Hi everyone!
Jeff has been making his World’s Best Stuffing for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for as long as I can remember. The base recipe comes from his dad who made stuffing for holiday dinners when Jeff was growing up. Somewhere along the way Jeff added his own twist of hot sausage and Granny Smith apples and the rest is history.
I hope you enjoy the recipe and tips Jeff gives below, let us know what you think.
Wishing you all the best for the coming holiday season!
Cheers!
Update: To help make following the recipe easier, Jeff added a recipe card below. Simply scroll to the bottom to find it!
World’s Best Stuffing Recipe
Serves 8 people
Ingredients:
2 packages – Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned cubed stuffing
1 pound Jimmy Dean Hot sausage
2 medium onions
8 celery stalks
1 clove garlic
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 sticks salted butter (12 tbs)
4 Granny Smith apples
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large baking pan – I suggest using an aluminum one time use pan for easy clean up
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Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 350°.
Note: Oven temperatures vary, please adjust temperature and cooking time as needed
Veggies and Sausage ~
Dice onions and celery into small cubes
Melt 2 tbs butter over medium heat, add garlic and let cook a few minutes until fragrant. Add onions and celery, season with salt and pepper, then Sauté until tender – about 10 mins
Place sausage in hot skillet over medium heat and tear apart forming bite size pieces and cook until well done.
Dice apples into 1/2 – 1 inch pieces.
Mix it all together ~
Tip: Mixing together all ingredients at once can be difficult, so I suggest splitting it into 2 batches
Melt 10 tbs butter in a bowl
In a large mixing bowl combine 1 package of the Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix and 1/2 of each of the other ingredients. Mix gently until the liquid is absorbed.
Add the first half to your large baking pan, repeat the above steps and add to the baking pan.
Now that you have all of the mixture together, give it a final mix to help even out across the pan
Oven time ~
Place in a 350 degree pre-heated oven and bake for 90 minutes or longer if you like it with a brown crusty coating. If it starts to get too brown for your liking, simply cover it with aluminum foil or a baking sheet.
Our Kitchen Sources
World’s Best Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 2PackagesPepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Cubed Stuffing
- 1PoundJimmy Dean Hot Sausage
- 2MediumOnions
- 8Celery Stalks
- 1CloveGarlic Minced
- 3 1/2CupsChicken Both
- 1 1/2SticksButter (12 Tbs)
- 4LargeGranny Smith Apples
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
You will need one large and deep baking pan roughly 20″ x 12″ x 3″. I suggest using an aluminum disposable baking dish, you can find these at most grocery stores or online. As an alternative, you can use 2 – 13″ x 9″ baking dishes and reduce the cooking time by about 15 mins.
Dice onions and celery into small pieces.
Melt 2 tbs butter in a medium skillet, add the minced garlic and saute for about 2 mins. Add the onions and celery, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes, then remove from heat.
Place sausage in a hot skillet over medium heat, break into bite size chunks, cook until well done, then remove from heat.
Core and dice apples into 1/2 inch pieces.
In a very large bowl (I use my largest boiling pot), add the cubed stuffing, chicken both and 10 tbs melted butter. Mix to incorporate the liquid into the stuffing cubes.
Add the apples, cooked onions, celery and sausage then mix to get all ingredients well distributed. Pour combined mixture into a greased baking dish.
Mixing all of this together can be a workout, feel free to break this into a few smaller batches and then combine the batches in the baking pan.
Place on center rack of the preheated oven and bake for about 90 mins. After about 60 mins the top should begin to get golden brown. If you like a crunchy top, continue uncovered just check every 10 mins to ensure it’s not getting too dark. If you are not a fan of the crunchy top, simplycover with aluminum foil and return to oven for the remaining time.
Serve covered with gravy or alone.
I hope this becomes a favorite for your family holiday meals like it has for ours!
During busy holidays, this stuffing can be cooked a day in advance. Simply reheat in the microwave just before serving!
Enjoy!
Jeff and Kristy
FAQs
The most important ingredient of stuffing may be the binder, which keeps all the other elements in place. For a fluffy texture, use eggs. Stock is the most-used binder. Less conventional possibilities include fruit juice (such as apple or orange) and alcohol (wine or liqueur).
