Homemade stuffing is the best Thanksgiving stuffing
When we first moved to France, I was determined to make Thanksgiving dinner. It was just Marc and myself, but I was going to have everything I wanted. Of course, I didn’t realize just how few of those Thanksgiving staples you could find in a French grocery store.
I quickly realized that there would be no cranberry sauce, no pumpkin pie, and no stuffing unless I made it myself. But, ever since I made that first batch of stuffing from scratch, I won’t make any other kind.
More stuffing recipes to try: pineapple stuffing / pancetta chestnut stuffing / baked stuffed pork chops
Ingredient notes:
- Stuffing mix – I like to use unseasoned stuffing mix for this recipe, but not all brands are dairy free, so make sure you check the ingredients list. You can also make your own mini homemade croutons.
- Olive oil – This is my go-to butter alternative for sautéing, but you could use an equal amount dairy free butter if you want.
- Herbs – These can be changed and swapped based on your own personal preference, but the ones listed below are the ones that we normally use.
- Dried cranberries – This is totally optional, and half of the time, we leave them out for various family members, but I really love the little pop of sweetness.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. In fact, I would encourage you to do so. It makes things a lot easier. Just add 10 minutes to the baking time if you’re baking it straight from the fridge.
No. There is no reason to add egg to homemade stuffing. If you want it to hold together better, simply add more broth.
Traditionally, Thanksgiving stuffing was prepared to fill the empty cavity of the turkey. It has since become a staple Thanksgiving side dish, and is often prepare in a large baking dish.
Yes. You don’t even need to thaw it before baking. Just cook the stuffing from frozen by adding an additional 20 minutes to the cooking time.
More dairy free Thanksgiving recipes
Homemade Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, sweet or yellow, chopped
- 6 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried tarragon or sage
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 12- ounce package unseasoned stuffing mix, or about 8 cups of homemade croutons
- 2 – 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken, turkey or vegetable broth
Instructions
- Sauté the savories. Heat a large skillet to medium-high. Add the olive oil, onion, celery, dried herbs and cranberries. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions and celery are soft and translucent – about 5 minutes.
- Moisten the stuffing mix. Put the stuffing mix (or homemade croutons) in a large bowl. Transfer the cooked herb/vegetable/cranberry mixture to the bowl. Pour about 1 cup of the chicken or turkey broth into the bowl and stir to combine.Continue to add broth until your stuffing is fully moistened and soft. Keep in mind that you will be baking this, so it will dry while it's in the oven, so you want it pretty wet.If you're making this stuffing ahead of time, cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Bake the stuffing. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Transfer the stuffing to a large baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes to let the top crisp up a bit.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is too funny! I had no idea you lived in France. We should basically be best friends forever. I remember paying 20€ for a pumpkin on Halloween because I was so desperate! I only lived there for 6 months to “study”. What do you and M do.. and how often do you guys move?! Did you ever go to the Thanksgiving store? I’m not sure if it was open when you were there, because, well, I don’t know when you were there 🙂 I used to get my mom to send American junk food so I could trade it on the student black market – ha! The day I made “cheese fries” when I actually found ORANGE CHEESE (!!!!!) with lardons and Dijony ranch dressing.. you’d have thought there’d been a national disaster the way the other Americans flung themselves at the platter! So funny. Now, of course, I can’t wait to go back and scrounge up every last whipped chèvre and saucisson I can find. Presliced brioche! I mean.. OK.. I’m freaking out a little.. 😀
I’m so sorry! This comment went into my spam filter. I just fished it out. Obviously, we should be best friends. We just left France in April. Marc is playing hockey so we move around whenever he needs to find a new team. There were a few years when we moved literally every three months, but for the last three hockey seasons we were in Angers. And, now we’re in Kazakhstan. I used to bring ranch mix with me and make ranch dip and everyone loved it. I also made all the French girls try my pumpkin cookies. They had never had pumpkin as a dessert before, but they loved it. I mean, how could you not! I can’t wait to go back either!