Best Ultimate Bread Turkey Stuffing Recipes

OUR FAVORITE BUTTERY HERB STUFFING

Steps:

• Note about the bread cubes! You have options here. Stale or toasty bread works best. The first option is that you can cut 1 ½ pounds of bread into cubes, place it in a large baking dish, loosely tent with foil and let it sit overnight. You can also cut the cubes and put them in oven, toasting them at 350 degrees F until they are like croutons, about 15 minutes or so. Finally, you can buy the toasted bread cubes in bags from the store. It's your choice! You can also choose the size of your cubes. They can be small or larger for a more rustic stuffing.
• My mom has always used a mixture of stale and fresh bread. Also, I like to use different kinds of bread (usually two), like a sourdough and italian, and mix the cubes. It provides great texture.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush a 9x13 baking dish (you can also use a larger baking dish or a larger foil roasting pan too!) with melted butter, olive oil or spray with nonstick spray. Place the bread in a large mixing bowl (this may be easier for you to stir!) or the baking dish that you will bake it in. You can also separate this into two baking dishes if it's easier.
• Heat the butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the onion, celery and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper - at least ½ to 1 teaspoon each. Cook until the onions and celery soften, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the sage, parsley and rosemary. Cook for another minute. Stir in 1 cup of stock.
• Pour the onion celery mixture over the bread crumbs and toss well to coat.
• In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the remaining 1 ½ cups stock and 2 eggs.
• Pour that mixture into the bread cubes and stir and fold the bread cubes until thoroughly combined. Bake the stuffing for 45 to 50 minutes, until the internal temperature registers 160 degrees F. If the stuffing is getting too browned, you can tent it with foil.
• I have successfully made this a day ahead of time and reheated it - it's just as good! emove the pan from the fridge 60 minutes before reheating it. You can also use this mixture to stuff the bird if you wish!
• To serve 4: Cut this recipe in half exactly and bake it in an 8x8 or 9x9 inch dish. I bake for the same amount of time.
• To serve 12 to 18: Double this recipe exactly. Bake in a large baking dish, like a 10x15 roasting pan, or baking in two 9x13 baking dishes. I bake for roughly the same amount of time, or about 15 minutes longer.

BREAD AND CELERY STUFFING

Steps:

• Let bread slices air dry for 1 to 2 hours, then cut into cubes.
• In a Dutch oven, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Cook onion and celery until soft. Season with poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir in bread cubes until evenly coated. Moisten with chicken broth; mix well.
• Chill, and use as a stuffing for turkey, or bake in a buttered casserole dish at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes.

BETTY CROCKER'S CLASSIC BREAD TURKEY STUFFING

Steps:

• In a large, heavy skillet over medium heat melt the butter, then sauté the onion and celery (and mushroom, if using) until the onion is soft, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the salt, pepper, and sage and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
• Place the bread cubes into a large, deep bowl.
• Pour 1/4 cup of the butter/celery mixture over the cubes and toss well, then repeat steps until all of the butter mixture is used.
• Toss the cubes thoroughly to coat.
• (Regarding the optional chicken broth: for dry stuffing, add little or no liquid; for moist stuffing mix in lightly with fork just enough chicken broth to moisten dry crumbs.) Let cool and use as stuffing for the turkey.
• We've made this stuffing in the crockpot, as well, adding the chicken broth for moistness.
• Adapted from Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book, circa 1950.
• Note: regardling the amount of salt - yes, the amount listed above is correct and is what is listed in the original Betty Crocker recipe. When the butter mixture is first added to the bread, if you taste it at this point it might seem salty (because it is sitting right on the surface of the bread) but remember that the liquid and butter soaks into the bread and redistributes evenly. Also, this recipe, being from the 1950s, is specifically for cooking *inside* the turkey, which a lot of people no longer do, and again the salt will redistribute from the juices in the meat. If you use a crockpot for cooking your stuffing, I'd recommend reducing the amount of salt.
• Note #2: again, regarding the salt. You're going to have to decide for yourself about the salt. Having eaten this recipe for every year of my life I know it tastes wonderful as it's written. But that's just me.

ULTIMATE BREAD TURKEY STUFFING

Steps:

• Plump raisins by placing them in a small saucepan with 1 cup orange liqueur.
• Bring to boil, remove from heat, and set aside.
• In a skillet, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Saute the celery and onion in the butter till tender, about 10 minutes.
• Transfer onion and celery mix to a very large mixing bowl.
• Cook sausage till crumbled and evenly browned. Drain.
• Combine the sausage and stuffing mix with the onion and celery mixture.
• Stir in the raisins and liqueur, pecans, apples, dried cranberries, chicken broth, remaining 1/2 cup of orange liqueur, sage, salt, and pepper.
• Mixture should be totally moist. If it is not, add some melter butter.
• Place in casserole dish.
• Bake, covered, for 20 minutes or until heated through. Add baking time if prepared ahead of time.

TURKEY STUFFING BREAD

Steps:

• In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size if available. , Bake according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).

ROAST TURKEY WITH OLD FASHIONED BREAD STUFFING

Steps:

• For stuffing, in a medium saucepan cook celery, mushrooms, and onion in butter until tender but not brown, remove from heat.
• Stir in sage, pepper, and salt.
• Place dry bread cubes in a large mixing bowl, add onion mixture.
• Drizzle with enough broth or water to moisten, tossing lightly.
• Season body cavity of turkey with salt.
• Spoon some stuffing LOOSELY into the neck cavity.
• Pull the neck skin to the back, fasten with a skewer.
• LIGHTLY spoon more stuffing into the body cavity (place any remaining stuffing into a casserole, cover and chill. Dot with butter and bake alongside turkey for 35-45 minutes or until heated through).
• Tuck the ends of the drumsticks under the band of skin across the tail.
• If the band of skin is not present, tie the drumsticks securely to the tail.
• Twist wing tips under the back.
• Place turkey, breast side DOWN, on a rack in a shallow roastng pan.
• Brush with oil.
• Cover turkey loosely with foil.
• Roast turkey in a 325 degree oven for 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a meat thermometer placed into the center of a thigh (but not touching the bone) reads 180 degrees. Make sure center of stuffing reads 165 degrees.
• After about 1 1/2 hours, turn the turkey over so that it is breast side up.
• Brush breast side with oil.
• After 2 1/2 hours, cut loose drumsticks so that thighs will cook evenly.
• When done, drumsticks should move very easliy in their sockets and their thickest parts should feel soft when pressed.
• Uncover the last 30 minutes of roasting.
• To make dry bread cubes: cut bread into 1/2 inch squares.
• (12-14 slices of bread for 8 cups cubes) Place in a brown paper bag and close loosely.
• Let stand 3-4 days, mixing up by hand each day until thoroughly dry.
• OR, spread bread cubes onto a large cookie sheet in a single layer and bake at 300 degrees 10-15 minutes or until dry, stirring twice.
• Cool.
• I highly recommend using homemade white bread (by hand or bread machine) for the bread cubes.
• You will be AMAZED at the difference in texture!