Classic Dressing Recipe For Dummies | Inspire • Travel • Eat (2024)

Jump to Recipe

I never liked dressing when I was growing up… then one day I as I got older I tried Stovetop and it was the best! I dunno… homemade dressing often tasted like bread with seasoning while Stovetop was a flavor explosion filled with salt, butter and potentially crack.

With that said I set-off on an expedition to make my own dressing that was similar to Stovetop but of course homemade and better tasting. The basic dressing recipes are great and all but I wanted to make sure I made the best tasting dressing for the Stovetop lovers and also for the purists. After much trial and error I came up with the Tesla of dressing recipes (see what I did there… Hybrid… Tesla… not funny I guess).

Now, if you want a dressing recipe that has walnuts or cranberries or peaches or halibut then I ask you now to leave… stop trying to ruin a good thing… like you people trying to tell me Kale tastes good… no mom, it doesn’t, go to your room.

Classic Dressing Recipe For Dummies | Inspire • Travel • Eat (1)

So how do you make the best easy dressing recipe? Well sit tight and let’s make it happen. As with most recipes I make, this one is pretty easy, just get some ingredients and follow a few instructions!

What is the difference between dressing and stuffing? Great question… it really is just how it is prepared as stuffing is “stuffed” inside the bird and cooked that way. Where dressing is just the dressing cooked any way outside of the bird. With all of that said… let’s get you to the best simple dressing recipe you will find.

Fresh or Dry Herbs?

Fresh is always best of course… however if you are in a rush or just want to make it simple and easy then definitely feel free to use your herbs from your little canisters. Fresh will taste slightly better but then again some people overly use the fresh herbs and it tastes like potpourri… so you won’t overseason with dried herbs if you go that route!

How do you substitute dried herbs for fresh herbs? Well, the general rule is to use 1/3rd the dried amount that you were using fresh. So 1 tablespoon of fresh basil would be 1/3 a tbsp of dried basil… or a tsp since 3 tsps equals 1 tbsp. Thus, the fresh herbs to dried herbs ratio is 3:1.

Bread Conundrum

What bread do you use for dressing? Well… you really can use any you would like and for the sake of this website’s mantra (quick, easy) I am using cheap whole wheat sandwich bread. You can of course use baguettes, sourdough, french bread or really anything standard from the bakery… but simple & cheap grab that $1.50 grocery store whole wheat bread and let’s get cooking.

Do You Need To Dry The Bread?

Classic Dressing Recipe For Dummies | Inspire • Travel • Eat (2)

Short answer is yes… if not it will get too mushy and I love mushy but, it will still be perfect and moist don’t you worry.

To dry the bread: cut your bread into 1 inch cubes and ideally leave it out for 24+ hours. OR you can toast it and put them on a baking sheet at 250 degrees for 45 minutes. With that said, I want ALL of my dressing to be moist so I lean on drying less than more thus I normally will leave it out for 24 hours vs. toast it in the oven.

Extra Tip: If making a turkey, normally it is at 350, so I will place the dressing on the top rack for the last 50 minutes. I also will baste the dressing with a few squirts of the turkey juices when you are basting the turkey.

Classic Dressing Recipe For Dummies | Inspire • Travel • Eat (3)

I never liked dressing growing up until as I got older I had store bought Stovetop. I dunno... homemade dressing often tasted like bread with seasoning while Stovetop was a flavor explosion filled with salt and potentially crack. Now, if you want a dressing recipe that has walnuts or cranberries or peaches or halibut then I ask you now to leave... stop trying to ruin a good thing... like you people trying to tell me Kale tastes good... no mom, it doesn't, go to your room.

With that said I set-off on an expedition to make my own dressing that was similar to Stovetop but of course homemade and better tasting. The basic dressing recipes are great and all but I wanted to make sure I made the best tasting dressing for the Stovetop lovers and also for the purists.

4 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Holidays

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Keyword: Christmas, Dinner, Dressing, Holidays, Stuffing, Thanksgiving

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 50 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Servings: 10 people

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf whole wheat bread Be sure to see above regarding drying it and types of bread.
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 large onion, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups celery, diced thin
  • 3 large cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup parsley, finely minced Or 1/3 of that if using dried.
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage, finely minced Or 1/3 of that if using dried.
  • 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely minced No sticks! Or 1/3 of that if using dried.
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely minced No sticks! Or 1/3 of that if using dried.
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper

Optional

  • 3-4 tbsp water from turkey roasting pan

Instructions

Bread Drying (The Day Before)

  • Cut bread into 1 inch cubes.

    Dry bread for 24+ hours in a bowl on the counter. OR bake it at 250 for 45 minutes the day of or day before then put it in a large bowl.

    Classic Dressing Recipe For Dummies | Inspire • Travel • Eat (4)

Day of Dressing Creation

  • Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease (or use cooking spray) a large baking dish.

  • Melt butter on a large skillet and over medium heat and saute vegetables until softened, around 5 minutes. Pour into the bowl with the bread and add the herbs & seasonings then mix together.

  • In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and then add in the chicken broth and mix together then pour that over the bread as well and mix all together.

  • Pour into the greased baking dish and cover with foil. Cook covered for 40 minutes and then remove the foil to cook for the final 10 minutes or until the middle is cooked and set.

