You can never have too many stuffing/dressing recipes, so I am sharing just one more for your Thanksgiving dinner. This is another recipe for my friends who will be cooking a holiday meal for two. This Traditional Stuffing Recipe for Two yields two large or four smaller servings, because we love leftovers. Of all the side dishes, stuffing is the one I look most forward to the next day, smothered in gravy, of course.
This easy stuffing recipe has all the herbs and seasonings of the classic bread stuffing. Technically speaking, it is a dressing, not a stuffing since it bakes in a casserole dish rather than being stuffed in a bird. However, the recipe I am sharing today is both a dressing and a stuffing. I am cooking it in a baking pan and then stuffing it inside turkey breast cutlets for what I think will be an easy Thanksgiving dinner for two with all the trimmings. This is also the best stuffing recipe year-round to make with roast chicken.
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MARY'S TWO CENTS
This Traditional Stuffing Recipe for Two falls into the frugal category on my rating scale. Having a well-stocked spice cabinet helps. If you need help with that please refer to my article What Spices Every Kitchen Should Have.
INGREDIENTS
Full ingredients list & measurements are provided in the recipe card.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Generously butter a casserole dish and set aside.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan on the stove top until bubbly.
Add the celery and onion and stir to combine.
Cook on medium heat until the veggies become translucent. About 6-7 minutes.
Add the fresh and dried herbs to the saucepan. Stir to combine.
Cook another 2-3 minutes until the herbs become fragrant.
Beat the egg in a large bowl and add the butter, veggie, and spice mixture.
Stir to completely incorporate all the ingredients.
Add the broth and mix well.
Add the bread to the bowl.
Stir the bread mixture until there is no more liquid in the bottom of the bowl.
Pour into dish. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 mins.
LOOKING FOR MORE DRESSING/STUFFING RECIPES?
EXPERT TIPS
- In this classic stuffing recipe, the kind of bread you use is important.
- The type of bread I like to use is white bread, like sliced French bread or a baguette. It is important that you do not use fresh bread.
- You need stale bread for stuffings and dressings so that they stand up to the broth and you don't end up with mushy, soggy stuffing.
- You can dry the bread by cubing it with a knife or breaking it into bite sides pieces with your hands.
- You can cover it and leave it out on the counter for a day or so it gets dry.
- You can also place the bread pieces on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Place into a 300-degree oven until they dry out but do not harden.
- Store stale bread in a plastic bag until ready to use. Freeze if it will be more than 3 days.
Equipment
- Baking pan
- Small saucepan or large skillet
- Large bowl or medium bowl
- Sheet pan if drying bread out in the oven
- Aluminum foil
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter (½ stick) plus more for buttering the baking dish
- ½ large onion, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 small carrot, finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped or ¼ teaspoon dried
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped or ¼ teaspoon dried
- ½ teaspoon fresh marjoram, finely chopped or ¼ teaspoon dried
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 8 ounces French bread, cut into ½-inch cubes dried
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously coat a 9-inch by 9-inch baking dish with butter. Set aside.
- In small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter until bubbly.
- Add the onion and celery and sauté until translucent, about 6-7 minutes.
- Whisk the egg in the bottom of a large bowl and set aside.
- To the saucepan with the melted butter, add parsley, sage, thyme, celery salt, poultry seasoning, and marjoram until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Transfer the mixture from the saucepan to the large bowl with the egg and mix well. Stir in broth.
- Add bread cubes and toss to combine.
- Transfer to buttered baking dish.
- Cover tightly with foil. Bake until mostly heated through, about 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake until crispy edges form, about 20 minutes more.
- Remove from heat and garnish with fresh herbs and serve. If serving later, cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to heat. If freezing, store in an airtight container.
- To reheat, allow the dish to come to room temperature then heat in a 300 degrees f oven until heated through. If the stuffing begins to dry out sprinkle on a bit more chicken broth.
Alexandra says
This is the perfect, delicious stuffing and ideal as a smaller recipe as that is all I need 🙂 The herbs and flavours in this stuffing are so good! I will definitely be making this again over the festive season - thanks so much!
Amy Liu Dong says
What an easy side dish to make and I am pretty sure everyone will love it.