Food & Cooking Recipes Dinner Recipes Dinner Side Dishes Bread Stuffing With Sage 4.1 (182) Add your rating & review Loaded with herby flavor, this easy, moist stuffing wins every time. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 1, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 45 mins Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Servings: 8 Jump to recipe Our sage stuffing recipe is simple to pull together and full of traditional Thanksgiving flavors like celery, onion, and, of course, plenty of sage. A combination of eggs and stock adds moisture while also helping the mixture to bind, leaving you with a tender, scoop-able stuffing that will please everyone at the table. (For a stuffing without eggs, try this recipe.) The best part? This recipe is endlessly customizable: Make it as written for a simple, straightforward side, or mix things up by adding fresh or dried fruit, browned sausage, or other aromatics. No matter which direction you choose, the end result is a delicious accompaniment for your turkey and, we hope, a recipe you’ll return to again and again. 22 Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes That'll Save You Time on the Big Day Brie Goldman Tips for Successful Stuffing, Every Time Go big on flavor: From the aromatics to the herbs and spices, it's key to not shy away from adding plenty of flavor to your stuffing—after all, this recipe contains two pounds of torn bread which will soak it all up. Using a combination of herbs and spices (in this case dried sage, fresh parsley, and celery seed) ensures each bite will be as delicious as the next. Season (and taste) as you go: Be sure to add plenty of salt and pepper as you're pulling your stuffing together to avoid ending up with a bland end result. Season the vegetables as they're sautéing and again when you combine the bread and aromatics. Give the mixture a taste before you stir in the eggs and broth, which will give you one last opportunity to adjust the seasonings to your liking. Use a large bowl: It's important to use the biggest mixing bowl you have when combining the stuffing components. Stirring them together in too small of a bowl will make it difficult to thoroughly incorporate the broth and eggs and can also cause you to overmix, which can lead to a gummy stuffing. If you don't have a large enough bowl, use a roasting pan or a large pot instead. Don't pack it too firmly: When adding the stuffing mixture to your baking dish, it's important that you don't press on it too firmly or pack it too tightly. Use a gentle hand for a light, tender stuffing with plenty of craggy nooks and crannies. Stuffing vs. Dressing Traditionally, stuffing and dressing were thought of as two different dishes and were treated differently when it came to the meal. Like its name implies, stuffing was usually stuffed into the cavity of the turkey, where it would bake along with the bird and soak up plenty of flavorful juices. Dressing, on the other hand, was prepared in a separate pan and baked alongside, rather than inside, the turkey. In recent years, it's recommended that stuffing always be baked outside of the turkey to mitigate any chances for cross-contamination or food-borne illness. That's because the stuffing would need to reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit to be considered food safe, which can take longer than the turkey itself needs to cook. The bottom line? These days, no matter what you call it, it's best to bake your stuffing or dressing outside of the turkey to ensure a safe—and still very delicious—holiday meal. If you have the time—and counter space—leading up to the holiday, you can skip toasting the bread in step one and instead let it dry out naturally on your counter for two days. How to Make Ahead Torn and dried or toasted bread can be stored in an airtight container or resealable bag for up to one week before using.Stuffing can be prepared through step four, then covered and refrigerated for up to one day. Uncover and let it sit at room temperature for about half an hour before baking according to recipe instructions. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 2 loaves sliced white sandwich bread (1 pound each), torn into bite-size pieces ¼ cup (½ stick) butter, plus more for baking dish and foil 4 celery stalks, diced medium 1 large onion, diced medium Coarse salt and ground pepper 2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage 1 teaspoon celery seed 3 eggs 3 ½ cups (29 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth Directions Brie Goldman Preheat oven; prepare baking dish: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13 x9-inch baking dish and let side. Toast bread until dry; transfer to a large bowl: On two rimmed baking sheets, arrange bread in a single layer. Bake until dry but not browned, about 14 minutes, tossing bread and rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer to a large bowl. (To store, let cool completely and keep in a resealable plastic bag at room temperature, up to 1 week.) Cook celery and onion; In a large skillet, melt butter over medium. Add celery and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Brie Goldman Add herbs to vegetables, then combine with bread: Add sage and celery seed and cook 3 minutes more. Transfer to bowl with bread. Brie Goldman Whisk together eggs and broth; toss with bread mixture: In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and broth. Add to bread mixture and toss to combine. Brie Goldman Transfer to baking dish and bake covered: Transfer stuffing to prepared baking dish and cover with buttered foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Brie Goldman Uncover and finish baking: Uncover and continue to bake until top is golden brown, about 25 more minutes. Brie Goldman How to Store Leftover Stuffing Leftover stuffing can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days or frozen for up to three months. How to Reheat Reheat refrigerated stuffing in the microwave, in a 350-degree oven or air-fryer, or in a sauté pan with a little butter or oil. Frozen stuffing can be reheated in a 350-degree oven, covered, for 20 minutes, and then uncovered until crispy on top and hot throughout, another 15 to 20 minutes. You can also microwave frozen stuffing, loosely covered, until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes (depending on how much you're reheating at once). If stuffing looks dry while reheating, drizzle it with a bit of chicken broth, cream, or even water to re-moisten. Variations There are plenty of ways to customize this classic stuffing, including: Replace one-half cup of broth with heavy cream for a richer, more bread-pudding-like side dishBrown some sausage along with the onions and celery for a heartier stuffingDeglaze the sauté pan with a splash of white wine or dry vermouth to add a bit more depthSwitch up the fresh or dried herbs to include rosemary, thyme, or marjoramAdd fresh or dried fruit for a slightly sweeter result. (If adding fresh fruit, cook it along with the onion mixture to help it release a bit of liquid.)Divide stuffing mixture among muffin tin cups and bake for personal sized servings Five More Stuffing Recipes to Try: Cranberry and Sage Stuffing Walnut-Herb Stuffing Bacon-Cornbread Stuffing Sourdough Stuffing With Apples, Acorn Squash, and Hazelnuts Spicy Wild Rice Stuffing Originally appeared: Everyday Food, November 2009 Rate It PRINT Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.