• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Katie's Cucina
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact Me
    • FAQS
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Collaborate
  • Recipes
    • Appetizer
    • Asian
    • Breakfast
    • Bread
    • Comfort Food
    • Dairy Free
    • Dessert
      • Cookies
      • Ice Cream
    • Drinks
      • Smoothie
    • gluten free
    • Greek
    • Grilling
    • Holiday
      • Christmas
      • Halloween
    • Instant Pot
    • Italian
    • Katie Original
    • Main Dish
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Pork
      • Sausage
      • Turkey
      • Pizza
    • Mexican
    • One Pot Meal
    • Polish
    • Salad
      • Dressing
    • Sandwich
    • Seafood
      • Shrimp
    • Side Dish
    • Slow Cooker
    • Soups and Stews
    • Vegetarian
  • Travel
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Contact
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Contact
×

Katie's Cucina » Recipes » Side Dish

Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing

Published: Nov 8, 2020 · Modified: Oct 4, 2022 by Katie · This post may contain affiliate links

Sharing is caring!

179 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Two photos; top of liquid pouring in toasted bread cubes, bottom of baked stuffing.
Top view of a casserole dish filled with baked bread stuffing with text on image for Pinterest.
Close up of bread stuffing with softened butter on top with text on image for Pinterest.
Two photos: Top of baked bread stuffing in white casserole dish, bottom of a cutting board of cubed bread in a casserole dish.
Top view of a baked bread stuffing with text on image for Pinterest.
Two phtoos: Top of bread stuffing in casserole dish. Bottom of liquid pouring into toasted bread.

Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing is made with toasted cubed bread, sauteed celery and onion in butter. This classic stuffing recipe can be adapted to be made gluten and dairy free.

Top view of a white casserole dish filled with bread stuffing with turkey on the side.

Everyone has their own Thanksgiving traditions and go-to recipes. The one I’m sharing today is dear to my heart. It’s my mama’s stuffing. This Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing recipe has been passed down from her mother. This stuffing recipe does not require cubed bread in a bag. In this recipe you actually make your own cubed bread! The simple flavors of butter, herbs, and chicken broth are what make this stuffing so savory. No need to add meat or seafood. It’s a meat-free stuffing, and maybe that’s just one of the many reasons why I love this stuffing so much!

The best part about this recipe is that it can be modified to accommodate friends and family with a gluten or dairy allergy. You can even make this stuffing recipe vegan. See my substitutions in the tips and tricks section below!

If you’ve ever wondered how to make homemade stuffing I’m here to help.

  • 🥘Ingredients
  • 🔪Directions
  • ⭐FAQs
  • 💭Tips & Tricks
  • 📋Recipes

Ingredients

Ingredients: loaf of bread, butter, celery, onion, salt, pepper, parsley, chicken broth.
  • Bread – This is obviously the key ingredient for this recipe.
  • Butter – I like to use unsalted to control the amount of salt for this recipe.
  • Onion – I always use a fresh onion and mince thinly.
  • Celery – Try to dice the celery as small as possible.
  • Seasonings – I use just salt, pepper, and dried parsley. You could also use a poultry seasoning or sage if you like those flavors.
  • Chicken Broth – Just like the butter, I use a low-sodium chicken broth to control the sodium in the homemade stuffing recipe.

Directions

A stack of toasted sliced bread on a marble countertop.

Toast the loaf of bread and set aside to dry out.

Top view of a casserole dish filled with cubed toasted bread and a cutting board next to it with cubed bread.

Cube toasted bread by slicing or tearing with your hands.

Brown pot on a glass cooktop filled with butter and celery.

Next in a medium size pot add 2 tablespoons butter, and melt. Then add celery, onions, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well then add in a ¼ cup of the broth. Cook on medium-high heat until translucent (about 5 minutes). Then add in the remaining chicken broth.

Brown pot pouring broth with celery into a white casserole dish filled with cubed bread.

Spray a large oven-safe dish with cooking spray. Add the cubed bread and the chicken broth mixture in the dish. I like to add half the bread/broth then mix and continue until all of it is used up.

White casserole dish with bread stuffing and chunks of unmelted soft butter on top.

Top with the remaining 2-3 tablespoons butter. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes with casserole dish lid on. Then take the lid off and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the stuffing is hot. Make sure you don’t burn the top of the stuffing. You just want the top to be crispy. 

FAQs

What is traditional stuffing made of?

My traditional stuffing recipe consists of toasted bread that I cube, onion, celery, salt, pepper, and parsley. I like to use butter and chicken broth to moisten the bread to create the light and fluffy stuffing mix.

Why you shouldn’t cook stuffing in the turkey?

The biggest issue with stuffing the turkey cavity is that the internal temperature reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Always use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. The stuffing needs to reach the proper cooking temperature to kill potentially harmful bacteria (i.e,. salmonella) that lurk in the meat and its juices if not cooked properly. In the past, stuffing a large turkey has been linked to salmonella outbreaks.

What can I stuff a turkey with besides stuffing?

Here are a few things you can stuff inside a turkey besides stuffing.
–Herbs – Place a bundle of fresh herbs like Thyme, sage, parsley and a bit of rosemary are a great combination.
–Vegetables – carrots, celery, onions, shallots or even garlic works well. Make sure you put the smaller pieces of vegetables at the top and block the cavity by the larger vegetables so the garlic or shallots don’t fall through.
–Fruit – You can quartered apples, or even citrus like lemon, orange, grapefruit or lime. These fruits will keep your turkey moist and add an extra layer of flavor.
–Beer – Just like a beer can chicken you can place a can of beer in the turkey cavity. This helps keep the turkey nice and moist.

