My mother’s old fashioned thanksgiving dressing recipe is our family’s favorite side dish! We have always said that Ida had the best stuffing recipe. It was an old fashioned bread dressing made with celery, onions, sage, butter and bread. The only seasoning was salt and pepper. Simple, and delicous.
Although we have been tempted to make Southern cornbread dressing, now that we live in the South, my mom’s dressing is a family tradition. It is a classic dressing that has stood the test of time! We look forward to seeing it on the Thanksgiving dinner table. We don’t stuff our bird with it. We just make a double batch so there is plenty leftover for the next day!
My mother grew up in Western Kansas, during the depression and the Dust Bowl. Ida was the last girl of 12 children and I think that made our family what I would call scrappy, and resourceful! She knew what it meant to make every meal count. There was never a time when any part of a meal went to waste.
Ida was able to make a meal out of any ingredients to make any holiday meal special. She had the easiest, most delicious Thanksgiving stuffing recipe. Not only did she stuff the turkey with it, but she also made extra in a casserole dish. And the next day we would smother leftover stuffing and the Thanksgiving turkey with gravy.
Although we love to have this traditional stuffing on our Thanksgiving menu, in it is the perfect side dish served with roast chicken, roast turkey or any main dish.
Dressing or Stuffing-What’s the difference?
The terms “dressing” and “stuffing” are often used interchangeably, but there can be some regional and cultural variations in their preparation and usage. However, here are some general differences between the two:
Location and Terminology:
Dressing: In many Southern regions of the United States, it is more common to refer to the side dish made from bread, vegetables, and seasonings as “dressing.” It is typically baked in a separate dish, not inside the turkey.
Stuffing: In many Northern regions of the United States and in other parts of the world, this dish is known as “stuffing” and is traditionally placed inside the turkey’s cavity to cook.
Ingredients and Preparation:
Dressing: Dressing typically includes ingredients like cornbread, white bread, or biscuits, mixed with vegetables, herbs, spices, and sometimes sausage or other meats. It is often moistened with broth or stock and baked in a casserole dish until it forms a crust on top.
Stuffing: Stuffing is similar in terms of ingredients, but it is designed to be placed inside the turkey’s cavity before roasting. The turkey juices help flavor the stuffing, and it can become quite moist and dense as a result.
Cooking Method:
Dressing: This is usually baked in a separate dish, either covered or uncovered, depending on the desired texture. It can be baked until it’s slightly crispy on top or more moist and tender.
Stuffing: As the name suggests, stuffing is stuffed into the turkey’s cavity and cooked together with the bird during roasting. It absorbs the turkey’s juices and takes on a different flavor and texture compared to dressing.
Safety Concerns:
Dressing: Dressing is considered safer from a food safety perspective because it doesn’t come into direct contact with raw poultry. It is cooked separately and can be safely prepared ahead of time.
Stuffing: Stuffing cooked inside the turkey can potentially pose food safety risks if it doesn’t reach a safe internal temperature (165°F or 74°C) due to the insulating effect of the bird’s cavity. Ensuring that both the turkey and stuffing reach the appropriate temperature is crucial to prevent the risk of foodborne illness.
Ultimately, the choice between dressing and stuffing is a matter of tradition, personal preference, and regional customs. Some people prefer the flavor and texture of stuffing cooked inside the turkey, while others prefer dressing baked separately for its different texture and safety advantages. Both can be delicious additions to a Thanksgiving meal.
Old fashioned Thanksgiving Dressing Recipe Ingredients:
- Bread: The type of bread you use for this homemade stuffing recipe really does not matter. You can use wheat bread, white bread, french bread, sourdough bread or even gluten-free bread. We think the best bread to use should have a slight chew to it, and not too fluffy.
- Butter: For the richest, classic stuffing recipe, butter is a must! Use unsalted butter so that you can control the sodium content in the stuffing.
- Celery and Onions: This is the classic base for bread stuffing. Use yellow or white onions, not red or sweet onions when making stuffing.
- Chicken Stock: We like to use chicken stock vs chicken broth, as it gives it a richer flavor. You can use vegetable stock, or turkey broth as well.
- Seasonings: Fresh sage, salt and pepper are the seasonings we use. Be sure to look for fresh sage a week ahead of Thanksgiving, or you may not find it. You can use dried sage, but fresh just tastes so much better!
Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Dressing Recipe Instructions:
Step One: Dry Out Bread
A key step to making the best stuffing is to allow the bread to dry out. We tear the bread into small pieces the day before and leave it out to dry. This is a fun job for the kiddos (or mother in law) to do!
Step Two: Saute Onions and Celery
When you are ready to prepare the stuffing, melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add in the minced onion, diced celery, and minced sage. The smell of melted butter with onions and celery takes me back to my mother’s kitchen in Kansas.
Step Three:Â Combine
Once the onions and celery have softened in the butter, it is time to combine the vegetable mixture with the cups of bread. You can use a large mixing bowl to do this. If we are making a double or triple batch we use a large turkey pan to mix this up. We then add the mixture to a large casserole pan that has been lined with aluminum foil. This makes for easier clean up! We are all about that after a long Thanksgiving dinner!
