Best Stuffing Recipe and Tutorial (from my mom!) (2024)

FAQs

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).

While the instant stuffing was actually a closer contender than most of our testers anticipated, the homemade won hearts (and palates) for its subtle flavor and pleasing texture.

Your Bread Is Too Fresh

There's nothing better than soft, fresh bread—except for when it comes to stuffing. If you want your stuffing to hold up and not end up a soupy, soggy mess, make sure your bread is dried out or staled for a few days.

The short answer to whether you can making stuffing ahead of time is yes. "Making stuffing ahead saves time, allows stove and oven space for other things, and making it ahead gives time for the flavor to fully develop," Chef David Tiner, Director at Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge, tells Southern Living.

Any attempts to make stuffing with soft, fresh baked bread will result in a bread soup with a soggy texture. Follow this tip: Stale, dried-out bread makes the best stuffing.

Why Do You Need to Dry Out Bread for Stuffing? Slightly stale bread absorbs meat juices and other ingredients better than moist, fresh bread.

The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much. Add more bread to soak up the excess moisture. If the mix is still dry and crumbly, add more liquid and toss gently until it starts to clump together.

Fruit, especially dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, figs and apricots can seriously improve a dreary box of stuffing. That bit of sweetness plays beautifully with other flavors on the table. I've found that fresh fruits like apples and pears are stellar as well.

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

Why is stove top stuffing banned in Europe? ›

The EU requires warning labels on dyes, and countries like Austria, Finland, and Norway have banned Twinkies​​. Stove Top Stuffing: Contains a combination of beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), leading to its ban in countries like Japan, the UK, and several European nations​​.

You can use any kind; store-bought white bread works well and would probably be my #1 suggestion for stuffing. You could also try using cut up dinner rolls, sourdough bread (actually this would be my personal first pick), challah, or anything else you want to experiment with.

Stuffing most often uses dried bread, herbs, and vegetables that are reconstituted with liquid, stuffed into the turkey cavity, and baked until it is firm and finished cooking. In addition, stuffing can also be cooked separately in a casserole dish in the oven, which would then be considered dressing.

Homemade stock is the best, but if you don't have homemade, a good store bought stock will work as well. If you use a store bought stock, try to buy one with no/low sodium. I personally have started using bone broth in my stuffing and LOVE it.

Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture.

The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much. Add more bread to soak up the excess moisture. If the mix is still dry and crumbly, add more liquid and toss gently until it starts to clump together.

Typically, baking the stuffing inside the bird helps keep the mixture moist. “I prefer stuffing (in the bird) to dressing (outside of the bird) because all those delicious drippings that come off the turkey gets absorbed right into the stuffing,” Bamford says.