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White baking dish of golden sage and herb bread stuffing with a serving on a plate, beside fresh sage and rosemary, a gravy boat and a pumpkin

Classic Sage and Herb Stuffing

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Old-fashioned bread stuffing with buttery onions and celery, fresh sage, thyme and rosemary, baked until crisp and golden on top and soft underneath. A vegetarian Thanksgiving classic made with vegetable broth.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound day-old crusty white or sourdough bread cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 10 cups)
  • 6 tablespoons butter plus more for the baking dish
  • 2 medium yellow onions diced
  • 4 stalks celery diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped (or 2 teaspoons dried)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth warmed
  • 2 large eggs

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Spread the bread cubes on two baking sheets and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once, until dry and lightly toasted. (Skip this step if your bread cubes have been left out overnight and are already dry.) Raise the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, celery and a pinch of salt and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic, sage, thyme and rosemary and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
  3. In a very large bowl, combine the toasted bread, the cooked vegetables, parsley, salt and pepper, and toss well.
  4. Whisk the eggs into the warm (not hot) broth. Pour it over the bread mixture a little at a time, tossing as you go, until the bread is evenly moistened but not soggy. Let it sit for 5 minutes so the bread absorbs the liquid.
  5. Transfer the stuffing to the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
  6. Remove the foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the top is golden and crisp. Serve warm.

Notes

Choose a vegetarian broth: a good vegetable broth, or a "no-chicken" style vegetarian broth, gives the most classic flavor.
To make it vegan: use vegan butter, leave out the eggs, and add an extra 1/4 cup of broth.
Make ahead: assemble the stuffing through step 4, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake as directed, adding about 10 minutes to the covered baking time.
Add-ins: stir in 1/2 cup dried cranberries, toasted pecans, a diced apple or sautéed mushrooms with the bread.

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