Classic French Bread Stuffing with Fresh Herbs

This classic French bread stuffing is my new favorite holiday side dish. Serve it with roast turkey, roast chicken, or even ham or roast beef. 

What I love about this stuffing is that it is fluffy, light, and not dense at all, unlike many stuffing recipes I have tried. 

The ingredients in this stuffing recipe are basic, traditional, and simple. Why did I fall in love with this stuffing? The main distinguishing factor may be that the herbs are fresh, rather than dried, and the bread is a crusty French bread that holds up well to the moisture. 

Plus, there are eggs in this stuffing recipe, something I've always resisted adding. I finally tried it and was really happy with the results! I think the egg may actually have a leavening effect, causing the stuffing to puff up and become more fluffy. 

It kind of jiggled when I removed it from the oven! 

Ingredients:

Crusty French Bread: I used a one-pound loaf of day old crusty French bread. You could also use baguettes. I cut the bread into 3/4 inch squares and then let it sit on a baking sheet to stale for a day, stirring it a few times. I'm sure crusty Italian bread would be fine too. If you use commercial sourdough bread, the sourdough flavor might be a bit strong. 

Butter: For sautéing the onions and celery. 

Vegetables and Fresh Herbs: Onions, celery, flat-leaf parsley, sage, and thyme. 

Eggs: Be sure to whisk them well before adding. 

Chicken Broth: Use the reduced sodium version. You could also use salt-free chicken stock and adjust the salt to taste before baking. 

Salt and Pepper. 

Simple, right? 

I love being able to use our little potted herbs that we manage to keep alive (sometimes barely) on our porch. 

I prefer stuffing (or dressing) that is simple. No fruit, no sausage, no oysters, no nuts, and no mushrooms. I might be willing to try it with cornbread.... When it comes to holidays, I think most of us tend to gravitate to what we traditionally were served growing up... which is why I resisted eggs in stuffing for so long... so you never know! 

To Make This Stuffing:

First, cut the loaf of French bread into 3/4 inch cubes and let them dry for a day or two. You can place them in a big bowl or spread them out onto a sheet pan. 

Next, cook the celery and onions in a 12-inch skillet until softened but not browned. 

After that, toss the bread cubes with the celery and onion mixture, the broth, herbs, eggs, salt and pepper, and the broth. Pile the mixture into a 3-quart (13 inch by 9 inch) casserole and bake, covered, for about 30 minutes. 

Finally, uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes or so. 

Note: I used a 2.6 quart (9 inch square) casserole so I had to bake the stuffing a little bit longer because it was piled higher. I used an instant read thermometer reaches 155 to 165 degrees F. 

Make-Ahead and Leftovers: 

You can prepare the celery and onion mixture and refrigerate it overnight. 

If you have leftovers, you can refrigerate them and then reheat them in the oven or microwave. You could moisten the leftovers with a little more broth before reheating. It's also great added to a turkey sandwich, along with some gravy and mashed potatoes. 

One of my favorite ways to use leftover stuffing is to make potato pancakes with stuffing. 

P.S. Don't forget to try Stuffing Muffins! They are so cute and portable!

This week, the Sunday Funday group is sharing recipes for stuffing!

Stuffing Recipes: 

• Ann Criswell's Thanksgiving Dressing from Food Lust People Love
• Classic French Bread Stuffing from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Gnocchi Stuffing from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Keto Homemade Stuffing from Sneha's Recipe
• Mouthwatering Recipe for Thanksgiving Dressing That Will Wow Your Guests! from Our Good Life
• Stove-Top Stuffing Copycat Recipe from Amy's Cooking Adventures

Classic French Bread Stuffing

Yield: 12 Servings

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 1 HourInactive time: 12 HourTotal time: 13 H & 30 M

This classic French bread stuffing is my new favorite holiday side dish. Serve it with roast turkey, roast chicken, or even ham or roast beef.

Ingredients

• 1 pound day-old French bread loaf, cut into 3/4 inch cubes.
• 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, plus more for the baking pan.
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 3 medium celery stalks, leaves included, chopped
• 3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 large egg, whisked
• 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Spread the bread cubes over a baking sheet and let sit overnight.
2. Heat the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring regularly, until the vegetables have softened, but not browned, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
3. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
4. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the onions and celery. Add the chicken broth, the herbs, the eggs, salt, and pepper and mix everything thoroughly.
5. Butter a 3 quart casserole dish and add the bread mixture. Spread it evenly in the casserole and cover with foil that has been sprayed with spray oil.
6. Bake the stuffing for about 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue to bake for about 20 more minutes, until the top is lightly browned and crusty. The interior temperature should be about 155 to 165 degrees F.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

168

Fat (grams)

6 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

3 g

Carbs (grams)

23 g

Fiber (grams)

1 g

Net carbs

21 g

Sugar (grams)

3 g

Protein (grams)

7 g

Cholesterol (grams)

41 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2024/11/classic-french-bread-stuffing-with.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

Stuffing, Thanksgiving

side dish

American