by I love stove top stuffing. There is something about the easy directions and great flavor that keeps me going back for more. I love it! However, when you have a food blog, everyone wants you to make everything from scratch. Who knew that it was a faux pas to serve boxed stuffing to your friends and family when you write about food. Well, you don’t need to tell me again. I make my stuffing from scratch from now on. Even though I base my flavors on boxed stuffing, haha.
Homemade Stove Top Stuffing
You can make this recipe using homemade bread cubes or by using 2 1/2 cups of store bought plain dried bread cubes or plain croutons. If you already have bread cubes, then skip to the making the the stuffing steps below. However, if you want to make your own the steps are below.
Making the bread cubes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the bread evenly on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Then, flip the bread slices and toast until the other side is golden brown, roughly 6 minutes more.
Remove the toasted bread from the pan and dice into 1/4 -1/2 inch cubes and set aside.
Making the Stuffing
Dice the celery and onion and portion out the remaining ingredients so that you have them on hand. I portioned them out into individual cups for aesthetic reasons, but you can portion them into a single bowl to save on cleaning.
In a large sauce pan, melt the butter and kosher salt over medium heat.
Add the celery, onion and garlic and cook until the veggies are softened and the onion starts to become translucent. Roughly 5 minutes.
Add the herbs, spices and chicken stock to the mix and stir. Bring to a boil.
Once the mixture hits a rolling boil, add the bread cubes. Quickly mix in the bread cubes to the liquid and then cover.
Remove from the heat and let the pan sit for 5 minutes. Using a fork, fluff the mixture and serve.
Although this took about 15 minutes longer to make than the boxed stuffing, it was delicious and had a more homemade feel. Heck, it was homemade.
- 8 slices of bread or 2 1/2 cups store bought dried plain bread cubes or croutons
- 3 tbs unsalted butter
- 1 rib of celery chopped
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbs dried parsley or 2 tbs fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp sage
- 1/4 tsp marjoram
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
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If using store bought breadcrumbs skip to the making the stuffing steps below, if you are making your own bread cubes follow all of the directions below.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the bread evenly on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
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Then flip the bread slices and toast until the other side is golden brown, roughly 6 minutes more.
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Remove the toasted bread from the pan and dice into 1/4 -1/2 inch cubes and set aside.
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Dice the celery and onion and portion out the remaining ingredients so that you have them on hand. I portioned them out into individual cups for aesthetic reasons, but you can portion them into a single bowl to save on cleaning.
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In a large sauce pan, melt the butter and kosher salt over medium heat.
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Add the celery, onion and garlic and cook until the veggies are softened and the onion starts to become translucent. Roughly 5 minutes.
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Add the herbs, spices and chicken stock to the mix and stir. Bring to a boil.
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Once the mixture hits a rolling boil, add the bread cubes. Quickly mix in the bread cubes to the liquid and then cover.
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Remove from the heat and let the pan sit for 5 minutes. Using a fork fluff the mixture and serve.
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Although this took about 15 minutes longer to make than the box stuff it was delicious and had a more homemade feel. Heck, it was homemade.
Adapted from Cooks.com
The next time you have people over and you need a quick and delicious stuffing, try this recipe out. You will not be disappointed.
Need other Thanksgiving Tips check out our All-inclusive guide to Thanksgiving!
Well hell's bells, I've used the box stuff before too. I'll have to try your "no box method" so I don't disappoint, ha ha.
How many servings does this make? thanks!
We are huge stuffing fans so we had 4 large servings, but it easily makes 6 servings.
thanks for the quick response…if i use packaged dry bread crumbs, do you have any idea how many cups of crumbs, I would need? thanks again!
I believe it would be about 2 1/2 cups of dried cubed bread crumbs. Remember that the dried bread crumbs are usually seasoned. That will throw the recipe off a bit. I would hold off on the salt if you used seasoned bread crumbs.
When you say, "let the pan sit for 5 minutes," is this off the heat?
Angie, Yes that is off the heat. I will have to clear that up in the recipe.
Rex
Thanks so much for the super quick response! I'm looking forward to trying out this recipe tomorrow night.
No problem. This is one of my favorite recipes. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do.
Thank you again! We loved it! My 3 year old son kept saying, "Mommy, we should have this again."
