Thanksgiving Dressing Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Keith

I notice the dressing recipes in NYT produce what is essentially a bowl of seasoned bread chunks accented with various additional elements.

In the upper south where I was raised everyone made a much moister style of dressing where enough turkey stock is added to cause the toasted bread pieces to bread down to the consistency of mashed potatoes. It's then placed around the turkey in the roasting pan and baked for the last hour to 45 minutes of its cooking time.

dave beemon

I usually add a tablespoon or two of bourbon, in place of the Worcestershire. It really hits it off with the apples and the sage.

Lisa Semeraro-Castro

I agree. I wouldn't add the Worcestershire or the apples personally. I add mild Italian Sausage and chestnuts to mine using cornbread as the base. The featured recipe is a great start, basic start. You can customize it as you like.

Me

Would omit the Worcestershire sauce next time: I'm not sure that it added anything beyond a sour undertone. Without the apples, this recipe otherwise produces the standard Thanksgiving stuffing.

Sheila

Can you prepare dressing ahead and freeze it?

L Marks

NO SAGE! Overpowers everything and tastes like soap. Use Herbs de Provence instead and fresh parsley. I also use a combo of good quality seasoned croutons and toasted challah. Worcestershire is a no go. Chestnuts already peeled via Trader Joes are perfect for this. While you're at it get some TJ mirepoix and make your life 1000x easier. Stuffing comes out great. Can be prepped night before and kept in fridge. a bit of butter on top and a bit of juice from the cooked turkey mid bake.Yum

stuart itter

Had very good result. Five cups of bread pieces. No eggs, double the butter. Sauteed vegetables with half the butter. Sauteed the bread in second half of butter, till cooked, then, combined and cooked minutes more. Added broth. Perfect moisture after baking 45 minutes at 325.

Ms D

Or - you could buy them peeled and vacuum packed at Trader Joes - excellent.

carol

added onion, melted butter, and some chopped celery leaves
used a lot of extra thyme and sage
added whole milk in lieu of some of the chicken stock
used extra chestnuts
left out hot pepper sauce
left out worcestershire
used red apples

Gale

What is the recommended type of bread?

Jamie

Excellent dressing. Everyone thought it was wonderful. It had a delightful herb taste and perfect texture, not too dry nor too moist. We made it in the morning, and before reheating we sprinkled in a bit of stock to keep it moist. We thought the Worcestershire sauce addition was perfect, blunting what might have been a slightly too sweet end result. We also added an extra dose of hot sauce. A great balance of flavors. We'll make this again next year (if not sooner...).

Klkruger

Uh, no. Salmonella is killed long before 300˚ is reached. 160˚ is recommended as the finished temp for poultry for precisely this reason. Salmonella (and other bacteria) are killed within seconds at temps a bit below that; one just needs to be sure the all parts of the bird have reached that temp. That's why one takes the temp in the thickest part of the thigh in a couple places. If it's 160 in those spots it is likely to be at least 160 everywhere else.

Wordsworth from Wadsworth

"crisp the exterior without burning it," right Sam, that is the key to the cooking method. I hate mushy.

But I question how the aromatics of the Worcestershire fits. Prefer red pepper flakes to sauce. I use very good quality chicken stock. More generous with the butter in the saute pan. That transfers richness to the dressing as a whole. Fresh parsley out of the garden is a revelation.

Mom called it dressing. Years later James Beard commented dressing outside was superior.

Chris

I find this to be a good start but I would eliminate the Worcestershire sauce. I add Italian Sausage, Dried Cranberries, Pecans and Fennel. I leave out the Chestnuts. Extra broth is crucial to keep it moist....add as needed

Bobbie Goeden

I agree with Keith. I will probably make this moister than the recipe calls for. I'm not using apples this year (mostly because it's Thanksgiving morning and I don't have any) but I'm going to add some dried cranberries to the mix. I've never added eggs before but many recipes call for them so this year I'm branching out. Can't wait!
Happy Thanksgiving

SK19118

wonderful stuffing! followed recipe exactly except for the chestnuts. Took longer to bake than 30 min - more like an hour.

Wes

I made this pretty much to the recipe except that I added a lot more broth, maybe 3 cups. Everyone loved it.

Julee Jackson

Made this last year as I had vacuum packed chestnuts I wanted to use up and this year too. Delicious with right amount of moisture and really prefer the apple, onions, celery and chestnuts to turkey giblets, no mystery meat! Didn’t make gravy as wasn’t needed, this stands up on its own!

JCP

Great recipe! It hit the classic flavor and texture notes I wanted. I couldn’t get chestnuts where I live so I used chopped walnuts instead. Moist, a little chewy (I just used generic grocery store “French” bread), and a little crunchy too. Herbaceous and just a little tangy in the best way possible. Will make again!

lisa

No Apples, No chestnuts*Add pecans, mushrooms

julie

Used gluten free bread. Left out chest nuts, apples, Worcestershire, hot sauce. Added mushrooms.

Victoria D.

It would help if a measurement for the bread was given - either weight or # cups for cubed bread. I'm puzzled!

