The Best-Kept Secrets for Perfect Homemade Stuffing
Updated: Mar. 20, 2019
This year, make your side dishes shine. You won't be able to keep from stuffing your face!
Honestly, I’m not really sure why we only make homemade stuffing once a year. It’s so good, I can’t help but serve myself a second, heaping spoonful anytime it’s placed on the dinner table! After all, who could say no to a casserole that’s packed full of savory flavor? Not to mention the texture of those croutons, which soak up every bit of moisture to create a crunchy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside bite filled with unforgettable flavor.
Luckily, it’s easy to make a homemade stuffing that’s so good, your family will ask you to make it all year long. Just follow these tips and tricks!
1. Use plenty of fresh herbs
If you’re only going to follow one tip from this article, make this the one. Dried herbs have their place in plenty of recipes, but stuffing isn’t one of them. Using a combination of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (isn’t there a song about that?) creates the ideal herbaceous backbone to support the savory flavors in the stuffing. So don’t skimp!
2. You don’t have to stuff it inside anything
We’d rather not get into the debate about stuffing vs. dressing, but technically the dish is only called stuffing if it’s (you guessed it) stuffed inside a turkey. Otherwise, it’s bread dressing. I’ve never called it that, and I’ve also never stuffed anything inside a turkey. There are some legitimate safety issues involved with cooking stuffing inside a turkey, and it also slows down the rate at which the turkey cooks. You’ll get plenty of flavor in your stuffing if you use poultry stock (preferably homemade), so don’t feel pressured to actually stuff anything.
3. Keep things simple
Some people make really complicated stuffing, adding ingredients like oysters, mixing up a 50/50 cornbread and white bread mixture or chucking in cranberries, pecans and pears. I’ve even seen sticky rice and tortilla chips in stuffing recipes! You can make your stuffing however you like, but the best versions I’ve ever had kept things simple. Bread, onions, celery, herbs, butter, broth, eggs and sausage. That’s really all you need!
4. Make your own broth
If you really want that stuffing to shine, use homemade broth. This is especially important if you’re following tip number 3! In the end, the richer the broth, the better the stuffing, so don’t be afraid to go all-out. I always have a container or two of homemade broth in the freezer for occasions like this, but you can also make an incredibly rich broth using the turkey neck.
5. While we’re at it, use homemade croutons
We know not everyone has time to make everything from scratch, so feel free to use boxed croutons if you’re feeling stressed. But, trust us: Homemade croutons will really make your stuffing shine. Any loaf of bread will work, but a country loaf, sourdough, brioche or rye loaf are my personal favorites. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and toss them into a 300°F oven until they’re dry and crisp, about 45 minutes.
6. Unless you’re vegetarian, don’t skip the sausage
There are some great vegetarian stuffing recipes out there, but there’s just something about the combination of sausage and sage that screams Thanksgiving! Plus, the pork fat binds with the breadcrumbs, adding an extra layer of delicious flavor. Choose the best sausage to fit your meal: spicy Italian sausage to add a nice kick to the dish, breakfast sausage for its sweet finish or smoky Andouille to create extra depth of flavor.
If you’re running short on time or oven space on Thanksgiving day, consider making your stuffing the day before. Like most casseroles, it will definitely taste better when reheated the next day. You could also pull out the slow cooker; this recipe makes an incredible, hands-off stuffing!
