Let’s be real, Thanksgiving sides are better than Thanksgiving turkey. One of our favorite sides is our best stuffing recipe. We truly believe it is THE best stuffing. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! If you love a sweet and savory stuffing then this recipe is for you!
Our stuffing uses croissants and a baguette. Each bread has a completely different texture making them the perfect combo. We prefer ripping our bread into irregular sized chunks rather than cutting it into uniform sized pieces for added texture. This is SO much better than the store bought bags of “stuffing bread.” Craisins and apples add the perfect touch of sweetness. Fresh herbs, cream cheese and white wine are other key flavor adding ingredients!
Can I make stuffing ahead of time?
The answer is yes! Prepping as much as possible the day before makes Thanksgiving day so much more enjoyable! By taking some extra time to prep ahead you will be able to enjoy more time with family on Thanksgiving. Our sweet potato casserole recipe is another favorite and can also be made ahead of time.
Prep the stuffing as you normally would, but leave it covered with foil the entire baking time. Watch closely and do not overcook so it doesn’t dry out. Remove and let cool before refrigerating. We love to use a covered casserole dish like this one for refrigerating and traveling. The next day put it in the oven at 350 to reheat it, leaving it covered until heated through. Uncover for the last few minutes of baking to allow the top to get crispy if you prefer.
Ingredients Needed for The Best Stuffing Recipe
The bread is the star of the show in stuffing, so good quality bread that creates texture in the stuffing is a must. The bread itself does not have much flavor, so we made sure to add the best “flavor making” ingredients in our recipe.
Croissants- they are soft and buttery and I will never make stuffing without them again.
Baguette- the crusty baguette adds a chewiness to the recipe.
Shallots
Garlic
Butter
Fresh herbs- thyme and rosemary are the herbs of choice.
Apples- we use honey crisp, but granny smith or really any apple will work.
Craisins
White wine- cooking wine or whatever wine you have on hand. If you do not typically have wine on hand the cooking wine is great to have to add to pasta
Cream cheese
The Best Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 croissants
- 1 baugette or enough of it to equal 12 cups total bread
- 2 small shallots chopped
- 1 stick plus 2T butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 T rosemary fresh
- 2 T thyme fresh
- 2-3 cups chicken broth
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 medium apples diced
- 1 cup crasins
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 3 oz cream cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- Arrange torn bread in dish. Lay 2 T of the butter over the bread pieces and bake for 5-7 minutes until lightly toasted.
- Place bread in a large bowl and add craisins. Set aside.
- Melt 2 T butter over medium heat in a large sauce pan. Cook shallots until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add 2 T more butter and garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes longer.
- Add apple and 1/4 cup white wine. Cook and simmer 3-5 more minutes until apples start to soften slightly.
- Add 1 more T butter and chopped herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and melt butter. Turn heat to low.
- In a separate large sauce pan add 2 cups broth heat over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in 3 oz cream cheese until melted and smooth.
- Remove both pans from heat and add the broth to the apple mixture. Stir to combine and then add 2 beaten eggs and stir well. Pour over the bread and stir to evenly coat the bread.
- Spread in pan. Pour 1 T melted butter on top and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and add broth 1/4 cup at a time if the bread seems dry. Return to the oven for 10-15 more minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!