Glad you enjoyed it. It takes a tad bit longer than the box stuff, but totally worth it.
Thanks for the recipe! I'll try to make this for New Years Eve! I live in Norway, and we can't get the Stove Top boxes here.. 🙂
I tried this added bacon and pine nuts and parmasin cheese and stuffed mushrooms with it was awesome
Jules,
That sounds awesome! I will have to tryout those additions then next time that I make it.
Rex
Hi, I'm a BIG fan of rosemary, do you think it would work if I added rosemary to this recipe as is, or would I be best to omit something?
Glen
Glen, I don't see why it would not work. Rosemary can be a bit powerful, so I would not go overboard, but I think it could be a great addition.
Thanks!! Great timing, I'm just starting to make it now. I'll let you know if it works.
Glen 🙂
I will be serving 9 people for Thanksgiving. Do you think doubling this recipe will be adequate? I do have a stuffing loving family. Also, do any times need to be altered if I do?
DomesticAJ – If you have a stuffing loving family I would definitely make a double batch. The time should be the same for everything, except for making the homemade croutons. You will probably have to do them in two batches. Besides that, I would just make sure to use a giant pot.
Thanks so much for the quick response! Also, I have never used chicken stock… I always use broth. Is stock necessary in this recipe or have you used broth? Do you purchase it pre-packaged? Thanks in advance!
DomesticAJ – You can use chicken stock no problem. Swanson or any other pre-packaged broth works perfectly. Also depending on the size of your bread slice you may need to add an extra 1/4 cup of broth per recipe.
Is this recipe easily doubled ? looks great !
Apelila,
It is easily doubled. However, as you add more bread, you may need to scale up the broth/stock by 1/4-1/2 cup.
Rex
Made this yesterday according to your excellent instructions here, only used cornbread slices instead of bread. This stuff was pure heaven and the method you offer worked like a charm. Best cornbread I've ever made and my husband loved it, too. You certainly weren't kidding when you said "You will not be disappointed." I could hurt myself on that stuff. I didn't want to stop eating it. Pure heaven!
Sarah – Glad you enjoyed it. I have never made it with cornbread. Great idea. I will have to try that out.
Hi Sarah! Obviously this post is a year old but I'm planning to try cornbread stuffing for the first time this Thanksgiving (I usually make homemade bread stuffing) and will be using this recipe. Just wanted to see if you did anything differently with the recipe other than subbing cornbread for bread since you had such fantastic results! Happy Holidays 🙂
Ahh! Meant to say "Best stuffing I ever made" not 'cornbread' – looks like I already DID hurt myself. hehe
I used poultry seasoning instead because I didn't have the individual spices. Very tasty! So much better than the boxes alternative! High five for no MSG as well!
Have you tried to freeze the stuffing yet?
Danielle, I have never tried to freeze the stuffing. To be honest, I don't think that we have ever had any leftovers. Haha. I am sure that you could. However, I can not guarantee the quality once it is thawed.
Thanks for this terrific recipe! I used dried seasonings and bouillon instead of chicken broth but it turned out so DELICIOUS! I blogged about this recipe and of course linked back to you! Thanks again for the great article and inspiration! I'm all about finding a homemade solution to stuff that we normally get in a box. This turned out perfect! I'm also going to try it with toasted cornbread crumbles.
Thanks again!
I love this recipe, it's to die for. Question: have you ever made this the day before and then reheated it? I'm asking because I'll be making this in my own kitchen, then transporting it, on Thanksgiving. Day before is always a lifesaver on Thanksgiving.
I have never tried to do this the day before. I am unsure how it would turn out if it was made the day before. If I were to reheat it, I would add a little chicken broth to it and then reheat it. That way you will add a little moisture to it, giving you that fresh stuffing texture.
Wonderful recipe. Would it work with chicken breast on top to bake?
Roberta – I don't see why you couldn't bake a chicken breast on top of it. You may want to add a little extra moisture when you bake it. Shouldn't take too much more.
CORRECTION on the recipe. Instead of using white bread, WHOLE WHEAT bread should be used! with no artificial ingredients or chemicals!!
This was excellent! I used my homemade bread for the recipe and it was fantastic! I will never buy stovetop again! 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Thx for the great sounding recipe…I'm going to make this using gluten free bread and stock for my hubby! 🙂
Are the sage and marjoram fresh, dried, or powdered?
