Make the BEST homemade stuffing with bread, garlic, onion, celery, fresh herbs, and broth. It's moist & tender inside, crispy on top, and a hearty, satisfying crowd-pleasing holiday side!
If you live in a warm, dry climate, you could leave the bread cubes for stuffing to air dry spread across a large, rimmed baking sheet for 1-2 days – no need to bake at all.Preheat the oven to 225°F/105ºC. Cube the bread into ½-inch pieces.
Drizzle the bread cubes with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, toss, and spread across a large baking tray.
Transfer to the oven to bake for between 30-40 minutes, until golden and dry/crisp.
Sauté the aromatics
Preheat the oven to 350ºF/175ºC. Mince the garlic. Finely chop the onion and celery. Finely chop all the fresh herbs.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and sauté for a minute before stirring in the garlic and celery to cook for 8-10 minutes, until tender.
Add some salt, pepper, and the chopped herbs and sauté for a minute longer before using about ½ cup of the broth to help de-glaze the pan.
Whisk the eggs into the remaining broth.
Assemble and bake
In a large baking pan or casserole dish (9x13-inch), combine the bread, aromatics, and egg mixture and stir well.The cubes should be wet but not overly soggy. Add more broth if it's too dry or more bread if it's too wet.
Transfer the homemade stuffing to the oven to bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown and crisp and heated through.If it's browning too quickly, cover the dish with foil for a portion of the baking time. For a crispier or darker top, broil it for a minute or two at the end.
Leave the stuffing to rest for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Choose the right bread: It's best to use 1 or 2-day-old, high-quality bread that's dry but not overly stale (to absorb liquids/flavors well). Bread that's too soft makes for soggy stuffing.
Adjust the liquid content: The bread should be wet but not soggy/leaking, holding its shape when molded. If it's too dry, add more broth. If it is too wet, add more bread.
Be gentle when mixing: You don't want to make the bread mushy and fall apart, as it can lead to dense stuffing.
Leave it to rest after baking: This helps the flavors meld more, and it will firm up slightly as it cools, making it easier to serve. You only need to leave it for a few minutes.
For moister stuffing: Cover the pan with foil for 25-30 minutes, then remove the foil for the remaining baking time.