These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (2024)

Opinion

Take your family's favorite holiday side to the next level this year.

By Christopher Michel
These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (1)

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If we had to pick a favorite from our Thanksgiving side dishes, it would be a tough call, but Thanksgiving stuffing (or dressing, depending on where you live) would come out on top.

The combo of bread, veggies, and various other ingredients soaked in stock and turkey drippings, then slowly roasted to perfection is just too hard to beat. And there are so many different ways to make stuffing! You can add fresh oysters and a rich bacon-cream sauce. You can use buttermilk cornbread and sweet sausage. You can go with apples and walnuts, or sourdough and cranberries. In fact, we tend to make at least two different stuffings every year, just because they're so good!

Scroll through our list and pick one to make this year. All have been tested in the Country Living test kitchen, so you know they're delicious and easy to make!

1

Pork-and-Sage Stuffing

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (3)

Think of this as the quintessential stuffing recipe: Sourdough bread, sweet Italian sausage, and plenty of veggies and herbs.

Get the recipe for Pork-and-Sage Stuffing.

2

Oyster Stuffing with Bacon-Scallion Cream Sauce

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (4)

Oyster stuffing is a Southern coastal tradition. The cream sauce is a "why-didn't-we-think-of-this-before" innovation.

Get the recipe for Oyster Stuffing.

3

Best Easy Fresh Herb Stuffing

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (5)

This recipe is sure to wow a crowd, and it even takes under an hour to prepare.

Get the recipe for Fresh Herb Stuffing.

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4

Turkey Roulades with Sourdough Pancetta Stuffing

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (6)

This easy and tasty dish is a great way to get turkey and stuffing all together in a much simpler — and still beautiful — presentation.

Get the recipe for Turkey Roulades with Sourdough Pancetta Stuffing.

5

Classic Southern Cornbread Dressing

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (7)

In the great debate between dressing and stuffing, we say have both!

Get the recipe for Classic Southern Cornbread Dressing.

6

Rosemary Monkey Bread Stuffing

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (8)

Serving stuffing by the slice may be the smartest idea since the first Thanksgiving.

Get the recipe for Rosemary Monkey Bread Stuffing.

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7

Apricot-Wild Rice Stuffing

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (9)

Wild rice and apricots give classic stuffing a sweet spin.

Get the recipe for Apricot-Wild Rice Stuffing.

8

Tamale Dressing

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (10)

Yellow beets and green chile-chicken tamales add color and bold flavor to this classic stuffing—ahem, dressing—recipe.

Get the recipe for Tamale Dressing.

9

Buttermilk Cornbread Stuffing with Pecans and Sweet Sausage

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (11)

This recipe by the Beekman Boys calls for Super-moist Cornbread. If using cornbread for stuffing, make it two days prior: Cut cornbread into 1-inch chunks, place on a large baking sheet in a single layer, and let dry out at room temperature for two days.

Get the recipe for Buttermilk Cornbread Stuffing with Pecans and Sweet Sausage.

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10

Apple-Walnut Stuffing

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (12)

An assortment of breads helps enhance the flavor and texture of your homemade stuffing.

Get the recipe for Apple-Walnut Stuffing.

11

Basic Herb Stuffing

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (13)

You simply can't go wrong with this simple Thanksgiving stuffing, which requires only 20 minutes of prep.

Get the recipe for Basic Herb Stuffing.

12

Ina Garten's Herb and Apple Stuffing Recipe

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (14)

This French bread, rosemary, and apple stuffing comes straight from Ina Garten's kitchen. If it's good enough for the Barefoot Contessa, it's good enough for us!

Get the recipe for Ina Garten's Herb and Apple Stuffing Recipe.

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13

Sausage and Herb Stuffing

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (15)

While you could opt for a stuffing without meat, this hearty sausage variety is just the thing to fill up your Thanksgiving guests.

Get the recipe for Sausage and Herb Stuffing.

14

Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage, Cranberries, and Apples

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (16)

Take advantage of autumn's harvest by adding sweet apples and cranberries to your Thanksgiving stuffing.

Get the recipe for Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage, Cranberries, and Apples.

15

Sourdough and Mushroom Stuffing

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A lighter-than-expected stuffing. Serve this Thanksgiving favorite with The Perfect Roast Turkey.

Get the recipe for Sourdough and Mushroom Stuffing.

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16

Bagelshroom Stuffing

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The everything bagel makes its dinnertime debut in this wild-mushroom stuffing flavored with fresh thyme and rosemary.

Get the recipe for Bagelshroom Stuffing.

17

Wild Rice and Basmati Dressing with Sausage and Sage

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For this take on Thanksgiving dressing, two types of rice are cooked in a fragrant medley of mushrooms and onions sautéed in butter, bay leaf, and fresh sage.