Irene this recipe uses dried ingredients. However, the sage was powdered as this is all that I had.
Great recipe. Hubby couldn’t get enough. Worth the effort. I added a little more butter.
Thanks so much for your recipe! It looks delicious!
Could we substitute with whole wheat bread and achieve the same delicious flavor of Stove Top stuffing? Also, and sorry if this is a super stupid question bc I am a total noob to cooking, is that regular sandwich bread? If not, what is it?
I’ve been looking for a healthier and homemade version of stove top, so thanks again for your recipe!
You can totally use whole wheat bread. Just substitute it one for one.
Thanks!, 😀
Any change to listed amounts if I use Ezekiel bread?
I have never used Ezekiel bread but I assume it would be the same amount.
How many people does this serve? 8 slices of bread just doesn’t seem like very much to me. Thanks!
Amy this feeds about 6 people.
I just made this recipe and it just tasted like there was way too much garlic. I only used two cloves so I’m wondering if that’s a bit too much? Thanks
Kate,
Two cloves is what I have used multiple times. It was not too much for my taste. Two cloves sgoukd be perfect. Have you cooked it in the oven yet. Garlic really mellows once it cooks.
Rex
HELL N0!!!! How the hell do you literally call this ‘Stove Top” when the recipe calls for preheating the OVEN!!!!
Touché Mark. If you used stale bread or croutons it is stove top stuffing. I made the recipe with fresh bread as that is what most people have lying around. In order to use the fresh bread it does require an oven to dry out the bread. However, in the spirit of stove top stuffing the stuffing itself is made without baking.
Would you please tell me the exact brand of bread you used? Thank you!
Gladys,
I used nature’s own white wheat.
Rex
This recipe looks delicious! I have all of the ingredients but I’m low on bread. However, I have this sliced Italian bread loaf that I got from the deli the other day. Do you think I could use that?
Rand,
Definitely! I would slice it, toast it, and then dice it up. I would say you want a little over 3 cups of toasted cubes of bread.
Rex
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I live in Canada and our thanksgiving just passed but I’m cooking my turkey a little late lol busy with work! But I can’t wait to try this..such awesome comments on this! Thanks! Wish me luck lol 🙂
I have made this once, just as it was written, except I used Gf bread. It was AMAZING! Thanks, my son who doesn’t have food allergies loved this n I had to make him stop eating it. I want to make this again n double the recipe plus I’d like to bake some chicken breasts on top of it but not sure how to do that. I’m just really learning to cook b/c I’ve developed some food allergies/sensitivities to gluten, soy,n dairy.! There is nothing I can buy that doesn’t have at least one of these~ how do I bake this? Make stuffing first or cook it all together in oven? PLEASE HELP! No culinary skills so please keep it simple thanks!
Rhonda,
I would make the stuffing first and then bake. Otherwise the veggies won’t be soft. Hope that helps.
Rex
How many servings is this?
Jessica,
This is for approximately 6-8 servings, depending on the appetite of your guests.
Rex
Hi – I would like to double the recipe. Does that mean I literally double each and every ingredient? Or should I scale back on anything? What if I triple it? Thank you!
Lauren,
If you want to double it, you would double every ingredient. This recipe scales very well. There are not any ingredients that would be excessive if doubled, tripled or even quadrupled.
Rex
Thank you!
Can I make this ahead of time or is it only good eaten fresh after?
Joy,
You can totally make this in advance. While it is best fresh, you can make it ahead of time. Place it into a corning ware or other oven safe container. Right before you are ready to reheat, sprinkle the top with 2-3 tbs of chicken broth and cover tight. Reheat till hot, using the oven temperature that you are cooking your bird at. The chicken broth with help it from drying out.
Regards,
Rex
Hi – have you ever tried veggie version of this stuffing? Have a vegetarian friend coming to our dinner in couple weeks where no one else is vegetarian and was wondering if it would be still yummy with vegetarian stock instead of chicken? My brain says yes but thought I should ask if you (or anyone else!) tried it 🙂 That way I don’t have to make two different kinds!
Thx
Yes, you can totally make this with vegetable broth. I have done it and it is delicious!
Rex
Do you think this wood work in a slow cooker?
