This traditional buttery stuffing is a simple, familiar side dish made with dried bread cubes, plenty of butter, onion, celery, and classic poultry seasoning. Soft in the middle with a lightly golden top, it’s the kind of stuffing that quietly steals the spotlight on the table.
If you enjoy cozy, from-scratch comfort foods like homestyle chicken noodle soup, cabbage roll soup, or a slow dutch oven chicken stew, this stuffing fits right in. It’s easy to make ahead, forgiving, and perfect for holiday meals or a relaxed Sunday dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes like the holidays should: Soft, buttery, and perfectly seasoned, this is that familiar stuffing flavor everyone hopes for on the table along-side grandma’s Polish kapusta!
- Simple, no-frills ingredients: Nothing complicated or trendy, just bread, butter, broth, and classic seasonings that work every time.
- Perfect texture balance: Moist and tender on the inside with just a lightly crisp top from the oven.
- Easy to customize: Dress it up with herbs or sausage, or keep it plain and traditional. It’s forgiving and flexible.
- Feeds a crowd comfortably: A reliable side dish that stretches well and satisfies everyone at the table.
- Make-ahead friendly: Assemble it early, bake when you’re ready, and free up oven space and time.
- Pure comfort food: It’s warm, familiar, and grounding, the kind of dish people go back for seconds of without thinking.
Ingredients
Variations & Add-Ins
- Herb-forward stuffing: Add fresh sage, thyme, or rosemary (finely chopped) for a more fragrant, traditional holiday feel.
- Sausage stuffing: Brown pork or turkey sausage and fold it in before baking for a heartier, savory version.
- Garlic butter stuffing: Add a few cloves of minced garlic to the butter with the onion and celery for extra depth.
- Creamy stuffing: Stir in a splash of heavy cream or milk along with the broth for a softer, richer texture.
- Apple stuffing: Add diced apple for a touch of sweetness that pairs beautifully with poultry.
- Mushroom stuffing: Sauté sliced mushrooms with the onion and celery for an earthy, cozy variation.
- Cranberry stuffing: Fold in dried cranberries for a subtle sweet-tart contrast.
- Extra-crispy top: Drizzle melted butter over the top before baking and leave uncovered a bit longer.
- Gluten-free option: Use gluten-free bread cubes and dry them well before assembling.
Recipe Tips
Dry the bread well: Fully dried bread cubes soak up the broth without turning mushy. Leave them out overnight or dry them in a low oven if needed. Follow the same drying methods as my homemade bread crumbs.
Use real butter generously: Butter is the backbone of this recipe. Don’t skimp, it’s what gives stuffing that rich, comforting flavor.
Cook the vegetables slowly: Sauté the onion and celery until soft and translucent, not browned. This keeps the flavor mellow and classic.
Season gently, then adjust: Broth and celery salt both add saltiness, so start light and taste before adding more.
Add broth gradually: Toss as you pour so the bread absorbs evenly. The mixture should feel moist but not wet.
Let it rest before baking: Letting the stuffing sit for a few minutes helps the bread absorb the flavors evenly.
Cover, then uncover: Baking covered first keeps it moist; uncovering at the end gives you that lightly crisp top.
Rest before serving: Let the stuffing sit for 5–10 minutes after baking so it sets and scoops cleanly.
Taste the next day: Leftover stuffing often tastes even better once the flavors have had time to meld.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter a baking dish and set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and celery and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 8–10 minutes. Do not brown.
- Season: Stir in the celery salt, poultry seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Cook for another minute to bloom the spices.
- Combine: Place the dried bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Pour the butter and vegetable mixture over the bread.
- Add broth: Gradually pour in the chicken broth, tossing gently until the bread is evenly moistened but not soggy.
- Bake: Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15–20 minutes, until the top is lightly golden.
- Serve: Let rest for a few minutes, then serve warm.
Freezing & Storage
- Refrigerator storage: Let the stuffing cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Make-ahead option: You can assemble the stuffing (unbaked), cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before putting it in the oven.
- Freezing baked stuffing: Fully baked stuffing freezes well. Cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe containers or wrap tightly in foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Freezing unbaked stuffing: Assemble the stuffing without baking, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking as directed.
- Portion before freezing: Freeze in smaller portions for easier reheating and less waste.
- Reheating from the fridge: Reheat covered in a 325°F–350°F oven until warmed through. Add a splash of broth if it seems dry.
- Reheating from frozen: Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat covered in the oven. Remove foil near the end to crisp the top.
- Avoid drying out: Always cover while reheating and add a little extra butter or broth if needed.
FAQ
Join the List
Want More Simple Recipes & Seasonal Inspiration?
Get cozy, from-scratch recipes, seasonal homesteading tips, and simple living inspiration delivered straight to your inbox.
Similar Recipes
Traditional Buttery Stuffing
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Large mixing bowl
- 9×13-inch baking dish
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 12 cups Bread cubes dried
- 1 quart Chicken broth
- 5 tbsp Butter
- 1 large Onion diced
- 4 ribs Celery diced
- 1 tsp Celery salt
- 1½ tbsp Poultry seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a baking dish and set aside.
- Cook the vegetables: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and celery and cook until soft and translucent, about 8–10 minutes.
- Season: Stir in celery salt, poultry seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute to bloom the spices.
- Combine: Place the dried bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Pour the butter and vegetable mixture over the bread.
- Add broth: Slowly pour in the chicken broth, gently tossing until the bread is evenly moistened but not soggy.
- Bake: Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes until the top is lightly golden.
- Serve: Let rest for 5–10 minutes before serving warm.
Notes
- Add broth gradually—different breads absorb liquid differently.
- For a crispier top, bake uncovered for the last 10–15 minutes.
- This stuffing can be assembled a day ahead and baked fresh.