Step Four: Bake
We have the turkey in the oven before we start the stuffing. We then add the stuffing, covered in foil to the oven, to bake along with the turkey. We remove the foil on the stuffing to allow it to get golden brown. The crispy edges are what everyone fights over!
What kind of bread should I use for Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Dressing Recipe?
We have used store bought sandwich bread for years in this recipe. Recently we used the home made wheat bread that Bruce makes. If you are using sourdough, do not let it dry out like you would for the softer bread. The first time I used sourdough, I let it dry out too long, and then I had to soak it for longer than usual! You can use almost any type of high-quality bread:Â unsliced French or Italian bread, sturdy sandwich loaf, brioche, challah, or even corn bread.
Should I prepare uncooked dressing ahead of time and refrigerate?
The short answer is If dressing is prepared ahead of time, it must be either frozen or cooked immediately. To use cooked stuffing later, cool in shallow container till it comes to room temperature and refrigerate it within 2 hours. Use it within 3 to 4 days. However, you can chop the celery and onions ahead of time, which will save you time. We tear up the white bread into smaller pieces the day before, and let it set out to dry.
My moms recipe doesn’t even have measurements for the most part. It is a little of this, a bit of that, and a whole lot of love. This stuffing recipe is our favorite thing on Thanksgiving day, coming out of the oven with crunchy corners, and a warm and tender middle. Drenched in gravy, or cold the next day on a turkey sandwich, our boys love it. We think you will too.
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Equipment
- Pans
- Baking Dish
- large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 loaf bread day old, torn into pieces
- 2 sticks salted butter use plant based butter for vegan version
- 2 cups yellow onions chopped
- 2 cups celery chopped
- 32 ounce chicken stock use vegatable stock for vegan version
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Sage If you use dried sage, use 2 teaspoons
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 10 grinds black pepper
- Non stick spray
Instructions
- If using store bought white or wheat soft bread, tear apart night before and let sit out1 loaf bread
- Melt butter slowly in a large pan2 sticks salted butter
- While butter is slowly melting chop onion and celery.2 cups yellow onions, 2 cups celery
- Add in onion, and let cook at a low to medium heat for 5 minutes (slowly sweat, do not brown)2 cups yellow onions
- Add in chopped celery, and let sweat another 10 minutes or so-does not need to completely cook, as it will finish in the oven.2 cups celery
- Add chopped fresh sage, and salt and pepper to taste. Taste and add more sage if needed. You can use a combination of fresh and dried sage.2 tablespoons Fresh Sage, 1 teaspoon Salt
- Pull mixture off of heat, and allow to cool slightly, but still warm.
- At this point, if you are ready to bake the stuffing, pre-heat your oven to 350 F. If cooking turkey at 325 F, you can use the same temprature, you will just need to cook a bit longer.
- Pour this warm mixture over the cubed or torn bread in a large bowl, or turkey pan.
- Pour about half of the chicken broth over, and continue to mix gently (do not over mix)32 ounce chicken stock
- Continue to add the amount of broth until the stuffing is no longer dry, but not too sloppy. You are looking for it to still hold it's shape, but be moist.
- If you find that you made the mixture too wet, just add in some torn up bread, this will save it!
- Spray 2 baking pans with non-stick spray, or for easy clean up, spray foil or parchment and put into pans, and divide stuffing between the pans. Cover with foil that is slightly tented up so as not to stick to the dressing.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 350 F or 40 minutes at 325 F with foil on. Remove foil, and allow stuffing to get crunchy on the top by baking another 10-15 minutes.
- Serve with gravy over the top.
Video
Notes
We love you, Ida.Nutrition
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Classic flavor, but hard with measurements.
Sophia,
I am sorry this is hard with the measurements. My mom always made this by feel, and I know we do not have an exact measurement amount of the celery and onions, and the bread. Did you give it a try, and adjust the amount of broth? What could we do to make it better?
Dina and Bruce
Perfect dressing! No frills and tastes just like the one my mom made when I was growing up. I love a recipe with nostalgia, and this is a great one! Thank you!
Dana,
I think of mom everytime we make this!
XOXO Dina and Bruce
Sometimes all you want it a traditional recipe that’s tried and true. Thanks!
I’ve been trying to find a stuffing recipe like my great auntie used to make, and this seems to tick all the boxes! So good.
This dressing recipe is so easy to make and yummy! It is exactly the recipe I needed to add to my Thanksgiving menu this year.
Such a wonderful recipe with memories for the upcoming holiday season. This dressing sounds absolutely perfect.
I love traditional recipes especially when they come from cherished family members. This stuffing will definitely be making an appearance on my holiday table this year! Thank you so much for sharing Ida’s recipe with us all x
Michelle,
Thank you for your kind words. Ida is in our hearts every day when we cook. X
We made this dressing for Thanksgiving last year, and I already can’t wait to make it again this year! The best recipe we’ve ever tried!
Taylor,
That brings us such joy! So glad you liked it!
Dina and Bruce
This takes me back to my grandparents’ recipe! This is so delicious and will be a hit on every dinner table!