Lee Norris

1-2T bourbon?extra broth. red pepper flakes rather then worcestersgure,dded onion, melted butter, and some chopped celery leavesused a lot of extra thyme and sageadded whole milk in lieu of some of the chicken stockused extra chestnutsleft out hot pepper sauceleft out worcestershireused red apples

me myself and i

I used brandy instead of W. Pecans instead of Chestnuts, 2 eggs, safeway bread cubes 5 cups…and made it the day before.

me myself and i

I used brandy, 2 eggs, safeway bread cubes, pecans, and the day ahead, otherwise as written.

private

Add more salt and pepper; add 1 tablespoon of hot sauce; cut bread into small pieces

KT

Chestnuts are new to me. The ones I see for purchase online are roasted and peeled.This recipe does not say if they should be raw or roasted. Help!

Gina

I used half wheat & half white bread & substituted pecans for chestnuts. My family enjoyed it with the following feedback:“Only use one apple & dice it smaller.”

Petrr

timing instructions:- step 1 can be done ahead of time; then hold in a large bowl until needed- add eggs and stock in (step 2) up to 15 minutes before tossing into the oven or the bread gets too mushy (sourdough stands up better to soaking, so if using white bread be careful of the timing)- if timing with other baked things, bake for a second pass so then it gets toasted when something else is going in at 425/450

Robert

Do I need to cook the Chestnuts first?

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Thanksgiving Dressing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is dressing made of Thanksgiving? ›

Dressing: Dressing typically includes ingredients like cornbread, white bread, or biscuits, mixed with vegetables, herbs, spices, and sometimes sausage or other meats. It is often moistened with broth or stock and baked in a casserole dish until it forms a crust on top.

What's the difference between stuffing and dressing for Thanksgiving? ›

"Stuffing is cooked in the cavity of the turkey, so the juices soak into the ingredients, making it more flavorful. Dressing gets cooked on its own and needs extra liquid to make it flavorful." So stuffing is cooked inside the bird. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, usually in a casserole dish.

What is traditional stuffing made of turkey? ›

At its simplest, stuffing is a seasoned bread cube mixture of onion and herbs. Traditionally, it's stuffed inside the bird, but we prefer to bake ours in a separate baking dish. The first step of making stuffing is simply sautéing celery and onion in a TON of butter, which might be the most incredible smell ever.

What is homemade stuffing made of? ›

The BEST traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing recipe is easy to make dried bread cubes, sausage, diced vegetables, and chicken broth. It's a great side dish to make ahead of time and it definitely tastes best homemade!

Is stuffing better in or out of turkey? ›

For this reason, many experts recommend baking the stuffing outside the bird, where it can easily be cooked to 165°F and is less likely to harbor bacteria.

What do southerners call stuffing? ›

But for the Thanksgiving side dish in the South, the term dressing was adopted in place of stuffing, which was viewed as a crude term, during the Victorian era. Although dressing and stuffing are interchangeable terms, the signature ingredient of this Thanksgiving side dish in the South is cornbread.

What is stuffing called when it's not in a turkey? ›

Some people insist that it should be called dressing when it hasn't actually been stuffed inside a bird. But many people insist on one term or the other regardless of how it's prepared or what's in it. The term dressing is most commonly used in the South, but it's popular in pockets throughout the US.

Is stuffing better cooked or uncooked turkey? ›

Fully cook raw meat, poultry, or seafood ingredients before adding to stuffing. Combine the ingredients and place them in your bird immediately before cooking. Don't stuff whole poultry with cooked stuffing. In addition to the turkey, the stuffing's center needs to reach 165 F.

Should I put an egg in my stuffing? ›

Broth: Chicken broth keeps the stuffing moist without making it soggy. Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture.

How to make stuffing for turkey Martha Stewart? ›

Preparation. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples, pears, onions and celery, and sauté until translucent and softened, about 10 minutes. To a large mixing bowl, add the fruit-aromatics mixture, cubed bread, eggs and Bell's seasoning, and mix to combine.

What to put inside a turkey if you are not stuffing it? ›

Onions and Shallots

An easy turkey tip: Peel and quarter an onion or two and nestle it into the cavity of your turkey. Alliums like onions and shallots add flavor and a bit of moisture to poultry.

Is stock or broth better for stuffing? ›

The single biggest boost you can give your homemade stuffing is turkey broth. Sure, boxed chicken or vegetable broth will do just fine, but the best stuffing is made with rich, savory, homemade turkey broth — the richer, the better. That flavor is what you want.

Is pepperidge farm stuffing mix good? ›

Out of both the supermarket and online order categories, Pepperidge Farm's Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing blew all the other options out of the water. The texture was great, not too soggy or dry, and it had a rich, savory flavor almost reminiscent of sausage.

Is it better to make stuffing with fresh or dry bread? ›

Follow this tip: Stale, dried-out bread makes the best stuffing. Either dry out your bread starting a few days before you plan to make the stuffing by letting it sit out or, if you don't have the extra time, cut the bread into cubes, and then toast over a low heat in the oven until dry.

What is stuffing mostly made of? ›

Many American stuffings contain a starchy ingredient like bread or cereals, usually together with vegetables, ground meats, herbs and spices, and eggs. Middle Eastern vegetable stuffings may be based on seasoned rice, on minced meat, or a combination thereof. Other stuffings may contain only vegetables and herbs.

What's the difference between mayonnaise and dressing? ›

While they can sometimes be used interchangeably, it's important to consider the specific flavor and texture each brings to a dish. Mayo is thicker and richer, making it ideal for binding ingredients together, while salad dressing can add a tangy or herby flavor to a dish.

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