Thanksgiving Stuffing Round Up

Thanksgiving Stuffing Round Up

I have created three of the BEST Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes that are all fan favorites with my readers. It came to my attention there was a lot of questions the last few days regarding the different stuffing recipes. I decided to answer them all in this Thanksgiving Stuffing Round Up. This way you can make an informed Thanksgiving Stuffing recipe decision that suits all your needs.

Each stuffing will also include the full, printable recipe card and a few facts about each stuffing.

Stuffing Number One, The World’s Best Stuffing

This stuffing recipe is four years old. It was created when I was working with a very small, local Chicago business called Chateau Dumplings. Chateau make Czech Bread Dumplings which are a cross between a mini French bread loaf and a steamed Bao Bun. The bread dumplings are typically eaten with roast pork and gravy, or any roasted meat dish that has gravy. They soak up the gravy and make a delicious gravy filled bite.

At the time I was creating recipes for this company (among other things). After watching my Mom make our family stuffing recipe I had a thought. I should make a stuffing using the bread dumplings, as they are a perfect texture for soaking up the broth and other ingredients.

This stuffing has celery, mushrooms, onions and uses ground breakfast sausage that adds richness and flavor. The recipe went viral that first year with over 18 million views on social media. Here are some quick facts about The World’s Best Stuffing.

The World’s Best Stuffing Facts

• This stuffing can be made up to two days in advance and hang out in your fridge until Thanksgiving Day when you are ready to bake it off. In fact, the longer it sits ahead of time, the better it is.
• This stuffing costs about $35 to make a tray that would feed 12 to 15 people.
• This stuffing is best served if you are baking it and serving it immediately. This stuffing probably wouldn’t be the best for transporting already cooked anywhere that would take more than an hour, due to the mushrooms and sausage in the stuffing.
• The bread dumplings make a delicious base for this stuffing, you do not need to dry them out before using them for the stuffing like you have to with other bread.
• The bread dumplings are difficult to find for people in other parts of the country, they only sell them in about 12 states and they do offer online ordering, but you are required to order a case or a half case at a time. Shipping for the Thanksgiving holiday is now done. I will link the retail locator for this product HERE. I also know that they also sell in Houston and Dallas at Kroger stores but they do not have their retail locator updated with that information.

This stuffing really is one of the best stuffing’s I have ever had. It is worth the splurge to make this stuffing if you are serving a smaller crowd. Therefore, be sure to stock up and/or order your dumplings early enough so that you can be sure to have the product when you want to make your stuffing. My advice, order the 6 pack if you order online because you will want to make this stuffing again and again. I also have a delicious recipe using the dumplings for an Eggs Benedict Casserole.

Classic Stuffing

This Classic Stuffing was created for my readers who cannot find the Bread Dumplings anywhere and do not want to have to order them online. This Classic Stuffing has all the usual suspects of celery., onions, mushrooms and the added delicious flavor of sausage. What I love about this stuffing:

Classic Stuffing Facts

• You can make it ahead of time and bake it off when you are ready to serve.
• The ingredients for this stuffing are more accessible to everyone across the country.
• This stuffing can be used as a side for other meals throughout the year, not just on Thanksgiving. It goes perfectly with roasted chicken and roasted pork.

Yield: 15 servings

Classic Thanksgiving Stuffing

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An easy holiday stuffing that can be prepared up to two days in advance and baked the day you are ready to serve. Savory sausage, onions, celery and mushrooms make for a delicious side to your turkey or roast. This recipe also makes the BEST leftovers for your holiday sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 1 16 ounce package of pork sausage roll
• 2 cups of finely diced celery with the leaves
• 2 cups of finely diced yellow onions
• 2 cups of finely diced mushrooms (any variety)
• 4 cups of chicken or turkey broth
• 1 cup of milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons of celery salt
• 1.5 tablespoons of poultry seasoning
• 2 teaspoons of sage
• 2 teaspoons of celery seed
• Black pepper to taste
• Approximately 15 cups of cubed French Rolls or French bread cut into small cubes. I used 9 French Rolls.
• 1 stick of salted butter

Instructions

The seasoning measurements in this recipe are a suggestion. I recommend seasoning and tasting and adding more or less to your preferences. The measurements included for the seasonings are my preference and can be adjusted to your liking.

1. Add the sausage to a large skillet and use a spatula or ground meat chopper to break up the sausage as it cooks into a very fine crumble.
2. Add the onions, mushrooms and celery (with the minced celery leaves) to the sausage and cook low and slow until the celery is soft, the mushrooms and onions are golden brown and all the liquid is evaporated out of the skillet.
3. While the veggies and sausage cook, whisk two eggs with the milk in a bowl, and cube up your bread into small cubes. About 1 inch cubes. This step is important so that the liquids absorb properly and evenly.
4. When the veggies and sausage have properly cooked and there is no liquid left in the pan, begin seasoning your veggies and sausage with the celery seed, celery salt, black pepper, poultry seasoning, and sage. Taste as you go, allowing the seasoning to sauté with the veggies and meat for a few minutes and then add more if needed.
5. When you have the seasonings adjusted to your liking, add the 4 cups of chicken broth and bring this to a boil. Add half the stick of butter, when the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Add your bread cubes to a large bowl, I like to add half, then add the mixture and then add the other half of the bread to make sure all the bread is absorbing the liquids. (see next step)
7. After the mixture has simmered, working in batches, combine the sausage mixture with the cubed bread in a large bowl. This mixture will be very wet. Once the bread is all combined with the sausage mixture, let it rest on counter for 15 minutes. Then add the milk and eggs, Stirring well to combine.
8. Add the mixture to a greased casserole dish, add the rest of the butter to the top in thin slices spread out and season the top with a little bit of the herbs and salt you used in the mixture.
9. This can now be stored in the fridge for up to two days or baked immediately. If you make it ahead of time, let it sit out of the fridge for 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes (center will be firm when done) then let it rest on top of the warm stove for 15 minutes before serving.

