American Stuffing

This American Stuffing is very easy and is a classic bread stuffing recipe that uses a generous amount of chopped celery, onion, and seasonings and can be baked alone or inside a small turkey. It’s simple and much tastier than stuffing mix.

Why I love this recipe

This simple from-scratch recipe takes only 5 minutes of prep, only uses 7 ingredients plus salt and pepper, and is completely ready in just 45 minutes. This small batch recipe is perfect for an intimate Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas, or as a side dish for two any night of the week. It’s great for all holiday meals.

For more on the history and origins of stuffing, or dressing as it’s also known, read this article.

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Basic Ingredients

(amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

stale bread

butter

onion

celery

chicken broth

dried thyme

ground sage

salt

black pepper

Substitutions

You can use chicken stock, chicken broth, or turkey broth.

The best type of bread is day-old white bread, sourdough bread, and crusty bread. Fresh bread will be a little too mushy.

​Use two 10-ounce ramekins to make individual servings.

Equipment used for this recipe

18.6-ounce oven-safe casserole dish

cutting board

saucepan

aluminum foil

How to make Stuffing for Two

Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 2 – Spray an 18.6 oz. oven-safe baking dish with non-stick spray.

Step 3 – On a cutting board, dice the onion and celery into small bite-sized pieces.

Step 4 – Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add the onion, celery, and broth. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Step 5 – While the onions and celery cook, toast the bread slices until golden brown.

Step 6 – Spread each piece of toast with butter and cut the toast into bite-sized cubes.

Step 7 – In the same saucepan, stir in the thyme, sage, salt, and black pepper.

Step 8 – Place the toasted dried bread cubes in a medium bowl.

Step 9 – Add the sauteed onions, celery, and broth mixture to the bread cubes and toss gently to combine.

Step 10 – Pour the bread mixture into the prepared oven-safe baking dish.

Step 11 – Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Step 12 – Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes until lightly browned.

Pro Tips

Store leftover stuffing in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Side dishes, main dishes, and desserts that go great alongside stuffing are turkey breast, mashed potatoes, green beans,  cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, and pumpkin pie.

Recipe FAQs

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