Badger State Stuffing
Your family will love the contrasting sweet, savory and slightly tart flavors in this spin on a Thanksgiving classic. Feel free to use your favorite beer or dried fruit to make the dish your own. —Andrea Fetting, Franklin, Wisconsin
Sausage Bread Dressing
My husband and father go crazy for this dressing. Leftovers are rare but they freeze quite well. To save time, chop the veggies and prepare (but don't bake) the dressing up to two days ahead of time and refrigerate. Add a little baking time since it will be cold. —Bette Votral, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Pecan-Cornbread Dressing
Plenty of pecans and bacon give this stuffing a unique flavor, while using a packaged mix cuts down on the preparation time. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Savory Zucchini Bread Pudding
I have been serving this dish for years and always receive compliments on it. If you don't have day-old bread in your pantry, simply slice fresh bread and bake it at 300° for 10 minutes. —Mary Ann Dell, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Hearty Rice Dressing
This satisfying dressing has always been received well at church socials and family reunions. The recipe feeds a crowd—I cut back if I'm serving a smaller group. —Ruth Hayward, Lake Charles, Louisiana
Oyster Stuffing
My mother made this stuffing every Thanksgiving for my, father who loves it! And now I make it.—Amy Voights, Brodhead, Wisconsin
Smoked Sausage & Potato Dressing
I tried this recipe for Thanksgiving. My husband is a picky eater, but he ate more of the stuffing than the turkey! If you have leftovers, top some with an over-easy egg for breakfast. —Adriana Torres, El Paso, Texas
Slow Cooker Bacon-Mushroom Dressing
My favorite stuffing uses a slow cooker, which helps when your oven's busy. It goes with everything from turkey to game hens. —Hope Wasylenki, Gahanna, Ohio
Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potato Stuffing
Every family seems to have a favorite stuffing recipe. My family and I have been making this one for many years. It’s so delicious that no gravy is required! —Sandra Dombek, Camillus, New York
Traditional Holiday Stuffing
Sausage and sage add a gourmet taste to this stuffing. It's perfect for large family gatherings, but you can also save some for later. —Lorraine Brauckhoff, Zolfo Springs, Florida
Special Herb Dressing
Here's a fabulously satisfying dressing with all the great tastes people crave: meat, fish herbs, earthy mushrooms, crunchy apples and water chestnuts, and a zesty burst of tart cranberries. —Trudy Williams, Shannonville, Ontario
Moist Poultry Dressing
Tasty mushrooms and onions complement the big herb flavor in this amazing stuffing. This dressing stays so moist because it’s made in the slow cooker. —Ruth Ann Stelfox, Raymond, Alberta
Cranberry Pecan Stuffing
While I love stuffing, my family wasn't that fond of it—that is, until I found this recipe. I added a few touches of my own and now they gobble it up. Cranberries and pork really make it something special. —Robin Lang, Muskegon, Michigan
Wild Rice Stuffing
Since trying this stuffing recipe from my sister, I haven't made any other kind. It's so moist and tasty. When a big bowlful starts circulating around the table, happy holiday smiles get even bigger! —Connie Olson, Green River, Wyoming
Slow Cooker Mushroom Stuffing
My grandmother created this recipe after my grandfather left the well-drilling business and invested all their money in a mushroom farm. The farm was a success and saw the family through the Great Depression. —Eric Cooper, Durham, North Carolina
Southern Cornbread Dressing
This recipe, one of my favorite holiday side dishes, makes a lot. It's perfect for company, even though it started as a way to stretch the food we had for our large family. —Margaret E. Kendall, McConnelsville, Ohio
"Everything" Stuffing
My family goes crazy for this stuffing that I make in the slow cooker. It freezes well so we can enjoy it long after Thanksgiving has passed. —Bette Votral, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Grandma's Cornbread Dressing
Growing up, we didn’t have turkey. We had chicken, chopped and baked in my grandmother’s dressing. Now we leave out the chicken and keep the cornbread dressing. —Suzanne Mohme, Bastrop, Texas
Stuffing from the Slow Cooker
If you're hosting a big Thanksgiving dinner this year, add this simple slow-cooked stuffing to your menu to ease entertaining. The recipe comes in handy when you run out of oven space at large family gatherings. I use this Crock Pot dressing recipe often. —Donald Seiler, Macon, Mississippi
Amber's Sourdough Stuffing
All my kids and grandkids absolutely love this sourdough stuffing, but especially my daughter-in-law, Amber. I usually make a big batch at Thanksgiving so I will have leftovers for my husband. But this recipe is perfect for two. —Kathy Katz, Ocala, Florida
