I would like to ask the question, why do we only have dressing at Thanksgiving? I’ve come to realize the dressing and the gravy are my favorite parts. I love mashed potatoes and the turkey but, if I’m being honest I want the crunchy bread smothered in gravy!
This is a classic recipe for dressing (or stuffing, whichever you all it), it’s the same recipe my mother and grandmother used. I did, however, change up the bread to use two different types both with a crunchy crust.
In my family, they like the classics so I don’t dare stray from the original but this recipe has plenty of flavor so I have no problems leaving it just as my grandmother Vivian originally made it. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family!
Krista’s Classic Thanksgiving Dressing with Fresh Herbs
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
Ingredients
- 1 + 1/2 sticks unsalted butter plus more for baking dish
- 1 loaf fresh Ciabatta Bread – diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1 loaf Fresh Sourdough – diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1 large yellow onion – chopped
- 4 stalks of celery – chopped
- 1 tablespoon Sage – fresh or dried
- ½ teaspoon Provence Epices Rabelais or Poultry Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (+/- use at your discretion)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (+/- use at your discretion)
- 2–3 cups chicken stock (note – make your own with the neck and giblets found inside your turkey)
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Day prior to cooking – cut bread into cubes, season with salt and pepper. Leave out, uncovered to dry out. (I place the bread on a rimmed baking sheet) Flip occasionally to ensure all pieces are drying out. If you don’t have time to prep the day before you can bake the cubes in a 250°F oven on a baking sheet for about an hour, tossing occasionally. Let cool. The bread needs to be dry and hard…don’t skip this step. 🙂
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13” x 9” baking dish and set aside.
- Pour chicken stock into a pot and heat until boiling. Turn down the heat and let simmer until ready to use. (see note below if you’d like to make your own stock)
- Place hard bread in a very large bowl.
- Melt ½ stick butter in a large rimmed skillet over medium-high heat; add onions and celery, season with a little salt and pepper. Stir often until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add to bowl with bread; stir in herbs – sage, poultry seasoning, rosemary, and thyme.
- Drizzle in stock slowly and continue to mix gently.
NOTE – you may not need all the stock. Your mixture should not be soupy. For reference, there should not be a puddle of stock in the bowl and bread should somewhat retain its square cube shape but soft from absorbing the stock. - Whisk eggs and pour into bread mixture. Mix well but gently, try not to break up the bread too much.
- Transfer bread mixture to prepared dish, place small pads of butter over the top of the mixture. Cover with foil, and bake for about 40-45 minutes. With 10-15 min remaining, remove foil and allow the top to brown up. The center should be firm and not giggly.
Keywords: Thanksgiving, dressing, bread, comfort food
Leave a Reply