Herb Stuffing

The holidays are a time to really focus on food. While there can be so many shortcuts to take in recipes that still taste delicious, fresh is always best.  This recipe for herb stuffing is as fresh as you can get! 

Fresh bread is baked or dried out on the counter to make the croutons. A mix of aromatic veggies gets finely chopped to add a rich vegetable taste along with texture. And this recipe uses FRESH herbs to create a bold flavor that pairs well in any comfort side dish. 

Make this savory herb stuffing to go with your holiday Orange Turkey, crock pot sweet potato casserole, a side of Brie Mashed Potatoes for a decadent Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. Or, you can serve at a weeknight dinner when you want a side of satisfying comfort that goes with nearly anything!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It uses fresh herbs which creates a bold and zesty stuffing with lots of natural flavors. 
• There is a mirepoix of veggies that infuse the dish with rich veggie flavor coming from carrot, celery, onion, and garlic. 
• You can dry out fresh bread on the counter, or toast it in the oven if you are short on time. 
• This dish can be made as part of a holiday meal or as a comforting side dish that can be served with any protein or side. 
• This batch makes a large amount of stuffing that can feed up to 12 hungry guests. 

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Stale Bread – Makes up the base of this stuffing. You can either let the bread sit out to become stale, or toast it in the oven. Instructions are below. 
• Unsalted Butter – Adds a rich buttery flavor throughout the stuffing and helps coat the bread in flavor. 
• Stuffing Vegetables – A mix of celery, carrot, onion, and garlic are chopped up to use as aromatic vegetables in the stuffing. They add a rich flavor and texture to this comforting side dish. 
• Fresh Herbs – A mix of parsley, rosemary, and thyme give this dish a beautiful variety of fresh herb flavor throughout each bite. 
• Chicken Broth – This helps to soak the bread to give it a stuffing consistency while adding a rich chicken flavor that gives it a layer of comfort. 
• Eggs – When eggs are mixed into stuffing, it helps bind the ingredients together making it easier to bake and serve. 
• Salt and Pepper – Both these seasonings give the stuffing an enhanced flavor in all areas.

Instructions

1. Prepare for baking: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside while you make the dressing. 
2. Cook the herbs and vegetables: In a large skillet, add the butter over medium-low heat until the butter is melted. Add in the onion, celery, and carrot. Saute for 5-7 minutes in the butter or until the vegetables begin to soften. Then add the garlic and freshly chopped herbs sauteeing for an additional minute. 
3. Assemble the base: Remove the vegetable and herb mixture from the heat. Then whisk in the chicken broth until fully combined and just barely warm. Taste, and add salt and pepper to taste. Lightly beat the eggs into the mixture. 
4. Make the stuffing: Place the stale bread into a large bowl, then pour the vegetable, broth, and egg mixture over top of the bread. Using a spoon, toss everything together until the bread is fully coated and the herbs and veggies are evenly distributed throughout. 
5. Bake the herb stuffing: Transfer the stuffing mixture into the greased baking dish. Add it to the oven for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the center is set. Cool for 10 minutes before serving with your favorite entree.

Recipe Tips

1. When chopping the vegetables, make sure they are all roughly the same size. This will make sure that each bite has an even consistency and texture.
2. When cooking the vegetables, it’s important that the garlic and herbs go in last. This will ensure that the garlic doesn’t burn and that the herbs maintain their flavor.
3. Use a room temperature chicken broth when mixing into the eggs. Don’t let the chicken broth get too hot. It should be barely warm. Hot chicken broth will cause the eggs to cook and lightly scramble which will keep the mixture from setting properly when baked. 
4. Day-old bread that’s been left out overnight to dry is great to use. If you want to use bread right out of the package, cut it into pieces, place it on large baking sheets, and dry it out in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. The bread should be dry and crunchy like croutons.

Variations

• Feel free to mix in some optional flavors and textures such as dried cranberries or raisins for sweetness. 
• While white bread is classic in most stuffing, you can use whole wheat bread, rye, sourdough, or even some cornbread to change up the texture and flavor. 
• The fresh herbs we use in this recipe can be changed up to whatever you enjoy. Use as much or as little of each herb as you like. You can also add some fresh sage or oregano to change up the flavor. 
• To make this recipe vegetarian, use a vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

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