Homemade Traditional Stuffing Recipe
Published November 19, 2021. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Stuffing
The procedure of stuffing protein meat has been literally going on for generations. In early recipes throughout the first century AD, you learn of people stuffing rabbits, chickens, pigs, and other animals that were accessible. Turkey stuffing was popularized in the early days of Thanksgiving as it is written in many 16th century Boston area documents. Stuffing most often uses dried bread, herbs, and vegetables, that are reconstituted with liquid and then stuffed into the turkey cavity and then 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. I personally like stuffing cooked outside of the turkey because the bird will cook much quicker without it.How to Make a Homemade Stuffing Recipe
Follow these easy step-by-step instructions for making a homemade stuffing recipe:- Cut fresh bread into cubes and place it on a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven at 300°for about 25-30 minutes or until firm.
- In the meantime, cook-off some pork sausage until browned and cooked through and then set aside.
- Using the same pan, cook some mushrooms and onions in melted butter until lightly browned, which takes about 10 minutes.
- Next, add in the celery and garlic and cook just until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables, sausage, and bread to a large bowl and add them together.
- Next, add in fresh herbs, salt, pepper, and stock and mix until combined. The bread should be wet, but not soggy and drenched.
- In a separate bowl whisk together 3 eggs and then add it to the stuffing bowl and mix until completely mixed in.
- Transfer the mixture to a large 13×9 casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350° for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake a further 25 minutes, then garnish with parsley and serve.
Additional Ingredients to Add-In
While there are certainly some basic ingredients for a traditional stuffing recipe, you can absolutely customize it to make it your own. I took the initiative to add sausage and mushrooms, but there are many other things you can add including:- Turkey Giblets
- Turkey Gravy
- Dried Cherries
- Fresh Cranberries
- Dried Cranberries
- Root Vegetables
- Oysters
- Apples
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 1 hour ahead of time, just keep it covered and warm at low temperatures in the oven until ready to serve. How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of dressing to a casserole dish or pan, drizzle on ¼ to 1/3 cup of chicken stock, and cover with foil. Bake in the oven at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until warmed. How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can cover and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.Chef Notes + Tips
Any bread will work for this recipe, but you can take it to the next level with my sourdough.
Feel free to substitute the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
In place of fresh herbs, substitute out with dry poultry seasoning.
Use a little bit of stock at a time, you may find that you need less or more when mixing it in.
When mixing the stuffing together, do so gently so that the bread or other ingredients do not break apart.
You can use bratwurst, Italian sausage, or plain pork sausage in this recipe.

More Holiday Recipes
Be sure to follow me on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest, and if you’ve had a chance to make this recipe then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below.Video
Homemade Traditional Stuffing Recipe

This traditional stuffing recipe that is loaded with mushrooms and sausage has been served up at my holiday dinner table for years.
Ingredients
- 12 cups of cubed bread
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cut in half
- 1 pound loose pork sausage
- 2 peeled and small diced small yellow onions
- 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
- 3 medium diced celery stalks
- 3 finely minced garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon each chopped fresh rosemary and thyme
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 3 whisked eggs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°.
- Spread out the cubed bread on a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until crisp and firm. Set aside.
- While the bread is baking add a ½ stick of butter to a large frying pan or rondeau over medium-high heat and cook the sausage until broken up, lightly browned, and cooked throughout.
- Remove the sausage from the pan or pot and add the remaining ½ stick of butter.
- Add in the onions and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned and then add in the mushrooms and cook for a further 8-10 minutes while occasionally stirring until lightly browned.
- Place in the celery and garlic and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or just until the celery is tender.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables, sausage, and baked cubed bread to a very large bowl.
- Next, add in the herbs, salt, pepper, and chicken stock and mix gently until combined. See note about chicken stock.
- Pour in the whisked eggs and then again gently mix until combined.
- Transfer the mixture to a 13x9 casserole dish and cover with foil.
- Bake at 350° for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for a further 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
- Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
Chef Notes:
Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 1 hour ahead of time, just keep it covered and warm at low temperatures in the oven until ready to serve.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of dressing to a casserole dish or pan, drizzle on ¼ to 1/3 cup of chicken stock, and cover with foil. Bake in the oven at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until warmed.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can cover and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
Any bread will work for this recipe, but you can take it to the next level with my sourdough.
Feel free to substitute the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
In place of fresh herbs, substitute out with dry poultry seasoning.
Use a little bit of stock at a time, you may find that you need less or more when mixing it in.
When mixing the stuffing together, do so gently so that the bread or other ingredients do not break apart.
You can use bratwurst, Italian sausage, or plain pork sausage in this recipe.
Hands down, the best stuffing recipe I have ever made! Full of favor! This is my go to recipe for now on.
I used a sourdough loaf and croissants since I had those on hand that I cut up and it was still amazing! Thank you!!!
Hi Billy, I love your recipes. My husband and I made your stuffing for Thanksgiving. Quick question, do you drain your sausage of grease before adding the onion back to the pan?
You can, I don’t
Billy.
I’m taking this to a house that I’m not comfortable bringing a dish with pork. Could I use chicken sausage (what flavor?) or what instead?
Thanks…Jackie
yes
Is it possible to put completed recipe in a crackpot until turkey is ready to serve? Not much room in the oven alongside the bird. Thanks
You could
The stuffing looks delicious. Thanks for sharing
YouTube frog here. Giving this a go this Christmas, wish me luck!
Merry Christmas Billy.
The recipe indicates to preheat the oven to 300, but directions say to cook at 350. At what temperature should I cook the stuffing?
Check out it again, the 300 is for drying out the bread while prepping up everything 🙂
Hi Billy, your stuffing recipe is similar to my mothers! We didn’t put mushrooms in the stuffing, but always made stuffed mushrooms on every Holiday. Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving.❤️🙏❤️
Hi Billy,
I will be making my stuffing similar to yours, but, because my husband and daughter hate mushrooms, I, sadly. will have to leave them out. Also, my daughter is allergic to onions (do you know how many dishes call for onions, of course you do your a chef) so I will have to leave them out, too. Do you think that using onion powder (which she isn’t allergic to) will work?
Judy
I think it could for sure work!