Get the recipe for Wild Rice and Basmati Dressing with Sausage and Sage.

18

Matzo Stuffing

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (20)

Matzo meal and chicken broth are added together slowly to ensure this stuffing is deliciously moist. Apples and cinnamon impart a surprising hint of sweetness.

Get the recipe for Matzo Stuffing.

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These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (21)

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These Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes Will Make the Feast Legendary (2024)

FAQs

In what did recipes did people originally use stuffing? ›

So how far back can we find stuffing used in cooking? Some time between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD, a chef by the name of Apicius created a cookbook entitled, “Apicius de re Coquinaria.” In its pages are recipes for stuffed chicken, rabbit, pig, and even dormouse.

Why stuffing is the best Thanksgiving food? ›

There is nothing that better represents the holiday, and nothing else ties together all the different parts of the meal like stuffing does. It is a reminder that, no matter how many mistakes get made with each different contribution to the feast, it's still all better together than apart.

Should I put egg in my stuffing? ›

The most important ingredient of stuffing may be the binder, which keeps all the other elements in place. For a fluffy texture, use eggs. Stock is the most-used binder. Less conventional possibilities include fruit juice (such as apple or orange) and alcohol (wine or liqueur).

How do you keep stuffing moist? ›

Use enough liquid: The key to keeping stuffing moist is to use enough liquid. You can use chicken or vegetable broth, melted butter, or a combination of both. The amount of liquid you need will depend on the recipe, but a good rule of thumb is to use about 1/2 to 1 cup of liquid for every 4 cups of bread cubes.

What country invented stuffing? ›

Purportedly ancient Roman, or else Medieval, cooks developed engastration recipes, stuffing animals with other animals. An anonymous Andalusian cookbook from the 13th century includes a recipe for a ram stuffed with small birds.

Who invented cornbread stuffing? ›

African American Heritage

The earliest ancestor of cornbread dressing as we know it is a dish called “kush.” Food writer and historian Michael Twitty says the word hails from Islamic West Africa and is related to the term “couscous,” a popular dish made from tiny balls of grains like semolina wheat or millet.

Did Stove Top Stuffing exist? ›

It is used as a side dish for meals as well as a medium in which some meats (pork, chicken) can be baked. It is sold in boxes and canisters. In 2005 it was reported that Kraft Heinz, which has owned the brand since 1990, sells about 60 million boxes of Stove Top stuffing at Thanksgiving. U.S.

Is Italian or French bread better for stuffing? ›

What is the best bread to use for stuffing? Pick a bread, any bread! The best part about stuffing is that there are so many types of bread based on your families preferences. You can use cornbread, Italian bread, French bread, white sandwich bread, challah, or even sourdough.

Is it better to toast or dry bread for stuffing? ›

The Best Bread for Stuffing Is Oven-Dried | Epicurious.

Should you toast bread for stuffing? ›

Follow this tip: Stale, dried-out bread makes the best stuffing. Either dry out your bread starting a few days before you plan to make the stuffing by letting it sit out or, if you don't have the extra time, cut the bread into cubes, and then toast over a low heat in the oven until dry.

What makes stuffing unhealthy? ›

Stuffing is not strictly a healthy food, because it is typically high in calories, fat, sodium, and refined carbohydrates. 1 But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, All foods can fit into a healthy diet in moderation.

Why not cook turkey with stuffing? ›

Why Cooking Stuffing in Your Turkey Is Dangerous. The USDA advises that whole turkeys be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F to kill any potentially harmful bacteria. That temperature includes any potential stuffing deep in the turkey's cavity. At temperatures below 165°F you risk exposure to salmonella or E.

Should you stuff a turkey or cook stuffing separately? ›

Here's an important Thanksgiving food safety tip that will surprise many: USDA doesn't recommend stuffing a whole turkey. The practice increases the risk of cross-contamination and takes the turkey longer to cook. Cook stuffing separately instead.

What is stuffing usually made of? ›

Stuffing is a seasoned mixture of breadcrumbs, vegetables, and butter that is typically placed inside the cavity of a turkey before roasting. You can also use this recipe as a stuffing recipe for chicken or pork.

What is the stuffing inside turkey? ›

Stuffing is a side dish consisting of dried bread, such as cornbread, croutons, or breadcrumbs, mixed with meat, onions, celery, and sage. The mixture is then inserted into the cavity of the turkey and roasted.

What is stuffing mostly made of? ›

Stuffing is a mix of edible ingredients such as herbs, bread and a binder such as egg, traditionally stuffed into a meat cavity before it is cooked. Other ingredients in stuffing might be meat, nuts, butter, chopped vegetables and even fruit or oysters.

What is homemade stuffing made of? ›

Classic stuffing made with bread cubes, seasonings, and held together with chicken stock and eggs. A holiday staple!

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