*for an added touch you can add some of the turkey drippings to this when its baking the day of the holiday. I add about 2 turkey basters full to give it that extra flavor.

This Butter Stuffing is my new favorite. This stuffing hits all the right notes I am looking for in my Thanksgiving Stuffing. Classic flavors, it reminds me of something my Grandma would make. Crispy bits of stuffing on the top and sides and a tender, soft, butter texture inside. Here are all the things I like about my Butter Stuffing.

Butter Stuffing Facts

• Easy to make with simple ingredients. This recipe uses French rolls, celery, onions and lots of butter. If you follow the steps perfectly, the celery and onions literally melt in your mouth when you make this.
• The steps are super simple and require very few cooking skills. This is a great recipe for a first timer.
• The ingredients for this cost about $15 to make a large pan that feeds at least 15.
• This stuffing transports well.
• This stuffing freezes well.
• You can make this stuffing ahead of time.
• There are no ingredients in this stuffing that are difficult ti find or that you need to order online.
• You can use this stuffing to make my delicious Turkey Roll Ups

Yield: 15 Servings

Butter Stuffing

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A decadent and rich stuffing that has all the delicious crispy bits as well as the tender, savory center you crave when you think of stuffing. This stuffing is easy to make and will have your holiday crowd craving more so be sure to make extra!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Sticks of Salted Butter + 1/4 cup
• 12 Turano Brand French Rolls (you can sub any long Hoagie type rolls that are slightly chewy in texture and have a thin and not coarse crust)
• 3 Cups of Finely Minced Celery With The Leaves (make sure you use the leaves)
• 3 Cups of Finely Minced Sweet Onions
• 4 to 5 Cups of Chicken or Turkey Broth (I use Better Than Bouillon with Water because I feel like it adds more flavor than carton broth)
• 3/4 Cup of Milk
• 2 Eggs
• Seasoning Is Approximate, Feel Free To Add More Or Less To Your Liking
• 1.5 Tablespoons Poultry Seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
• 1 Tablespoon of Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
• 1/2 Tablespoon of Celery Seeds
• 1/2 Tablespoon of Sage
• Sprinkle of Celery Salt
• 1.5 Tablespoons of Dried Parsley
• *you will add a sprinkle of all the seasonings to the top as well

Instructions

1. Cut your rolls up into small, bite sized pieces. It is very important to the texture of the stuffing to be cut into smaller, bite sized pieces. Spread the cubes on two baking sheets and bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown.
2. Add the cubes to a very large bowl.
3. In a skillet, melt one stick of the butter and then add the celery and onions. Sauté these low and slow so that the liquid is evaporated and they tunr soft and golden brown. Make sure you spread the celery and onions evenly in the skillet and give it time to cook before stirring it too much, but stir it enough to not let it burn. When it is spread out, it cooks evenly.
4. When it is soft, add your seasonings. The measurements I gave are my own preference, it would be my advice to season, taste and season again. I prefer a lot of black pepper, you may want to use less. When adding the celery salt, keep in mind that salt will also come from the butter and broth.
5. Sauté with the herbs and seasoning for about 5 minutes so that the flavors become fragrant.
6. I add my broth, I use four cups to begin with. I reserve the extra cup to see if it needs to be added after combining with the bread cubes. Bring the mixture to a slow simmer, and simmer about ten minutes.
7. Turn off the heat and let this cool for a few minutes, then add to the bread cubes, stirring and folding so that every cube is soaked in the mixture. You may need to add a little more of the reserved cup of the broth to make sure there is enough broth to cubes ratio. The cubes should be very soaked and somewhat soggy, but there shouldn't be a ton of liquid in the bottom of the bowl.
8. Melt the additional stick of butter and add it to the mixture and fold this in to the mixture. Let this cool for about 10 minutes. At this point you can put the mixture in the fridge overnight to finish the next day.
9. When the mixture is cooled, whisk the eggs with the milk and fold into the stuffing.
10. Spray a casserole dish with non stick spray or butter, add the stuffing to the dish. Season the top with a tiny sprinkle of all the seasonings. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Check once or twice to make sure it isn't getting too brown. If it is, and the center isn't set, loosely place a sheet of foil over the top. At the 45 minute mark, melt the 1/4 cup of butter and drizzle over the top and bake for 15 minutes more at 375 degrees. Again, you will know the stuffing is done when the center is firm when you press on it.
11. Let the stuffing rest for 15 minutes before serving.

As you can see all three recipes are amazing and have their selling points. If I HAD to pick just one I think that I would choose the Butter Stuffing as my number one based on the fact that it’s classic, affordable and the easiest to make. I encourage you to make all three and decide which one you like best!