    Classic Dressing Recipe For Dummies | Inspire • Travel • Eat (5)

Print Recipe

Tried this recipe?Mention @InspireTravelEat or tag #InspireTravelEat!

Classic Dressing Recipe For Dummies | Inspire • Travel • Eat (2024)

FAQs

Should you add egg to stuffing? ›

You'll never make stuffing with dried herbs again! Vegetable broth – To moisten the bread. Eggs – They add richness and moisture, helping to create the stuffing's irresistible gooey center. And sea salt and fresh black pepper – To make all the flavors pop!

Is it OK to make cornbread dressing ahead of time? ›

We have found that cornbread dressing tastes best re-heated the next day, so technically, you can make this dish one day early, refrigerate it and then re-heat over very low heat before serving. In our family, I make it the morning of Thanksgiving and let it rest before re-warming and serving.

What consistency should stuffing be before you bake it? ›

You want your stuffing moist but not soggy and certainly not dry. The bread in the stuffing absorbs moisture, but if it's dry (as it should be, see above), it takes some time for the liquid to settle in. I suggest adding a little at a time, say 1 cup of broth for every 4 cups of dry mix.

What is the food dressing? ›

In many homes, the words "stuffing" and "dressing" are used interchangeably to describe a savory mixture of bread, veggies and herbs served with roasted birds —Thanksgiving turkeys famously among them.

Why put egg in dressing? ›

Eggs add richness to the stuffing, and makes it cohere better. I'd use two eggs per pound of bread. I'm a no egg person - and I still stuff the bird (but also do a batch out of the bird). me, too, Chem - I make a boatload of dressing (we never stuff the bird) specifically so I have leftovers to eat with gravy.

What can you use as a binder instead of eggs in stuffing? ›

16 egg substitutes
  1. Mashed banana. Mashed banana can act as a binding agent when baking or making pancake batter. ...
  2. Applesauce. Applesauce can also act as a binding agent. ...
  3. Fruit puree. Fruit puree will help bind a recipe in a similar way to applesauce. ...
  4. Avocado. ...
  5. Gelatin. ...
  6. Xanthan gum. ...
  7. Vegetable oil and baking powder. ...
  8. Margarine.
Mar 30, 2021

Can you prepare uncooked dressing ahead of time and refrigerate? ›

Do not refrigerate uncooked stuffing. If stuffing is prepared ahead of time, it must be either frozen or cooked immediately. To use cooked stuffing later, cool in shallow containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours. Use it within 3 to 4 days.

How do you keep cornbread dressing from getting gummy? ›

Stir occasionally to ensure even drying. And if your dressing is still too mushy after baking, you can add more crumbled cornbread, dry bread, or even dry breadcrumbs or croutons to absorb excess moisture. Mix it in gently, so you don't compress the dressing too much.

Is it better to use broth or stock for dressing? ›

You can use either stock or broth for keeping dressing moist or as a basis for gravy, but a strong flavor will give you better results.

Why does my stuffing come out mushy? ›

If the stuffing came out too wet and soggy (aka bread soup!) try not to over mix it, otherwise it'll turn into mush.

Does Pepperidge Farm stuffing go bad? ›

Does a stuffing mix go bad? If you mean the kind you buy in the store dry (such a Pepperidge Farm, no, it does not. It will last practically forever.

What are the three basic types of dressing? ›

In Western culture, there are three basic types of salad dressing: Vinaigrette; Creamy dressings, usually based on mayonnaise or fermented milk products, such as yogurt, sour cream (crème fraîche, smetana), buttermilk; Cooked dressings, which resemble creamy dressings, but are usually thickened by adding egg yolks and ...

What is traditional stuffing made of? ›

Classic stuffing made with bread cubes, seasonings, and held together with chicken stock and eggs. A holiday staple!

What is the difference between cornbread dressing and stuffing? ›

So stuffing is cooked inside the bird. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish. Additionally, dressing, especially in the American South, is often made with cornbread instead of pieces of a baguette or plain ol' white bread.

How do you keep stuffing moist when cooking? ›

Use enough liquid: The key to keeping stuffing moist is to use enough liquid. You can use chicken or vegetable broth, melted butter, or a combination of both. The amount of liquid you need will depend on the recipe, but a good rule of thumb is to use about 1/2 to 1 cup of liquid for every 4 cups of bread cubes.

What makes stuffing mushy? ›

You'll need day-old loaves to get stale so that the stuffing doesn't get too mushy. Don't cube that bread! Ragged, imperfect pieces of bread have more surface area; it's those nooks and crannies that give you good texture. Speaking of texture, that's what stuffing is all about--you want a mix of crispy and soft pieces.

Can you mess up stuffing? ›

Your Bread Is Too Fresh

There's nothing better than soft, fresh bread—except for when it comes to stuffing. If you want your stuffing to hold up and not end up a soupy, soggy mess, make sure your bread is dried out or staled for a few days.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Kimberely Baumbach CPA

Last Updated:

Views: 6227

Rating: 4 / 5 (61 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Kimberely Baumbach CPA

Birthday: 1996-01-14

Address: 8381 Boyce Course, Imeldachester, ND 74681

Phone: +3571286597580

Job: Product Banking Analyst

Hobby: Cosplaying, Inline skating, Amateur radio, Baton twirling, Mountaineering, Flying, Archery

Introduction: My name is Kimberely Baumbach CPA, I am a gorgeous, bright, charming, encouraging, zealous, lively, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.