Rice Dressing
This yummy rice mixture is a delightful change from our traditional corn bread dressing. To make it a meal in itself, I sometimes add finely chopped cooked chicken and a little more broth. —Linda Emery, Bearden, Arkansas
Cranberry Cornmeal Dressing
This moist dressing is perfect when paired with poultry or even pork. The sweet-tart flavor of the dried cranberries really complements the dish's turkey sausage. —Corinne Portteus, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Sausage and Cornbread Dressing
At our house, we add sausage and a little steak sauce to this cornbread dressing for a meal that warms our cold winter nights. —Mandy Nall, Montgomery, Alabama
Raisin-Studded Apple Stuffing
This is the only stuffing my family will permit on our holiday table. With Italian sausage and a blend of so many great flavors, it's almost a meal in itself. No wonder it won first prize in a local recipe contest! —Teri Lindquist, Gurnee, Illinois
Apple-Cranberry Stuffing
I leave out the giblets my mom used in her stuffing and bump up the fruit and wild rice instead. The result is this delicious apple cranberry stuffing. —Miranda Allison, Simpsonville, South Carolina
Grandma's Poultry Dressing
Every family seems to have their own favorite dressing recipe that becomes a tradition, and this is ours. It came from Grandma, who passed it down to my mother. Now our children have carried it into their kitchens. This is truly a good old-fashioned recipe. —Norma Howland, Joliet, Illinois
Cornbread Dressing with Oysters
My father's dressing bakes separately from the turkey and is simply delicious. The secret is to prepare the corn bread first, let it cool and then crumble it to form the base for the rest of the ingredients. My father always added oysters to give the dressing a special flavor. —Nell Bass, Macon, Georgia
Cornbread Stuffing
At least 10 of us women made this old-fashioned dressing to feed over 1,500 people at our church's fall festival. Everyone thought it was wonderful. It's the best dressing I've ever made. —Patty Kierce, Weir, Texas
Fruit & Nut Andouille Stuffing
This special stuffing recipe has been a Thanksgiving tradition with our family for many years. It reminds us of home, family, and all the things that make the holiday season so special. —Kathleen Specht, Clinton, Montana
Bacon & Sausage Stuffing
This was inspired by my mother's stuffing recipe. It smells like heaven while you're making it, and people can never seem to get enough. —Stephan-Scott Rugh, Portland, Oregon
Dried Cherry & Sausage Dressing
Apples and dried cherries add a sweet-tart flavor to my homemade stuffing. It makes a holiday dinner memorable. —Connie Boll, Chilton, Wisconsin
Slow-Cooker Dressing
Here’s an easy dressing that’s perfect for Thanksgiving get-togethers. Once it’s in the slow cooker, you’re free to turn your attention to the other dishes. —Rita Nodland, Bismarck, North Dakota
Herbed Apple-Cranberry Bread Dressing
Not all stuffings are created equal. My version of the classic side dish features apples for a sweet crunch and cranberries for a little tartness. —Aysha Schurman, Ammon, Idaho
Savory Sausage Stuffing
I used to make the same old dressing every year for Thanksgiving. About 10 years ago, I decided to jazz up my recipe by adding pork sausage. Now everyone requests this dish for all our holiday meals. —Ursula Hernandez, Waltham, Minnesota
Skillet Sausage Stuffing
To make this sausage stuffing, I dressed up a package of stuffing mix with pork sausage, mushrooms, celery and onion. It impressed my in-laws at a family gathering and has since become a popular side dish with my husband and children. —Jennifer Lynn Cullen, Taylor, Michigan
Sweet Potato Stuffing
Mom likes to make sure there will be enough stuffing to satisfy our large family. For our holiday gatherings, she slow-cooks this tasty sweet potato dressing in addition to the traditional stuffing cooked inside the turkey. —Kelly Pollock, London, Ontario
Sausage-Herb Dressing
To make time for last-minute Thanksgiving essentials, I prep the sausage part of this recipe a day or two ahead of time, then finish the dressing in my slow cooker on the big day. It has stood the test two years running! —Judy Batson, Tampa, Florida
Make-Ahead Cornbread Dressing
Being from California, my family has always been big veggie eaters. I wanted to share a little taste of home with my in-laws so I created this dish for Thanksgiving. You don't have to let it sit overnight, but it's a nice make ahead Thanksgiving option and the flavors mesh more that way. —Patricia Broussard, Lafayette, Louisiana
Apple & Apricot Stuffing
I found my stuffing recipe in a magazine years ago and made a few tweaks. I took out the pork sausage, and everyone likes the simpler version that features fruit and veggies. —Jeanne Horn, Duluth, Minnesota