With a perfect balance of flavors from aromatic herbs and crispy bread, this recipe brings warmth and nostalgia to the Thanksgiving table. Adding this to our Thanksgiving spread.
Pinned to try your recipe for Thanksgiving. Thanks a lot for sharing.
10 out of 10! Made it with slightly stale sourdough bread and we loved it! It will definitely feature on our holiday table too!
This is going to be the perfect dressing to add to my Thanksgiving menu!! It looks so hearty and delicious!
We are big fans of dressing over here! This was delicious and absolutely perfect.
Brandi,
My mom made the best, and we are carrying on that tradition! Thank you!
Dina and Bruce
Love this so much! It’s simple and reminiscent of the stuffing I grew up on, which is all I need come the holidays 🙂
I love a classic bread stuffing and this one checks all the boxes! A good loaf of bread makes all the difference. It’s our holiday must-make!
My favorite Thanksgiving side dish! This one was so easy to prepare – not a ton of ingredients, but still full of flavor!
That sounds so good and I could easily use vegetable stock instead.
Jaqueline,
For sure! And plant based butter as well! Enjoy!
Dina and Bruce
You can never go wrong with a simple, classic recipe like this stuffing. My family’s favorite!
This classic, old-fashioned dressing is much easier to make than I thought, and it is the perfect side dish for the Holidays.
Kathleen,
It is easy and tasty. Enjoy!
Dina and Bruce
I prefer homemade stuffing that out of the box, and this is no exception! Looks so delicious, I can practically smell all the yummy aromas! Excited to give this a try, indeed!
Sara,
We hope you enjoy! Making this with a turkey breast this weekend!
Dina and Bruce
Ahhhh, it’s so sweet that you shared about your mom and grandmother. I love a good family recipe that has been cooked and loved over time, it’s a very precious connection to your loved ones. Happy Thanksgiving (in advance!).
What a incredible recipe to use up leftover bread. So simple, yet so delicious.
I am cooking my first Thanksgiving diner. i want to make home-made dressing. I thought traditional dressings have egg in the ingredients. I noticed your recipe is without egg. have you ever added eggs to this recipe? just curious. – thanks!
John,
Yes, you can add egg to this recipe. And we have before. It is delicious either way! Make sure to refrigerate any leftovers and they will last for 3 days. Enjoy!
Dina and Bruce
This is how my mom makes it, too – with lots of butter, celery, and onion! I’m not sure she uses sage, but it’s something similar and it’s sooooo good! Way better than that stuff in the box!
Wow I’ve never heard of stuffing being called dressing – you learn something new every day! Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe!
I use this dressing recipe EVERY year! It always turns out perfectly!
I’m a big fan of classic, Old-fashioned recipes that are handed down generation after generation. They are the best. This dressing is no exception. A perfect dressing every time.
Such a great story and a delicious stuffing too. We love stuffing all year round, so it’s good to have different versions.
This looks so hearty and delicious!! Can’t wait to add this to our Thanksgiving menu this year!
This old fashioned recipe was exactly what I was looking for! Tasted amazing!!!!
Paula,
Thank you! My mom was the best cook!
Dina and Bruce
Old fashioned recipes are my favorite, and we are having chicken dinner this Sunday. I think I might try this one out then. Who needs Thanksgiving to enjoy delicious food!
I love that this is a tried and true recipe passed down. Those are the best ones! Thanks so much for sharing with us!
Kim,
You are so welcome.
Dina and Bruce
I love this recipe, I am making this later. Thanks for sharing
I never new that dressing and stuffing are used interchangeably! So, thank you for the detailed post and delicious thanksgiving dressing.
This reminded me of my grandma’s old recipe. So good!
I love stuffing so much I make it all year long. I’ve been looking for a new recipe to try. Thanks!
It’s good to have this recipe beforehand. So glad that I’ve stumbled upon it!
Outstanding recipe thanks so much! tasted so much good!
The only difference was my family and myself boil the turkey giblets with sage leaves until tender, remove the sage and chop the meats and set aside, keep the liquid all was cooked in. When browning/sweating the onions and celery in the butter we also brown ground sausage in a separate pan. I like to use Jimmy Deans hot sausage! When all has browned add the sausage, chopped giblets, soft vegetables together. On the cubed, toasted, bread I sprinkle poultry season and add the sausage/vegetable mix, pour in the broth and saved liquid from the giblets until the bread cubes are moist, toss and cover with foil. Bake in the oven 45 minutes to an hour.
That sounds so amazing!!
Dina and Bruce
Carol,
Yes! My mom would always save the giblets to use for broth, and chop them up! Love the addition of the sausage! Happy Holiday season!
I’m trying different stuffings to determine which I’ll make this year, and I enjoyed this! The main difference from my go-to recipe is I use Bell’s Seasoning when I can get it instead of sage and add apples. All these years, I’ve always referred to this as stuffing but I’m learning that it’s dressing if it’s not cooked in the turkey. Thanks for sharing!
Cindy,
That seasoning sounds delish! And we love the adding apples idea! We nevery stuff our turkey, cause we love how crispy the dressing gets! Enjoy!
Dina and Bruce