This homemade stuffing combines crusty artisan bread and cranberry walnut bread with sautéed onion, celery, and savory Italian seasoning for a delicious twist on a classic holiday side dish. It's easy to prepare with simple ingredients and bakes until golden and crisp on top, with a soft, flavorful center.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This is our favorite stuffing recipe! The combination of artisan bread and cranberry walnut bread adds a delicious mix of savory flavor, sweetness, and texture—perfect for the Thanksgiving table.
- It uses simple ingredients that are easy to find at the grocery store.
- You can adjust the amount of chicken broth to make your stuffing crispier or softer, depending on your preference.
- The bread cubes can be toasted ahead of time, making it easier to prepare for a busy Thanksgiving meal.
- It pairs well with our slow cooker turkey, greek yogurt mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, easy stovetop mac and cheese, and your other favorite holiday dishes.
Ingredient Notes
- Crusty artisan bread – Choose a crusty loaf that can be cut into 1-inch cubes. The crusty bread creates a sturdy base that holds up well when the broth is added. Day-old or slightly stale bread works especially well because it absorbs the liquid without becoming too mushy. Costco has a rustic Italian loaf that works well for this recipe. Alternatively you could use crusty baguettes or a sourdough loaf.
- Cranberry walnut bread – We use cranberry walnut bread from Costco for a little sweetness, chewy cranberries, and crunchy walnuts. If you can't find it, you can substitute for another crusty cranberry bread or use additional artisan bread and add some craisins to the stuffing. Note the flavor will be a little different.
- Zesty Italian seasoning packet – A packet of dry Italian seasoning keeps this recipe simple and adds plenty of savory flavor. If you prefer to season the stuffing yourself, you can use a blend of dried herbs such as sage, thyme, rosemary, and parsley.
- Chicken broth – Start with 1 cup and add more gradually until the bread reaches your preferred consistency. Chicken stock or turkey stock also works well. For a vegetarian stuffing, use vegetable broth instead.
- Olive oil and butter – Olive oil helps the bread cubes toast until golden and crisp, while butter adds richness to the sautéed onion and celery. You can use unsalted butter and adjust the salt to taste.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements for the best stuffing recipe.
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Recipe Tips & Variations
- Let the bread cubes sit out overnight if you have time. Drier bread absorbs the broth more evenly and helps prevent soggy stuffing. If you're short on time, toasting the cubes in the oven works well.
- Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on your baking sheet so they toast evenly. Stir halfway through and keep an eye on them toward the end to prevent over-browning.
- Add the broth gradually rather than pouring it all in at once. Use less for a crispier stuffing and more for a softer, more traditional texture.
- For extra savory flavor, stir in fresh herbs such as chopped sage, thyme, or parsley with the onion and celery.
- If the top starts browning too quickly before the stuffing is heated through, loosely cover the baking dish with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking time.
How to Make This Easy Stuffing Recipe
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the artisan bread and cranberry walnut bread into 1-inch cubes. If you have time, let the cubes sit out overnight to dry out slightly — this isn’t necessary, but it helps the croutons crisp up.
Spread the bread cubes onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat.
Sprinkle the bread with the dry Italian seasoning packet, tossing well. Add additional salt to taste as needed.
Toast the bread in the oven for 10-20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden and crisped up. Remove and let cool.
Step 2: While the bread toasts, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Step 3: In a 9x13 baking dish, combine the cooled croutons and the cooked vegetables, tossing to distribute evenly.
Pour the chicken broth over the bread mixture a little at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. Start with less for a crispier stuffing and add more for a softer, more traditional texture.
Step 4: Bake for 25-30 minutes, until crispy on top.
Homemade Stuffing FAQs
Let the stuffing cool, then transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3–4 days.
To reheat individual portions, microwave until heated through. For a crispier texture, place the stuffing in an oven-safe dish, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and warm at 350°F until heated through. Remove the foil for the last few minutes to crisp up the top. Add a small splash of chicken broth before reheating if the stuffing seems dry.
A sturdy, crusty bread works well because it holds its shape while absorbing the broth. Day-old bread or dried bread cubes are especially useful. This recipe also uses cranberry walnut bread, which adds sweetness and texture. You can use other types of bread, such as sourdough or white bread, but the final flavor and texture will vary.
Yes! You can toast the bread cubes and prepare the onion and celery a day or two ahead. Store the croutons in an airtight container on the counter and store the celery and onion in the fridge. Assemble the stuffing with the broth shortly before baking for the best texture.
Start with 1 cup of chicken broth and add more a little at a time until the bread is moistened to your liking. Use closer to 1 cup for a crispier stuffing or up to 2 cups for a softer texture. The amount needed can vary depending on how dry your bread is.
Yes! Simply replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. Check your Italian seasoning packet and other ingredients if you're following a strict vegetarian diet.
This recipe is designed to be baked separately in a casserole dish. If you choose to cook stuffing inside a turkey, the stuffing must reach an internal temperature of 165°F to be safe. For easier temperature control and a crispier top, we recommend baking it separately.
Other Thanksgiving Recipes
If you make this homemade stuffing recipe, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
How to Make The Best Homemade Stuffing
Ingredients
- 6 cups crusty artisan bread cut into 1-inch cubes (Costco has a rustic Italian loaf that works well or you could use crusty baguettes or sourdough bread)
- 6 cups cranberry walnut bread cut into 1-inch cubes (we get the cranberry walnut bread from Costco. See recipe notes for alternative options.)
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Italian dressing packet (we use the Good Seasons Zesty Italian Dressing and Recipe Mix)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1-2 cups chicken broth (based on preference for texture of stuffing—less for a crispier stuffing, more for a softer stuffing)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the crusty bread and cranberry walnut bread into 1-inch cubes. If you have time, let the cubes sit out overnight to dry out slightly — this isn’t necessary, but it helps the croutons crisp up.
- Spread the bread cubes onto a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat.
- Sprinkle the bread with the dry Italian seasoning packet, tossing well. Add additional salt to taste as needed.
- Toast the bread in the oven for 10-20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden and crisped up. Remove and let cool.
- While the bread toasts, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- In a 9x13 baking dish, combine the cooled croutons and the cooked vegetables, tossing to distribute evenly.
- Pour the chicken broth over the bread mixture a little at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. Start with less for a crispier stuffing and add more for a softer, more traditional texture.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until crispy on top.
Notes
- If you don't have access to the cranberry walnut bread from Costco, choose another type of crusty bread and add some craisins to the stuffing if desired.
- Save time/prep ahead:
- Cut the bread into cubes a day ahead and let them sit out overnight to dry.
- Toast the bread cubes ahead of time, let them cool completely, and store them in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to assemble.
- Chop the onion and celery a day ahead and refrigerate them in an airtight container.
- Cook the onion and celery in the butter ahead of time, then refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the stuffing.
- You can toast the bread cubes and prepare the onion and celery a day or two ahead. Store the croutons in an airtight container on the counter and store the celery and onion in the fridge. Assemble the stuffing with the broth shortly before baking for the best texture.
- The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Homemade Stuffing." The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
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