Baked homemade stuffing in a glass baking dish on top of a white and brown towel all on a white surface (with logo overlay)

Homemade Stuffing or Dressing Recipe with Fresh Bread

Making your own stuffing/dressing is not as hard as you would think, and tastes so much better than the boxed stuff! Round out your holiday meal with this classic.

Jump to Recipe

I can’t believe we are already planning for Thanksgiving! Where has this year gone?!? Seriously. This year has flown by. Although I am not the one cooking Thanksgiving Dinner, I wanted to share a recipe for the best stuffing recipe that is sooooo much better than the boxed stuff you find at the grocery store! 

Or I guess, technically, this is a recipe for dressing since I don’t put it in the turkey. I’ve always called it stuffing, though, and I’m not changing! Either way, this is a holiday classic and should not be overlooked on your Thanksgiving table with all of the other delicious side dishes. 

Tyler had a great time making this with me since he got to tear up the bread. The size doesn’t matter too much, and the pieces don’t have to be uniform so it’s a great task for kids. The only thing I will suggest with the bread is making sure that they aren’t shredded to tiny bits. That’s what Tyler started to do at first, but then I showed him what we needed and he did much better. You can also purchase fresh bread cubes, but that takes away the fun of tearing it all up by hand. 

Young boys standing at the counter tearing a loaf of bread with two bowls in front of him with torn pieces of bread in them

You can also use cheap bread for this since it is going to have so many other flavors mixed into it. One loaf of bread is enough to make a 9×13 casserole dish full of homemade stuffing. Or you can make your own bread. We used a cheap loaf of white bread, but French bread or Italian bread would also work well. Any type of bread will do, and you can even use slightly stale bread. 

This classic stuffing recipe calls for a few different herbs. We like to use fresh herbs whenever possible as it adds the most delicious flavor to the meal. 

Homemade Stuffing Step by Step

Ingredients

  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 1 loaf white bread
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp thyme
  • 2 tbsp parsley
  • 1 tsp celery seed
  • 1 tsp celery leaves
  • 5 oz chicken broth (or chicken stock)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Dice the onion and add it to the melted butter and saute for about 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and slightly translucent. 

Loaf of sliced bread next to stainless steel bowls of dried herbs on a wooden cutting board next to a glass measuring cup of chicken broth and a bread knife beside a frying pan with cooked onions all on a wooden surface

Meanwhile, break the bread apart into bite-sized chunks and sprinkle with a bit of water. Put all of this in a very large bowl. You may need more than one bowl, depending on the size of the bowl. 

Large stainless steel bowl of chopped bread next to stainless steel bowls of dried herbs on a wooden cutting board next to a glass measuring cup of chicken broth and a bread knife beside a frying pan with cooked onions all on a wooden surface

Pour the onion mixture over the damp bread. Add the seasonings and stir to combine (I find using your hands works the best as long as it isn’t too hot). I am giving a suggested amount of seasonings, but you can increase or decrease depending on your preferences. 

Large stainless steel bowl filled with chopped bread pieces covered with herbs and cooked onions next to a glass measuring cup of chicken broth on a wooden cutting board on a wooden surface

Grease a 9×13 casserole dish and gently pour the bread mixture into the dish. Don’t pack the bread down or stir it around, just make sure it is in a mostly even layer. Sprinkle the bread with the chicken broth. 

Glass baking dish filled with bread pieces covered with herbs and cooked onions on a wooden cutting board next to a large stainless steel bowl with bits of bread and herbs on one side and a glass measuring cup of chicken broth on the other side all on a wooden surface

Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes until the bread is golden brown and crunchy on the outsides. 

Baked homemade stuffing in a glass baking dish on top of a white and brown towel all on a white surface (vertical)

Homemade Stuffing Leftovers

Storage: Store leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Let it come to room temperature before storing. 

Reheating: The best way to reheat leftover stuffing is in the oven. For best results, to prevent dry bread, sprinkle with a bit more chicken broth before reheating. 

Freezing: Homemade stuffing can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. I suggest putting it in small containers so you can thaw only what you want at the time. 

Homemade Stuffing Recipe

Originally Published On: November 23, 2016

Last Updated On: June 16, 2023

Baked homemade stuffing in a glass baking dish on top of a white and brown towel all on a white surface

Homemade Stuffing

Making your own stuffing/dressing is not as hard as you would think, and tastes so much better than the boxed stuff! Round out your holiday meal with this classic.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course:
Side Dish
Cuisine:
American
Diet
Vegetarian
Keyword:
bread
|
holidays
|
stuffing
|
thanksgiving
Dietary Needs:
Egg-Free
|
Nut-Free
Servings: 8
5 from 3 votes

Ingredients

  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 1 loaf white bread
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp thyme
  • 2 tbsp parsley
  • 1 tsp celery seed
  • 1 tsp celery leaves
  • 5 oz chicken broth

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F
  • In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter
  • Dice the onion and add it to the pan and saute for about 10 minutes, until the onions are soft and slightly translucent
  • Meanwhile, break the bread into bite-sized chunks
  • Sprinkle the bread with a bit of water to dampen it and place it in a very large bowl
  • Pour the onion mixture over the bread and add the seasonings
  • Stir to combine (I find using your hands works best as long as it isn’t too hot)
  • Grease a 9×13 casserole dish and pour the bread into it without packing it down
  • Sprinkle the bread with chicken broth
  • Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes, until golden brown and crunchy
Click the buttons below to share and print this recipe
Pin Recipe Print Recipe
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Stuffing
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 337 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 7g35%
Cholesterol 30mg10%
Sodium 585mg24%
Potassium 152mg4%
Carbohydrates 43g14%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 475IU10%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 240mg24%
Iron 3.5mg19%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

More Thanksgiving Recipes

More Bread Sides to try

23 thoughts on “Homemade Stuffing or Dressing Recipe with Fresh Bread”

  1. we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here although i like to celebrate Friendsgiving! I always gather with my best friends during November weekends to celebrate my bday on different saturdays 😀

  2. A very timely recipe! I will have to refer back to it if we ever do NOT go to my in-laws’ for T’giving, since my FIL has his own way of doing bird and stuffing so no one else ever gets to touch those…

      1. LOLROTF! In this case, it is more my FIL (and my hubby for that matter) are as possessive of “their” kitchens for “big” meals as anything else! This year, though, we may just get to host T’giving since my mama will probably still be with us while recovering after her recent surgery…

  3. Yum you always make delicious looking food! Fresh herbs, bread and butter, its hard to go wrong with this home stuffing recipe!

  4. 5 stars
    Thanksgiving Day is one tradition I wish we had in my country. But again we don’t need a day, we can express our gratitude every day I believe. That stuffing looks delicious and easy to make.

    1. I couldn’t agree more! We should be thankful and grateful every day for what we have. I try to practice that philosophy myself and with my boys. But having a day for a delicious feast and reason to get together with the entire family is always a bonus.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating