing the bird, and you get more of those crispy edges everyone fights over. Best of all, one 9×13 casserole dish serves 10.
If you’re looking to build out your entire Thanksgiving menu, I serve this easy stuffing with my ultra-moist dry brine turkey recipe.
Ingredients You’ll need
- White sandwich bread: A plain 20 oz loaf is all you need. Soft sandwich bread soaks up the butter and broth beautifully and gives you that classic, nostalgic stuffing texture. Cut it into small ½-inch cubes, which hold together better than big chunks.
- Salted butter: A whole stick! The onions and celery cook in it low and slow, and it’s what makes this stuffing so rich. If you use unsalted butter, [add an extra ½ tsp salt].
- Yellow onion and celery: This is the classic stuffing duo. Dice them finely so they melt into the bread instead of leaving big crunchy pieces.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: These are the only seasonings you need. This recipe keeps it simple and lets the butter and veggies shine.
- Fresh parsley: It adds freshness and color, plus a little extra for garnish.
- Chicken or turkey broth: Use either one. Turkey broth gives it extra Thanksgiving flavor. Use low-sodium broth if you’re watching salt, since the butter is salted.
- Egg: It binds the stuffing together so it holds its shape when you scoop it, without making it dense.
How to make classic Thanksgiving Stuffing
Step 1: Dry the bread. Cut the bread into ½-inch cubes, spread them on two baking sheets and bake at 225°F for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Sauté the veggies. Turn the oven up to 350°F and grease a 9×13 dish. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat, then add the onion and celery and cook until super soft, about 10 minutes.
Step 3: Add the bread, broth and egg. Stir in the salt, pepper and parsley, turn off the heat and add the bread cubes. Toss until every piece is coated. Then, pour in the broth and mix. Whisk the egg and pour it in, tossing right away so it’s evenly distributed.
Step 4: Bake. Transfer to the greased casserole dish cover and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20–25 minutes more to crisp the top. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Mad’s Expert Tips for the Best Stuffing 🍞
- Use two baking sheets for the bread. Spread the cubes in a single layer so they dry evenly instead of steaming. Don’t line the pans, since direct contact helps the bread dry out.
- Don’t rush the veggies. Cooking the onion and celery over medium-low until they’re completely soft gives the best flavor. You want them sweet and buttery, not crunchy.
- Do everything in one pot. Tossing the bread right in the pot with the butter and veggies means fewer dishes and better coating.
- Toss the egg in quickly. Mix it in right after you pour it so it coats the bread evenly instead of cooking in spots.
- Bake covered, then uncovered. Covering keeps the inside soft and moist. Uncovering at the end gives you that golden, crispy top everyone loves.
If you are building your full Thanksgiving menu, consider adding my easy creamy mashed potatoes and fresh green bean casserole to the list with this stuffing!
Stuffing Variations
- Classic herb stuffing: Add 1–2 tsp each chopped fresh sage and thyme, or 1 tsp poultry seasoning, with the salt and pepper.
- Sausage stuffing: Brown 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, drain excess oil, and stir it in with the bread before you add the broth.
- Different bread: Try sourdough, French bread or a mix of white and wheat sandwich bread. Heartier breads may need a few extra minutes to dry out in the oven.
- Vegetarian: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken or turkey broth.
Make Ahead Tips
- Bread cubes: Dry the bread in the oven up to 2 days ahead. Let it cool completely and store it in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature. If the cubes are still warm at all, the steam will cause condensation so be sure they are fully cooled.
- Veggies: Dice the onion and celery up to 2 days ahead and store them in the fridge. I like to store them in an airtight container with a wet paper towel overtop so they don’t dry out.
- Assemble ahead: Assemble the stuffing up to 1 day ahead, cover and refrigerate. Add 10–15 minutes to the covered bake time since it’s going in cold. This is probably the best tip especially because Thanksgiving day can be so busy!
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it covered in a 300°F oven until warmed through, about 20 minutes, adding a splash of broth before baking if it seems dry. Uncover for the last few minutes to re-crisp the top. Stuffing can also be frozen for up to 3 months, but I prefer to freeze it uncooked. Then I thaw it in the fridge and bake according to instructions.
What to serve with Classic Stuffing
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Classic Thanksgiving Stuffing (No Stale Bread Needed!)
Ingredients
- 1 loaf plain white sandwich bread (20oz)
- 1 stick salted butter (8 tbsp)
- 1 ½ cups yellow onion finely diced
- 1 ½ cups celery finely diced
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 cups turkey broth (can also use chicken)
- 1 egg
- Optional: extra parsley for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225F. Cut bread into ½-inch cubes and lay on 2 unlined baking sheets. Bake in oven at 225F for 30 minutes. This dries out the bread without having to wait for it to go stale.
- Once your bread is out of the oven, increase the oven heat to 350F and grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Heat a large pot over medium-low and melt the stick of butter.
- Pour the onions and celery into the pot with the melted butter and toss so they are coated. Allow the onions and celery to cook down until they are super soft, about 10 minutes.
- Pour salt, pepper, and parsley into the pot and toss to combine. Turn off the heat and pour the cubed bread into the pot. Toss until all of the bread is coated in the butter and veggie mixture.
- Pour the broth into the pot and mix again. Whisk the egg and pour into the pot, tossing immediately so it’s evenly spread throughout.
- Pour mixture from the pot into the greased casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake covered for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 20-25 minutes to crisp the top. Garnish with a bit of fresh parsley and serve warm.
Recipe Notes
- Food safety: Because this stuffing contains egg, bake until the center reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Adjusting moisture: This is meant to be a moist and soft stuffing with a crisp top. For drier, crispier interior, use 1/2 cup less broth.
- Butter swap: If using unsalted butter, add an extra 1/2 tsp kosher salt.
- Doubling: To double the recipe, bake in two 9×13 dishes rather than one deeper dish so it cooks evenly and gets a crispy top.
- Bread size: Cut the bread into small ½-inch cubes. Smaller pieces hold together better and absorb the butter and broth more evenly. Try to make the bread pieces even in size so the dish bakes up evenly.
- Vegetarian: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken or turkey broth. To make the dish vegan, use a vegan butter substitute and vegetable broth.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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