Recipes

Classic Stuffing

  • Serves

    serves 6-8

VANESSA REES

Nutmeg and savory—two seasonings commonly found in 19th-century stuffing recipes—add subtly sweet and herbal notes to this dish.

Ingredients

  • 15 tbsp. butter
  • 6 ribs celery, finely chopped
  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp. finely chopped sage
  • 2 tsp. finely chopped marjoram
  • 2 tsp. finely chopped savory
  • 2 tsp. finely chopped thyme
  • 12 tsp. grated nutmeg
  • 10 cups crustless, toasted, and 1/2"-cubed white bread
  • 12 cup finely chopped parsley
  • 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 eggs, beaten

Instructions

Step 1

Heat oven to 400°. Grease a 15-cup baking dish with 1 tbsp. of the butter; set aside.

Step 2

Heat 10 tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add celery, onions, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste; cook until golden brown, 18–20 minutes.

Step 3

Add sage, marjoram, savory, thyme, and nutmeg and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Transfer onion mixture to a large bowl. Add bread, parsley, and chicken stock and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4

Add eggs and mix. Transfer mixture to prepared dish, press down, and dot with remaining 4 tbsp. of butter. Cover with foil; bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until deep golden brown on top, about 20 minutes more.