Tips & Tricks

Spoon scooping bread stuffing out of a white casserole dish.

Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks I’ve found helpful when making bread stuffing.

  • Make Ahead – You can make the stuffing up to 2 days ahead of time. Make sure you keep it sealed tightly and refrigerated until your ready to cook it. My mom always makes the stuffing ahead of time and it’s perfect on the day of cooking.
  • Bread – I like to use either white or honey-wheat bread for stuffing. I find it’s the best bread for homemade stuffing!
  • Stuffing in the turkey – If you do want to stuff the turkey please please make sure that you use an Instant Read meat thermometer and that the temperature in the thickest part of the stuffing and the turkey both read at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Substitutions: Looking to make this gluten free, dairy free, or even vegan? Here are a few substitutions you can make.
    • Gluten Free – My mom makes this recipe every year for my cousin who has a gluten allergy. She uses Udi’s bread and gluten free chicken broth. She uses much less broth as the gluten free breads tend to be moister. Make sure that if you do want to stuff a turkey that you make a separate turkey breast that has it’s own gluten free stuffing. To ensure she does not cross-contaminate the stuffing mix she lines a baking sheet with aluminum foil and toast the bread in the oven. Keep this in mind if you have guest attending Thanksgiving who have a gluten allergy. They don’t have to miss out on baked stuffing!
    • Dairy Free – Use a dairy free, vegan or plant based butter instead of the traditional butter. I did this the year I was dairy free and it turned out just fine.
    • Vegan – Use vegetable stock instead of chicken broth. Use vegan butter instead of traditional butter.

Stuffing Recipes

Top view of a white dish filled with bread stuffing resting on a plaid dish towel.

If you are looking for other stuffing recipes I have a few including my favorite way to use up leftover stuffing in both mushrooms and soup!

  • Sheet Pan Bread Stuffing with Sausage + Spinach
  • Baked Cheesy Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms
  • Turkey & Stuffing Dumpling Soup
  • Cherry Pecan Stuffing

If you make this bread stuffing recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!

Don’t forget to FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, and subscribe to my email list!

Top view of a white dish filled with bread stuffing resting on a plaid dish towel.

Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing

Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing is made with toasted cubed bread, sauteed celery and onion in butter. This classic stuffing recipe can be adapted to be made gluten and dairy free.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 286kcal
Author: Katie

Equipment

  • Stove Top
  • Oven

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf Honey Wheat Bread
  • 4 tablespoons Salted Butter divided
  • 2 Celery Stalks diced
  • ½ White Onion minced
  • 1 tablespoon Dried Parsley
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste
  • 1½ cups Chicken Broth

Instructions

  • Toast the loaf of bread and set aside.
  • Next in a medium size pot add 2 tablespoons butter, and melt. Then add celery, onions, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well then add in a ¼ cup of the broth. Cook on medium-high heat until translucent (about 5 minutes). Then add in the remaining chicken broth.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Cube toasted bread by slicing or tearing with your hands.
  • Spray a large oven-safe dish with cooking spray. Add the cubed bread and the chicken broth mixture in the dish. Slowly add and mix. Top with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
  • Bake in the oven for 20 minutes with casserole dish lid on. Then take the lid off and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the stuffing is hot. Make sure you don’t burn the top of the stuffing. You just want the top to be crispy. 

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5c | Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 655mg | Potassium: 207mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @KatieJasiewicz or tag #katiescucina!

Disclosure: There are affiliate links present in this post. That means if you click on a link and purchase something. I will receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your continuous support of Katie’s Cucina!

« Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Grilled Acorn Squash »

About Katie

Katie is a busy mom of 2 children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don't take hours to cook! She started her blog 10 years ago as a way to help others get cooking in the kitchen.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. fuck off

    November 14, 2014 at 6:50 pm

    Moronic idiots – recipe is worthless without the oven temp setting! idiots !!

    Reply
  2. Jerry

    November 14, 2014 at 6:42 pm

    all this info is worthless, you gave no oven temp

    Reply
  3. sushiandsitups.com

    November 20, 2011 at 11:18 pm

    I love hearing all the family cooking stories at Thanksgiving. My favorite stuffing is my grandma's recipe, and even though she has passed on, I hope to keep the recipe alive.

    Reply

Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. A busy mom of two children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don’t take hours to cook! My mission is to create easy-to-make modern comfort food for the busy family. (more)

Featured On

brand logos in collaage; food network, MSN, kitchenaid, country living, world market, etc

Most Popular Recipes

  • Broccoli Casserole with Ritz Crackers
  • Homemade White Gravy
  • Mashed Potato Soup
  • KitchenAid Pasta Recipe

Game Day Eats

  • Slow Cooker Chili Cheese Dip
  • Chili Cheese Nachos
  • Buffalo Chicken Dip
  • Instant Pot Chicken Wings from Frozen

Footer

logos of places Katie's Cucina has been featured on; food network, KitchenAid, Stonyfield, Country LIving, Women's Health, etc.

COPYRIGHT © KATIE'S CUCINA 2009-2022
AS AN AMAZON ASSOCIATE I EARN FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES.
PRIVACY POLICY · ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT · DESIGN BY GRACE + VINE STUDIOS

179 shares