Homemade Stuffing

Name: Simple Homemade Stuffing
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 cups cubed (about 1/4 inch) whole grain bread pieces (For GF: Use gluten-free bread.); 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil; 1 onion, finely diced; 1 cup of finely diced celery; 2 garlic cloves, minced; Salt and pepper; 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter; 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes or 2 teaspoons onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon celery seed; 2 tablespoons dried parsley, crushed in hand; 1 teaspoon ground sage; 1 teaspoon ground thyme; 3 cups chicken broth

★★★★★ 5 /5 Updated: 10/11/22

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This simple homemade stuffing recipe couldn’t be simpler yet has wonderful depth of flavor. It includes mostly pantry items and only takes about 30 minutes! You’ll never go back to store-bought after this.

What’s in Store-Bought Boxed Stuffing?

I grew up on store-bought boxed stuffing and really never knew homemade stuffing existed. 😂 Did you?

While I enjoyed the boxed stuffing growing up, I learned as an adult what actually goes into it. Ah! Take a look at the ingredient list for Stove Top Stuffing Mix…

While I recognize a few of those ingredients, most of them, I do not! Plus, I know for sure that I don’t want to feed my family High Fructose Corn Syrup, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), and all the extra preservatives that aren’t good for our bodies.

Homemade Stuffing Ingredients: The GOOD “Stuff”

The good news is that you can make your own stuffing pretty quickly at home, and YOU control what goes in it. My recipe includes the following fresh, healthy, and delicious ingredients. I bet you recognize all of them!

Whole grain or sourdough bread – I recommend getting a good loaf from a bakery that uses fresh ingredients.
Celery, onion, and garlic
Butter – I like Kerrygold brand.
Pantry seasonings – Including dried onion flakes, garlic powder, celery seed, dried parsley, ground sage, ground thyme, salt, and pepper.
Chicken broth – I like Pacific Foods Organic Broth.

The result of using these real food ingredients is moist and perfectly seasoned stuffing!

Video Tutorial: Homemade Stuffing Recipe

Step-By-Step: How to Make Homemade Stuffing

Prep Oven

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Toast Bread Cubes

Spread the bread pieces on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Stir the bread and spread it back out again. Baking another 8-10 minutes, or until the bread is completely toasted. Set aside when done.

Saute Veggies

While the bread is toasting, heat the oil in a large (5 quart) pot over medium-high heat until shimmery. Add the onions and celery and saute until just softened, about 4-5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper while they cook. Add the garlic at the end and stir for 30-60 seconds.

sauted celery and onion in a pan with spoon

Make Sauce

Turn the heat down to medium. Add the butter to the pot and let it melt (don’t let it brown). Then, stir in the onion flakes or powder, garlic powder, celery seed, crushed parsley, sage, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and chicken broth.

veggies, broth, and seasonings in a pan to pour over cubed bread

Turn the heat up and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.

Combine Everything

Gently stir in the toasted bread pieces, until coated. Cover with a lid and let sit for 5-7 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Use a fork to gently fluff the stuffing before serving.

process shot of bread cubes combined with sauce to make stuffing

Serve

Transfer to a casserole dish. You can either serve warm “as is”, or pop it in the oven and bake at 350°F until a little crispy on top (about 15-20 minutes).

overhead shot of homemade stuffing in a casserole dish

Can I Make This Stuffing Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free?

Yes, you can and it’s easy! Here’s how:

Gluten-Free Version: Use toasted gluten-free bread instead of whole grain bread.

Dairy-Free Version: Use lactose-free ghee or a plant-based butter instead of regular butter.

Can You Make Stuffing Ahead of Time?

Absolutely! You can make it up to 1 month beforehand.

Make the stuffing according to the recipe and let it cool.
Wrap the casserole dish tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap and foil, squeezing out excess air.
Either store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
When ready to serve, bake in a casserole dish at 350°F oven for 20 minutes until warmed through and starting to crisp up on top. (Cover with foil if it starts to get too brown but isn’t heated through yet.)

How to Use Up Extra Stuffing

Last year I had SO much leftover stuffing. But, that was a good problem to have because I created a new recipe from it!

My family devoured this 4 Layer Turkey Stuffing Casserole. It’s a great way to use up leftovers and you can even freeze this casserole for later.

Try 4 Layer Turkey & Stuffing Casserole

Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!