I love cornbread stuffing, but it always comes in second to my classic bread stuffing. I love an easy stuffing recipe to which I can add my own touches. My Classic Bread Stuffing Recipe for Two has dried apricots and pecans, both of which are totally optional.
This recipe has been rewritten from last year to serve two, but in actuality, it makes three or four small servings. There is a reason for that. Thanksgiving dinner leftovers. The next day when you heat up the turkey breast or roast chicken, you are going to want dressing and gravy along with the other leftover side dishes. This recipe has you covered.
Even if your holiday meal is for just two people you still want it to be special. If you are feeding more than two this recipe is easy to adjust up with one click in the recipe card. This will surely become a family favorite, whether the family is two or twelve.
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MARY'S TWO CENTS
Heres's another frugal dressing/stuffing recipe from Oh, That's Good! The holidays are the time we make these dishes the most, and our grocery budgets are usually stretched to the max. Having frugal side dishes like this one sure helps.
WHAT'S TO LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE?
- It uses simple ingredients you probably already have on hand.
- You can experiment with recipe additions. I included apricots and pecans in this updated recipe on advice from my sister. So, play around and have fun.
- This is not a soggy stuffing if you add the broth a bit at a time. It will be a little moist at the bottom with the top being crunchier.
- You will saute the vegetables on the stove top over medium heat, and after that, the oven does all the work.
INGREDIENTS
For the full recipe with quantities, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
KEY INGREDIENTS
- Bread - the type of bread you choose is important. I think a firm white bread like a baguette or sandwich roll works best for this recipe. I used two stale white hoagie rolls and two slices of seeded bread. The texture comes out perfect without the bread getting mushy. Stale bread is a the best kind of bread for stuffing. If your bread is not stale, cube it, and place it on a large baking sheet in a 250 degrees f oven until it dries out. It does not have to be hard like croutons, but the moisture needs to be reduced. Let it cool to room temperature before using.
- Pecans - completely optional. Add another nut or dried fruit or leave it out completely.
- Dried Apricots - Again, these are optional but the little burst of tangy sweetness you get when biting into a little piece is really nice. You could also use golden raisins or dried cherries or cranberries.
- Broth - I use chicken broth to bring home the "stuffing" aspect of the dish, but you can use vegetable broth if you prefer.
- Seasonings - The recipe calls for dried sage, poultry seasoning, and fresh herbs. The parsley is chopped and baked in the dish and the fresh sage is fried and used as a garnish on top, another optional step.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Cube the bread. Dry out in 250 degree oven until the bread is no longer soft.
Add the butter. celery, onion and carrots to a skillet. Cook until veggies are soft.
Add the poultry seasoning, dried sage, salt, and pepper.
Cook for another minute or two to let the spices bloom and become fragrant.
Add the pecans, apricots and veggies to the bread mixture in a medium bowl.
Add the parsley. Mix with spoon to fully incorporate the veggies with the bread.
Pour in broth, ½ cup at a time until all the bread is moistened. No puddle.
Place the stuffing mixture into a casserole dish. Bake 35-40 mins.
VARIATIONS
- Add your favorite cooked, crumbled pork or chicken sausage to this classic stuffing recipe to make a savory sausage stuffing.
- Add oysters to make oyster stuffing.
- Add a little cooked wild rice.
RECIPE FAQ'S
In the context of Thanksgiving, the words dressing and stuffing are commonly used to mean the same exact thing - including when it's cooked inside the bird.
You should add the liquid gradually, ½ cup at a time. The stuffing should be moist, but not sopping wet. If you have a puddle of liquid at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much broth. If the mix is still dry and crumbly, add more liquid and toss gently until it starts to clump together.
LOOKING FOR MORE STUFFING RECIPES?
EQUIPMENT
- Medium to large skillet
- Wooden spoon
- Baking dish
- large bowl
- Aluminum foil
Equipment
- Medium to large skillet
- wooden spoon
- Baking dish
- Large bowl
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 5 cubes dried bread cubes no fresh bread. must be stale or dried
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup onion finely diced
- ⅓ cup celery finely sliced
- ⅓ cup carrots finely diced
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth or stock more or less
- fresh parsley
- fresh sage
- ¼ cup diced pecans
- ¼ cup dried apricots
Instructions
- Cube the bread. Place the bread cubes on a large baking sheet. Dry the bread in a 250-degree oven until the bread is no longer soft. Watch carefully. Bread burns easily.
- Add the butter. celery, onion, and carrots in a skillet. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are soft and the onions translucent.
- Add the poultry seasoning, dried sage, salt, and pepper to the skillet with the cooked vegetables.
- Cook for another minute or two to let the spices bloom and become fragrant.
- Place the bread cubes in a medium - large bowl. Add the pecans, apricots, and cooked vegetables, including the butter, to the bread mixture.
- Add the parsley. Mix with a wooden spoon to fully incorporate the vegetables, apricots, and pecans with the bread.
- Pour in broth, ½ cup at a time, until all the bread is moistened. There should not be a puddle in the bottom of the bowl. You may have broth left over or you may need more depending on the bread you used.
- Place the stuffing mixture into a casserole dish. Lay foil loosely over the top. Bake 35-40 mins.
Amy Liu Dong says
Such an easy and delicious side dish to prepare for every occasion.
I really love it!