This could be the best traditional stuffing recipe you have ever had!
Warning: If you like stuffing full of meats, vegetables, cornbread, or really anything you can think of, this is not it. The traditional stuffing recipe is very simple, easy on the budget, and can be made the night before the big feast.
This stuffing is full of hand-pulled-apart bread pieces, diced onion, celery, poultry seasoning, chicken stock, and butter. The combination of these simple ingredients creates a harmonious blend of flavors that will transport you to a nostalgic holiday feast. The bread pieces soak up the savory chicken stock and butter, resulting in a moist and flavorful stuffing that perfectly complements any roasted poultry dish.
And because this holiday is steeped in tradition, of course there is a long tradition in regards to making this stuffing.
Here’s a peek into how this stuffing came into my family. My great-grandmother passed down the recipe to my grandmother, who then taught my mother, and now it’s a cherished tradition that I continue to carry on. The aroma of the stuffing cooking in the oven brings back memories of laughter, love, and togetherness during our holiday gatherings. As a young child, I would sit at the kitchen table with a large bowl and a couple loaves of day-old bread, with the task of tearing it into small pieces. Usually I got through one loaf before my attention dissipated, and onto something else I would go!
Mom would always laugh at me and say “Go play! Enjoy the day”. As I grew older, I would stay in the kitchen and help pull apart the bread and chop the celery and onions. I made sure that my part was done prior to leaving the kitchen to go watch football. Over time, I became more skilled at tearing the bread and learned to appreciate the importance of contributing to meal preparation. As I got engrossed in the process, I found joy in perfecting my chopping skills and ensuring everything was ready before indulging in my favorite pastime of watching football.
A good cost-saving tip is to buy your bread in the clearance section of the bakery. Really, whatever is on clearance will work; simply take it home, remove it from the package, place it on a cookie, and put it in the cold oven over night to let it dry out. I have found that this helps make the best stuffing. Not only does buying bread from the clearance section save money, but it also adds a unique texture and flavor to the stuffing. The dried-out bread absorbs the flavors of the other ingredients, resulting in a delicious and budget-friendly dish.
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Ingredients
Instructions
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Remove the bread from the package and put it on a cookie sheet (or sheets) in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, take the bread out of the oven and pull it apart into medium pieces. chop the celery, onion and melt the butter. Set aside about 3 full cups of stuffing to stuff the turkey with. In your crock pot, add the bread, onions, seasoning, and butter. Mix well. Pour the chicken broth over the bread mixture until moistened. Put the lid on the crock pot, set it to low, and let it cook all day. Check on it during the day, and add chicken broth as needed to your desired moistness level.
Notes
Please forgive my measurements, as I have always just made the traditional stuffing by heart. The basics are listed to get the flavors; you may need to adjust quantities depending on how many guests you are feeding and how many leftovers you want. The more herb flavor you can add, the better, as this really brings the bread, butter, and broth together.