Why is stuffing not healthy? ›
Typically high in fat, carbs and salt, stuffing can be made fresh or purchased chilled, frozen or dehydrated. Traditionally, a stuffing would use the giblets of the bird with the addition of sausage meat, a source of starch, such as bread, with some aromatics such as onion, herbs and spices.
What is the best bread to use for stuffing? ›
Sourdough, Italian, and white bread are standard choices for stuffing; however, journeying beyond your comfort zone can produce excellent results.
What can you use as a binder instead of eggs in stuffing? ›
16 egg substitutes
- Mashed banana. Mashed banana can act as a binding agent when baking or making pancake batter. ...
- Applesauce. Applesauce can also act as a binding agent. ...
- Fruit puree. Fruit puree will help bind a recipe in a similar way to applesauce. ...
- Avocado. ...
- Gelatin. ...
- Xanthan gum. ...
- Vegetable oil and baking powder. ...
- Margarine.
How do you keep stuffing moist? ›
Typically, baking the stuffing inside the bird helps keep the mixture moist. “I prefer stuffing (in the bird) to dressing (outside of the bird) because all those delicious drippings that come off the turkey gets absorbed right into the stuffing,” Bamford says.
Is Pepperidge Farm stuffing bad for you? ›
Another product from a well-known brand, Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoning Stuffing, gets a “5” in EWG's Food Scores. That's not too bad, but it's in the “yellow” range because of its nutritional content.
Why is it bad to cook stuffing in the turkey? ›
Pathogen Growth. As the stuffing remains under 165°F, the pathogens will continue to multiply and grow. Specifically, they grow best between 40 to 135°F, a temperature range known as the temperature danger zone. Pathogens grow even faster at the higher end of the zone, which is 70 to 135°F, says Baker.
Why is it bad to put stuffing in a turkey? ›
When you place stuffing inside a turkey, it comes into contact with raw meat and juices that may contain harmful bacteria such as salmonella. For optimal food safety, the stuffing must reach a minimum temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit to kill any bacteria present.
Is it better to make stuffing with fresh or dry bread? ›
Any attempts to make stuffing with soft, fresh baked bread will result in a bread soup with a soggy texture. Follow this tip: Stale, dried-out bread makes the best stuffing.
What is the best way to dry out bread for stuffing? ›
Spread the cubed bread on top of two cooling racks set in two half-sheet pans. Heat your oven to the lowest setting (typically 150°–200°F) and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until completely dry. If your oven only goes down to, say, 250°, start by baking for 30 minutes, then check the dryness of a cube or two.
We start by cubing our bread—for traditional recipes, we favor a simple white sandwich-style loaf—then toast it in the oven at a low 275°F for about 45 minutes, tossing it every now and then to help it dry evenly.
Why add eggs to turkey stuffing? ›
Broth: Chicken broth keeps the stuffing moist without making it soggy. Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture. Water: You can add a few tablespoons of water, if you'd like, to achieve your desired consistency.
What is stuffing called when it's not in a turkey? ›
Some people make the distinction that dressing is the proper name for the dish when it has been prepared outside of the bird—that is, when it has not been stuffed and cooked inside.
What do you put in a turkey instead of stuffing? ›
Stuffing can be a problem because of cooking time and health risks if it is not fully cooked. As to what to put inside the cavity, start with a rub, the same one you're putting on the outside. Besides that, carrots, onions, garlic, potatoes, parsnips, celery etc can be put in there, just like a chicken.
What does egg do in stuffing? ›
Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture.
Why is my stuffing always mushy? ›
If the stuffing came out too wet and soggy (aka bread soup!) try not to over mix it, otherwise it'll turn into mush. Curtis Stone says to pour it on a large sheet tray and spread it out. Bake it on high heat to crisp it up, but make sure it doesn't burn.
Can you mess up stuffing? ›
Your Bread Is Too Fresh
There's nothing better than soft, fresh bread—except for when it comes to stuffing. If you want your stuffing to hold up and not end up a soupy, soggy mess, make sure your bread is dried out or staled for a few days.
Is stuffing better moist or dry? ›
Stuffing should be moist, not dry, because heat destroys bacteria more rapidly in a moist environment. Once the bird is stuffed, it should be placed immediately in an oven set no lower than 325°F. Check out the cooking chart for recommended cooking times for stuffed turkey of various sizes.