Thanksgiving stuffing (or dressing if you don’t put it in the turkey) has always been my favorite part of the meal. Actually, my family could be known as stuffing fanatics.
Stuffing is a very personal thing, with loads of recipes out there for it. You can find light and airy versions or dense and firm versions. My family likes stuffing that’s classic and traditional. No sausage and oyster, dried fruit and nut, wild mushrooms, or even bacon or sausage need apply. Think old-fashioned. And we prefer ours without chunks of onion or celery in it.
I grew up loving my mom’s stuffing. She always stuffed the bird with it, and her stuffing was firm and could be cut into slices. It was flavorful and the crispy crunchy ends were my favorite (and still are).
Throughout the years, and by watching lots of Food Network, I’ve taken bits and pieces of other recipes and made my own version of my Mama’s stuffing. My stuffing is made with onions, homemade chicken broth, boxed stuffing mix, canned soups, butter, crackers, cornbread and bread. Sometimes simple really is the best.
I buy the big bags of dried bread cubes sold by the deli department of any grocery store. If you want to use fresh bread, cut the bread into 1″ cubes. Lay the bread on trays and let them dry out over the next day or two. The bread needs to be dry. Stir them once or twice a day so all of the bread dries out evenly. You could also do this with your cornbread, though I never do.
I mix my stuffing in my Grandmothers enamel pan. It’s a very large pan and I fill it nearly to the top for this stuffing loving family.
Once everything is mixed you’re ready to either stuff the bird or bake the stuffing in a casserole dish. I never realized how big of a debate it was whether to stuff the bird or not, since that’s all I’ve ever know. Do what you like. I personally like it stuffed in the bird, but we always make enough to also do a pan of stuffing balls as well.
I hope you enjoy this Thanksgiving turkey stuffing recipe as much as my family does!
| Prep Time | 24 hours |
| Servings |
servings
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- 2 boxes Jiffy Cornbread Mix
- 2 large bags Store Bought French Bread Cubes
- 1 box Stove Top Turkey Stuffing
- 3 sleeves Ritz Crackers
- 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 large Vidalia Onion
- 2 cups Homemade Chicken Broth
- 2 sticks butter
- 1/2 tsp Poultry Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Celery Seasoning
Ingredients
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- Cook the cornbread as instructed on the box. Set it aside to cool.
- Pour the bread cubes and Stove Top stuffing mix into a large bowl. Crush up the Ritz crackers in the sleeves, add them to the bowl of bread cubes. Crumble your cooked cornbread into the same bowl.
- Put the cream of mushroom soup and cream of chicken soup into your blender. Peel your onion and cut it into wedges, add it into the blender with the soups. Add in your poultry seasoning and celery seasoning. Add in about 1/2 cup of chicken broth, enough to thin it down some. Place the lid on your blender and mix until everything combines and is liquified. Pour this over your bread cube mixture.
- Melt the butter in a pot on the stove or in the microwave. Once it has fully melted, pour it over the bread cube mixture.
- Start mixing and incorporating everything together in your bread bowl. As you start to mix slowly ladle in the chicken broth, tossing as you go until the dressing has the moisture level you want. Taste and add more seasonings as needed.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest so the flavors incorporate well. I usually let it sit overnight.
- Pour the stuffing into a large casserole pan and/or stuff the turkey cavity with it. Bake the casserole for 20 to 30 minutes at 375 degrees until golden and crisp on top. Serve piping hot with a turkey and gravy!
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