Traditional Homemade Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe

Make this easy traditional stuffing recipe when you’re looking for the easiest and tastiest Thanksgiving stuffing. Made with sourdough bread, veggies, butter, and Italian seasoning, this dish will soon become a holiday favorite!  

For more Thanksgiving dishes to make this holiday season, check out these recipes for Healthy Cranberry Sauce, Perfectly Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits, and Slow Cooker Buttery Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes. 

Thanksgiving is a mere few weeks away and I cannot contain my excitement! Give me all the turkey, the cranberry sauce, the mashed potatoes, the desserts, (want to try one of my favs? Try my Pumpkin Snickerdoodles!), and OF COURSE the stuffing. What Thanksgiving is complete without traditional homemade stuffing? 

The use of sourdough bread gives a traditional stuffing recipe a little something extra, a tiny tang undertone that I just love so much. If you love sourdough (and Thanksgiving) as much as I do then I think you’ll agree, this easy stuffing recipe is a keeper. (White bread works just as well too if you prefer it!)

Why This Recipe Works

Easy – This easy stuffing recipe can be completed (baking and all) in just under an hour. That means you’ll be able to easily put it all together while you’re waiting for the turkey to bake! 

Delicious – The sourdough bread combined with butter, celery, onions, garlic, eggs, and seasonings just cannot be beat for taste. I promise, one bite and you’ll wish you didn’t offer to share with the rest of your family. 

Pantry staples – And yes, all of this can be yours (said like Bob Barker revealing a showcase to his contestants) with ingredients from your fridge and pantry. It’s not a fancy homemade stuffing recipe, but it is simply the easiest, best-tasting one you’ll come across!

Versatile – If you like your traditional stuffing recipe with a bit of Italian sausage in it, then you can add that too! Hearty mushrooms also add a lovely flavor to this dish, more on adding those ingredients below.  

How Do You Make Stuffing?

1. Arrange the cut up sourdough bread or French bread cubes in a single layer (or as close to it as possible) on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the oven, then turn it on to heat to 350 degrees. Once the oven has fully preheated, you can remove the bread from the oven and put it into the largest bowl you have. Set this aside. (photo 1)
2. Next, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped celery and onions and stir for 2-3 minutes until celery is tender and onions are translucent. (photo 2)
3. Then add the garlic, stir, and cook the veggie mixture all together for another minute. (The garlic will be fragrant.) (photo 3)
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, dried herbs (or fresh herbs), broth, salt and pepper. (photo 4)
5. Now, add the celery mixture right into the bowl with the sourdough bread cubes. (photo 5)
6. Pour half of the broth mixture over the bread, then toss to coat. (photo 6)
7. Then, add the rest of the egg mixture over the over the bread, and toss to coat again. (photo 7)
8. Transfer the seasoned bread back to the skillet OR if your skillet is not oven-safe or it’s not large enough, transfer it to a greased 9×13 baking dish. (photo 8)
9. Cover the skillet or baking pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve immediately (for best results) and garnish with some fresh thyme, parsley, or rosemary if desired, or allow to cool completely before covering tightly and refrigerating up to 5 days. (not pictured)

What Kind of Bread Should I use?

Any sturdy white bread with a firm crust works perfectly for stuffing. Sourdough is a fantastic choice, and French bread works great as well. If you can’t get your hands on one of these, you can use regular white bread or Texas style toast, but you’ll want to leave it out for a day or so so that the bread dries and stales enough to get the texture that you need. Bread that is too moist or soft will yield soggy stuffing and nobody wants that!

Ideas for Customizing this Recipe

• If you prefer your traditional stuffing recipe with sausage, I suggest pre-cooking some Italian sausage before starting the rest of the recipe. If you bought it in link form, take it out of the casings and cook it until it’s done all the way through, then add the sausage to the bread cubes with celery mixture during step 3. You’ll only need about half a pound of sausage for this recipe, which is about a link or two, depending on their size. Traditional pork or beef Italian sausage is tasty but fresh Italian chicken sausage is delicious as well. 
• You don’t have to save this dressing recipe for Thanksgiving! This dish also makes a great stuffing recipe for pork chops, a wonderful classic stuffing recipe for chicken, or is simply delicious any time you are craving a side of Thanksgiving stuffing throughout the year. 

Expert Tips

• This traditional stuffing recipe can easily be doubled, just bake it in a 9×13 inch pan or on an extra-large baking sheet. 
• A good Italian blend substation: 1 teaspoon each of dried thyme, dried rosemary, and dried parsley.
• Make ahead: You can serve this dressing recipe right away or you can let it cool, cover, and keep it in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat it in the oven before serving. Or, you can prep it the morning of, and pop it in the oven right before it’s time to eat! 

More Holiday Side Dishes You’ll Love

• Candied Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole
• Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Green Bean Casserole
• Homemade Buttermilk Dinner Rolls
• Cranberry Sauce

And of course, you can’t forget the Thanksgiving Turkey! If you’re feeding a smaller crowd, opt for my super easy (and SO flavorful) Best Ever Turkey Breast Recipe (Instant Pot) recipe!