Thanksgiving Dressing
- Total Time
- About 1 hour
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings
- 5tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1large Spanish onion, peeled and diced
- 2ribs celery, cleaned and diced
- 2apples, preferably tart, like Granny Smith or Cortland, peeled, cored and diced
- 1cup peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 3sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed and leaves chopped
- 1dozen fresh sage leaves, stems removed and leaves chopped
- 2teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1dash hot-pepper sauce, or to taste
- 1loaf decent-quality bread, a day or two old, torn into small pieces
- 2eggs, beaten
- ½cup chopped parsley
- 1 to 2cups turkey or chicken stock (see recipe); if using store-bought broth, use low-sodium variety
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
290 calories; 11 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 486 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, celery, apples, chestnuts, salt, pepper, thyme, sage, Worcestershire and hot-pepper sauce. Cook, stirring, until vegetables have softened and herbs wilted, approximately 5 minutes.
- Step 2
Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add the bread, beaten eggs, parsley and enough broth so the dressing is well moistened. Blend well and check for seasoning.
- Step 3
Grease a baking dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and put dressing in it. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown. Check to make sure interior is moist. If not, add some more broth and return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Keith
I notice the dressing recipes in NYT produce what is essentially a bowl of seasoned bread chunks accented with various additional elements.
In the upper south where I was raised everyone made a much moister style of dressing where enough turkey stock is added to cause the toasted bread pieces to bread down to the consistency of mashed potatoes. It's then placed around the turkey in the roasting pan and baked for the last hour to 45 minutes of its cooking time.
dave beemon
I usually add a tablespoon or two of bourbon, in place of the Worcestershire. It really hits it off with the apples and the sage.
Lisa Semeraro-Castro
I agree. I wouldn't add the Worcestershire or the apples personally. I add mild Italian Sausage and chestnuts to mine using cornbread as the base. The featured recipe is a great start, basic start. You can customize it as you like.
Me
Would omit the Worcestershire sauce next time: I'm not sure that it added anything beyond a sour undertone. Without the apples, this recipe otherwise produces the standard Thanksgiving stuffing.
Sheila
Can you prepare dressing ahead and freeze it?
L Marks
NO SAGE! Overpowers everything and tastes like soap. Use Herbs de Provence instead and fresh parsley. I also use a combo of good quality seasoned croutons and toasted challah. Worcestershire is a no go. Chestnuts already peeled via Trader Joes are perfect for this. While you're at it get some TJ mirepoix and make your life 1000x easier. Stuffing comes out great. Can be prepped night before and kept in fridge. a bit of butter on top and a bit of juice from the cooked turkey mid bake.Yum
stuart itter
Had very good result. Five cups of bread pieces. No eggs, double the butter. Sauteed vegetables with half the butter. Sauteed the bread in second half of butter, till cooked, then, combined and cooked minutes more. Added broth. Perfect moisture after baking 45 minutes at 325.
Ms D
Or - you could buy them peeled and vacuum packed at Trader Joes - excellent.
carol
added onion, melted butter, and some chopped celery leaves
used a lot of extra thyme and sage
added whole milk in lieu of some of the chicken stock
used extra chestnuts
left out hot pepper sauce
left out worcestershire
used red apples
Gale
What is the recommended type of bread?
Jamie
Excellent dressing. Everyone thought it was wonderful. It had a delightful herb taste and perfect texture, not too dry nor too moist. We made it in the morning, and before reheating we sprinkled in a bit of stock to keep it moist. We thought the Worcestershire sauce addition was perfect, blunting what might have been a slightly too sweet end result. We also added an extra dose of hot sauce. A great balance of flavors. We'll make this again next year (if not sooner...).
Klkruger
Uh, no. Salmonella is killed long before 300˚ is reached. 160˚ is recommended as the finished temp for poultry for precisely this reason. Salmonella (and other bacteria) are killed within seconds at temps a bit below that; one just needs to be sure the all parts of the bird have reached that temp. That's why one takes the temp in the thickest part of the thigh in a couple places. If it's 160 in those spots it is likely to be at least 160 everywhere else.
Wordsworth from Wadsworth
"crisp the exterior without burning it," right Sam, that is the key to the cooking method. I hate mushy.
But I question how the aromatics of the Worcestershire fits. Prefer red pepper flakes to sauce. I use very good quality chicken stock. More generous with the butter in the saute pan. That transfers richness to the dressing as a whole. Fresh parsley out of the garden is a revelation.
Mom called it dressing. Years later James Beard commented dressing outside was superior.
Chris
I find this to be a good start but I would eliminate the Worcestershire sauce. I add Italian Sausage, Dried Cranberries, Pecans and Fennel. I leave out the Chestnuts. Extra broth is crucial to keep it moist....add as needed
Bobbie Goeden
I agree with Keith. I will probably make this moister than the recipe calls for. I'm not using apples this year (mostly because it's Thanksgiving morning and I don't have any) but I'm going to add some dried cranberries to the mix. I've never added eggs before but many recipes call for them so this year I'm branching out. Can't wait!
Happy Thanksgiving
SK19118
wonderful stuffing! followed recipe exactly except for the chestnuts. Took longer to bake than 30 min - more like an hour.
Wes
I made this pretty much to the recipe except that I added a lot more broth, maybe 3 cups. Everyone loved it.
Julee Jackson
Made this last year as I had vacuum packed chestnuts I wanted to use up and this year too. Delicious with right amount of moisture and really prefer the apple, onions, celery and chestnuts to turkey giblets, no mystery meat! Didn’t make gravy as wasn’t needed, this stands up on its own!
JCP
Great recipe! It hit the classic flavor and texture notes I wanted. I couldn’t get chestnuts where I live so I used chopped walnuts instead. Moist, a little chewy (I just used generic grocery store “French” bread), and a little crunchy too. Herbaceous and just a little tangy in the best way possible. Will make again!
lisa
No Apples, No chestnuts *Add pecans, mushrooms
julie
Used gluten free bread. Left out chest nuts, apples, Worcestershire, hot sauce. Added mushrooms.
Victoria D.
It would help if a measurement for the bread was given - either weight or # cups for cubed bread. I'm puzzled!
Lee Norris
1-2T bourbon?extra broth. red pepper flakes rather then worcestersgure,dded onion, melted butter, and some chopped celery leaves used a lot of extra thyme and sage added whole milk in lieu of some of the chicken stock used extra chestnuts left out hot pepper sauce left out worcestershire used red apples
me myself and i
I used brandy instead of W. Pecans instead of Chestnuts, 2 eggs, safeway bread cubes 5 cups…and made it the day before.
me myself and i
I used brandy, 2 eggs, safeway bread cubes, pecans, and the day ahead, otherwise as written.
private
Add more salt and pepper; add 1 tablespoon of hot sauce; cut bread into small pieces
KT
Chestnuts are new to me. The ones I see for purchase online are roasted and peeled. This recipe does not say if they should be raw or roasted. Help!
Gina
I used half wheat & half white bread & substituted pecans for chestnuts. My family enjoyed it with the following feedback: “Only use one apple & dice it smaller.”
Petrr
timing instructions: - step 1 can be done ahead of time; then hold in a large bowl until needed - add eggs and stock in (step 2) up to 15 minutes before tossing into the oven or the bread gets too mushy (sourdough stands up better to soaking, so if using white bread be careful of the timing) - if timing with other baked things, bake for a second pass so then it gets toasted when something else is going in at 425/450
Robert
Do I need to cook the Chestnuts first?
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