I’m wondering if you think this person’s suggestions to convert recipes (at the bottom of the post) would work.
I think you could make this in a slow cooker. I have not done this, but if I were to do it I would do it this way. I would saute the onions and celery in a pan. Then in your slow cooker add the bread cubes, seasoning and chicken broth. Then mix in the cooked onions and celery. Mix and then cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. You may need just a little more broth if you see it drying out.
Just made this stuffing! Fantastic! I made it gluten free using gluten free bread for the crumbs and adding another 1/4 cup of stock since the gf bread is so dry. It is honestly the best tasting stuffing I have ever had! Thanks for this quick and easy delicious recipe!
Susie,
Thanks so much for the great comment. That is a great tip about the extra stock for GF bread.
Rex
Have you ever made the recipe then stuffed a turkey with it? I’m wondering if I need to adjust any ingredients.
Jodi,
Sorry for the late response. I have not tried this stuffing in a Turkey. I am sure that it would work perfect as-is. It has a pretty well balanced amount of liquid. Therefore, any juices that it absorbs from the bird should not make it too wet.
Rex
How does using chicken stock vs. chicken broth affect the taste?
Karen,
In my personal experience, there really is not that big of a difference between stock and broth in this instance. Usually with a chicken stock you will get a more intense chicken flavor, but with this recipe the herbs tend to offset that. Therefore, you end up with a very similar product no matter which route you go.
Rex
Great recipe! No more box stuffing mix for me. Thanks so much for posting, it was delicious!
Just wondering can you use wheat bread when making the stuffing mix?
Yeah you can use any type of bread, breadcrumb or even crouton that you want.
What a find! Can’t wait to try it. No more mail ordering packets to be sent to Spain! Can’t seem to find marjoram though. Any suggestions for a substitute?
Anna, if you can’t find marjoram you can use oregano. However, you will want to use half as much oregano as you would marjoram.
This is perfect for me. My family insists on Stovetop but I need a homemade stuffing. Now do you have any tips on how to make a day ahead?!?!
Well I just read more messages and found the answer. Thank you!!
Sorry to get back to you so late. Glad you were able to find the answer. Enjoy the stuffing.
I was wondering about adding some sausage what do you think?
Pat,
I think that adding some cooked sausage to this would be amazing! My neighbors love adding fresh oysters to it. If you do add sausage come back and let us know how it was.
Rex
Fabulous thank you so much for posting this. I made this with a roast chicken last night and the family loved it. I didn’t read the comments and just skipped the marjoram. I will add oregano next time! On the list for Christmas dinner now!
Glad you enjoyed it Barb.
I was skeptical at first because I am such a huge stove top fan but was looking to make something more ‘natural’. It was fantastic. I used oregano instead of margoram because I had some on hand and used vegetable broth instead of chicken stock, again, because that’s just what I had. I split the recipe because I only had 4 pieces of bread and was just testing the recipe out. I just polished off the entire pot and can’t wait to make it again. Thanks for the recipe!
Glad you liked it L.
Great recipe! The flavor was yummy! However I think I added too much celery. By celery stalk do you mean one rib or the whole stalk?
Cara,
Glad you liked it. By stalk I meant a single rib and not a whole head of celery. I had no idea that some people refer to stalk as the entire head as it was common place where I grew up for a single rib to be called a stalk. I realize that this can be confusing. Thanks for your input and I will clarify that in the future.
Rex
I’m making a sit down turkey dinner for 35 guest. I like the flavour of Stove Top dressing, but find it too salty. When I saw your recipe, I decided to make it with unsalted butter and no-salt broth then combined the too. It effectively reduced the salty taste and the texture was perfect with the larger homemade bread crumbs. Made earlier in the day and reheated just before serving time and kept warm in a crock pot for serving. Worked perfectly…thank you!
I just wanted to say, I LOVE this recipe! My family is very picky about stuffing, and this is the first one I’ve found that we like as much as the Stove Top brand. I love avoiding all the crap in the boxed stuff too!
Thank you so much for the delicious recipe! ?
Is it 1 T fresh or dried parsley?
1 tablespoon dried parsley. If you want to use fresh parsley up the amount to 2 tablespoons.
What is one rib of celery?
1 rib is a single trimmed (leaves off and white portions cut off) stalk of celery.
