Gram’s Stuffing

The classic holiday side.

1 loaf
45 minutes
Ethan Chlebowski

Ingredients

Aromatic base

  • Butter
    113 g1 stick
  • Celery, diced
    2 stalks1 part
  • Carrots, diced
    1 medium1 part
  • Onions, diced
    1/41 part
  • Fresh sage, minced
    a spoonful~2 g
  • Fresh thyme, minced
    a spoonful~2 g
  • Black Pepper
    to taste
  • Salt
    to taste

Bread & binders

  • Potato bread, roughly cubed
    1 loaf
  • Eggs
    3
  • Milk
    100 g

Method

Step 1: Prep the bread

Tear or chop the bread into bite-sized chunks.

If your bread is fresh, you can do this in advance and leave it on the counter to dry out overnight or in a 225°/107°C oven for ~10 minutes to lightly .

  • If your bread is already stale, you can use it as is.

Increase the temperature of the oven to 375°F/190C.

Step 2: Sauté the aromatic base

In a saucepan, melt the stick of butter of medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion plus a sprinkle of salt and for a few minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the minced thyme, sage, and black pepper to for around a minute. Once everything is very fragrant, turn off the heat.

Step 3: Bind the bread & aromatics

Mix together the eggs and milk until homogenous.

In a bowl or a large sheet tray, add the bread chunks and the aromatic vegetable mixtures. Little by little, pour just enough of the egg/milk binder liquid until the bread mixture holds its shape when compressed together.

  • If you need extra moisture, you can keep adding a splash of milk at a time.

Step 4: Shape, wrap in foil, & bake

Add a few sheets of foil to a fresh baking tray. Grease the foil with baking spray or extra butter to prevent sticking.

Shape the stuffing into a tall loaf, then wrap it in the greased foil.

Slide the tray into the preheated 375°F/190C oven. for ~25 minutes, which will the stuffing and set it into it's loaf shape.

Step 5: Uncover & finish the stuffing

Gently open up the foil package to expose the top side of the stuffing loaf. Return to the oven and continue for 10 minutes or until the surface of the stuffing has lightly and crisped (but not gone dark or hard).

When you are ready to eat, slice off portions. Enjoy warm or cold.

Use extra slices for leftover turkey sandwiches.

“The only recipe I have to make every year for Thanksgiving is my grandma’s stuffing. Our family shapes this into a loaf instead of just putting it into a casserole dish, which gets you clean slices for serving.”

Ethan Chlebowski
Creator

Watch & Cook

Nutritional Information

entire recipe
Calories2350
232g
133g
86g

FAQ

What kind of bread works best?

Try to use a soft, commercial loaf. Potato bread is preferred and gives the stuffing a golden brown . Brioche has a similar color and but is slightly . Standard sliced white bread has the same texture and also works great, but will be paler. Use any leftover bread you have around. More rustic breads like sourdough will make for a crustier stuffing.

Why the eggs and milk? Why not broth?

You can substitute the milk for broth for a slightly more savory dish. The milk and eggs act as a binder which makes the recipe akin to bread pudding, especially when you shape it into a loaf.

Do I have to shape this into a loaf?

You can bake this directly in a casserole dish but you won't get the clean slices. Alternatively, shape the stuffing into tennis balls for individual portions and bake in a muffin tray.