Dad's Turkey Stuffing - A Thanksgiving Classic

Ann
Nov 16, 2024
4 min read

Updated: Aug 8

Since I was a little girl, one of the dishes I longed for each Thanksgiving was my dad's homemade bread-based stuffing. The aroma wafting from the kitchen in the early morning as he cooked the onions in butter on the stove. MMMM-mmmm!....Then the drippings from the turkey making the stuffing so moist and delicious - melding it together just perfect.

This recipe originated from my grandmother - and he still has the recipe card from my childhood. The one to the right is one I copied in my childhood to make sure we didn't lose the recipe. Looks like I may need to transfer it to a fresh card again by the looks of it!

My dad also remembers growing up with this same recipe. My grandmother would add everything into the roasting pan to mix it up before stuffing the turkey. It was a main staple for his family - him and his 3 siblings - in their Midwestern Indiana home. He recalls my grandpa always asking for more sage in it. Must be where I get my love for sage- to me, it's the key ingredient. And I, too, always want a bit extra.

Some will argue that the only 'true' stuffing is corn-based - maybe that's just a southern thing? But for me, the real deal is made from a mixture of wheat and white bread, some simple spices, and some onion, celery, and mushrooms - nothing fancy.

Now as a kid, I never liked the texture of mushrooms, although, as I've grown and matured, I've grown to prefer the mushroom version. However, my dad would always make a dish without mushrooms just for my mom and me. (This was usually the part of the dressing that didn't fit in the turkey). So, feel free to add or omit the mushrooms as you wish. No hard feelings.

Start by slicing the bread and place it in a large bowl or casserole dish to dry out a little. Best to do this the night before so it dries out more - and saves you one step the next morning.

Toss in the spices. You know the song...

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme! Easy to remember these seasonings - plus a bit of salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.

Remember, you got to get this stuffing ready to put in the turkey before it goes in the oven or roaster. So plan accordingly.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and celery and cook till the onions become translucent. Mix in the mushrooms and cook down till everything starts to come together.

Oh the wonderful smells filling your house right now!!

Add in the 1 cup of chicken broth and stir.

Now, mix in the spices with the bread - before dumping all the chopped pieces into the cooked onion mixture.

Mix well!

The bread will start to absorb the broth and meld together well.

Go ahead and taste a little bite! I know you want to!

We always have more than enough to put in the turkey. So, what does not fit in the turkey will be put in another casserole dish to heat and have ready for leftovers. You may want to add a little more broth to this mixture since it doesn't get the benefit of the turkey drippings.

It is now ready to be stuffed into your turkey!

Once the turkey is done, let it sit a few minutes before removing the stuffing. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to reach into the recesses to get as much out as possible - and ENJOY!!

In the manic preparations to get everything else ready for our feast, I forgot to take good photos of our dressing IN the turkey - and after it is removed. I'll update those next year when we make the stuffing again.

Hope you will give this one a try. And let me know in the comments... cornbread or bread? What is your preference??

Dad's Turkey Stuffing

Ingredients

Half loaf each of white and wheat bread of choice (about 12 slices each)
2/3 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped celery
8oz. package of mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup butter, not margarine

Spices

1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp each sage, thyme, rosemary - dried or crushed
1/3 cup snipped parsley
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

Step 1: Chop the bread

Chop the bread into one inch squares, roughly. Place in a casserole dish to dry overnight, or while prepping the remaining ingredients. Toss with the spices, before adding to the cooked onion mixture.

Step 2: Cook the vegetables

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan and add the onions and celery. Once tender and translucent, add in the mushrooms. Stir occasionally till heated through.

Add in the chicken broth, stir to mix.

Step 3: Mix it all together

Add the bread and spices to the onion mixture and stir till broth is absorbed by the bread.

Step 4: Stuff the turkey!

Now for the fun step. Squeeze as much of the dressing into the turkey as you can. Place any extra dressing in a casserole dish to be reheated with leftovers.