I found this recipe a couple years ago. Turned out great. This year I am going to do a combo of regular bread, and cornbread. Can’t wait to see how it turns out.
I am not a big over user, but today is Thanksgiving 2018. I brined 3 chicken breasts and was going to bake them up Crispy and Delicious!
I, also, planned on baking, at least, one pie for my husband and myself. Well, chicken out of fridge and turn on oven…(BEEP. BEEP. BEEP and FI reading on my gas range) Aghhh.
Oh, well put a little rack in my Big cast iron skillet, added some water, the chicken and a lid. Now off to find Homemade StoveTop Stuffing and Microwave Pecan pie recipes.
THANK You So Much for your S.T. Stuffing Recipe!? Now for the Microwave Impossible Pecan Pie. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!?
I am not a big over user, but today is Thanksgiving 2018. I brined 3 chicken breasts and was going to bake them up Crispy and Delicious!
I, also, planned on baking, at least, one pie for my husband and myself. Well, chicken out of fridge and turn on oven…(BEEP. BEEP. BEEP and FI reading on my gas range) Aghhh.
Oh, well put a little rack in my Big cast iron skillet, added some water, the chicken and a lid. Now off to find Homemade StoveTop Stuffing and Microwave Pecan pie recipes.
THANK You So Much for your S.T. Stuffing Recipe!? Now for the Microwave Impossible Pecan Pie. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!?
Hello there!
I just wanted to let you know that I love this recipe and so does my family. I actually toast the bread in the toaster and cut them into cubes instead of using the oven to toast the bread. The oven Is usually busy in this house.
Thank you again for this wonderful reciepe!
Thanks for the great feedback. I am glad you like the recipe!
This was excellent. I too am a huge fan of Stovetop stuffing. Must be the msg. lol.
This really hit the mark. Used a loaf of roasted garlic from our bakery. Gave a rich, soft garlic flavor. Only change was use of 3/4 tsp poultry seasoning instead of the sage and marjoram.
All gone!!! Would definitely triple it for a Thanksgiving Dinner. Thanks for the recipe!
This was excellent. I too am a huge fan of Stovetop stuffing. Must be the msg. lol.
This really hit the mark. Used a loaf of roasted garlic from our bakery. Gave a rich, soft garlic flavor. Only change was use of 3/4 tsp poultry seasoning instead of the sage and marjoram.
All gone!!! Would definitely triple it for a Thanksgiving Dinner. Thanks for the recipe!
Love this recipe, I always found actual “Stove Top” rather insipid. Your recipe is quick and delicious. A great alternative for when I don’t have time to make my usual oven recipe.
I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for years and have made it for every Thanksgiving and every Christmas lol it’s a wonderful, simple, very flavourful recipe. I’ve started adding an extra 1/4 cup of broth, and then once it’s done sitting for the 5 minutes I put it in a muffin tin and bake it at 350 for like 10 minutes. It gives you that little crispy edge and makes portioning a breeze ??
hi i want to make this recipe but im confused about the chicken boulion cubes mentioned in ingredients it says add all ingredients together to shake later u mention chicken stock not boulion cubes i just am confused is it cubes or stock if stock how much if cubes how does that work?
Tammy,
I scanned the recipe three times and am unable to find boulion cubes in it. The recipe uses chicken broth or stock. Hope this helps. If you have any other questions let me know.
Rex
Hi there. Do you have a recipe for Stove Top’s Cornbread stuffing? I’m thinking I’d just substitute some or all of the bread with cornbread but I’m not sure I’d they used other seasonings. Thanks
MJ
MJ, I would try to substitute the breadcrumbs for the stuffing. I would also use a less sweet cornbread recipe. Cut to cubes and toast/dry the cornbread in the oven before using. I tried the seasoning as-is and it seems to similar to the regular seasoning. I would give it try.
Tasted very good. I followed the directions but the stuffing came out super moist. Next time, I’ll use 4 cups of dried bread cubes in place of 2 1/2 cups.
My mom used to make this. She would add celery seed and poultry seasoning. I add garlic & herb seasoning and rotisserie seasoning. She would also butt the bread and fry it in a pan to crisp it up instead of using toast. I did make this recipe and it was good and reminded me of my mom’s. Memories were good. Thx for the recipe.