Description
A classic Thanksgiving stuffing recipe featuring day-old sourdough bread, sautéed leeks, celery, fresh herbs, and vegetable broth. This savory side dish is moist and flavorful, perfect for holiday meals or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 small loaf (1 pound) day-old crusty sourdough bread (not sandwich bread)
- ½ cup salted butter (plus 1 tablespoon melted butter for topping)
- 2 leeks (halved, thinly sliced, and rinsed well, about 2 cups)
- 4 celery stalks (diced, about 1¾ cups)
- 3 garlic cloves (chopped)
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh sage
- Heaping ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1½ to 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease an 8×11 or 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Prepare bread: Tear the day-old sourdough bread into 1-inch pieces and place them in a very large mixing bowl to form the base of the stuffing.
- Sauté vegetables: Melt ½ cup of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks, diced celery, chopped garlic, sea salt, and black pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, lowering the heat halfway through cooking to prevent burning and to gently soften the vegetables.
- Combine ingredients: Pour the sautéed vegetable mixture over the torn bread pieces. Add the chopped sage, parsley, rosemary, and thyme. Toss everything thoroughly with your hands to evenly coat the bread with herbs and vegetable mixture.
- Add broth and eggs: Pour 1½ cups of vegetable broth evenly over the bread mixture and toss to moisten. Add the beaten eggs and toss again. If the bread feels dry, add up to an additional ½ cup broth until the mixture feels well-coated and moist.
- Assemble in dish: Transfer the fully mixed stuffing into the prepared baking dish. At this stage, you can cover with foil and refrigerate if making ahead.
- Bake stuffing: When ready to cook, drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter evenly over the top. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Finish baking: If the stuffing looks wet after 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to crisp the top to your liking.
Notes
- This stuffing recipe is a perfect, flavorful Thanksgiving side dish featuring fresh herbs and aromatic vegetables.
- Using day-old crusty sourdough bread helps the stuffing soak up the broth without becoming mushy.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of broth depending on how dry or dense your bread is to achieve the perfect moisture level.
- Make the stuffing ahead by assembling and refrigerating before baking to save time on the day of your meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
