Description
Savory herb stuffing delivers comfort with classic French countryside charm. Fragrant herbs and crisp bread cubes blend perfectly, creating a side dish that warms hearts and delights palates you’ll want to savor again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 18 to 24 ounces (510 to 680 grams) bread cubes (1.5 loaves, about 12 to 14 cups) stale or toasted (sourdough, Italian, or your favorite combination)
- 2 1/2 cups (590 milliliters) chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 large eggs
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter
- 3 cups (450 grams) diced sweet onion (approximately 2 large onions)
- 2 cups (300 grams) diced celery
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
Seasonings:
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- Fresh herbs (for garnish)
Instructions
- Transform day-old or freshly toasted bread into rustic cubes, ensuring a crisp exterior by either air-drying overnight or gently toasting in the oven at 350°F for approximately 15 minutes.
- Prepare a spacious baking vessel by lightly coating with butter or olive oil to prevent potential sticking during the cooking process.
- Initiate flavor development by sautéing aromatic vegetables in a robust skillet, allowing onions, celery, and garlic to soften and release their inherent sweetness while seasoned with salt and pepper.
- Enhance the vegetable medley with fragrant herbs like sage, parsley, and rosemary, creating a complex aromatic foundation that will permeate the entire dish.
- Introduce liquid elements by incorporating stock, gently melding the herbaceous vegetable mixture into a cohesive preparation.
- Combine the toasted bread cubes with the herb-infused vegetable mixture, ensuring each cube becomes thoroughly saturated with the flavorful essence.
- Create a binding agent by whisking eggs with additional stock, which will provide structural integrity and moisture to the stuffing.
- Carefully distribute the egg mixture throughout the bread and vegetable combination, promoting even absorption and consistent texture.
- Transfer the assembled mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading uniformly to encourage balanced cooking and golden-brown edges.
- Roast in a preheated oven, monitoring carefully to achieve a crisp exterior while maintaining a tender interior, typically requiring 45-50 minutes of cooking.
- Verify doneness by confirming an internal temperature of 160°F, protecting the surface with foil if browning occurs too rapidly.
- Conclude the culinary journey by garnishing with fresh herb sprinkles, presenting a visually appealing and aromatic side dish ready to complement your main course.
Notes
- Choose day-old or stale bread like sourdough, challah, or French bread for better texture and absorption of herbs and stock.
- Avoid soggy stuffing by not over-soaking bread cubes; add liquid gradually and mix gently to maintain cube structure.
- Replace chicken or turkey stock with vegetable stock and use plant-based butter for a delicious vegetarian version that loses no flavor complexity.
- Prepare stuffing mixture a day before baking, refrigerate covered, and bake just before serving to enhance flavor melding and reduce day-of cooking stress.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 152
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 260 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg