Simple Homemade Stuffing

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 health.

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 bread (I recommend getting a good loaf from a bakery that uses fresh ingredients.)
• Celery, onion, and garlic cloves
• Salt and pepper
• Butter
• Pantry seasonings: dried onion flakes, garlic powder, celery seed, dried parsley, ground sage, and ground thyme
• Chicken broth

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

Step-By-Step: How to Make Homemade Stuffing

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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. Turn the heat up and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat.
5. 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.
6. Use a fork to gently fluff the stuffing before serving*.

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 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.

1. Make the stuffing according to the recipe and let it cool.
2. Wrap the casserole dish tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap and foil, squeezing out excess air.
3. Either store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
4. 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.