Why This Recipe Works: As with all our stuffing recipes, we cook this one outside the turkey, since a stuffed bird takes longer to cook and often results in overcooked meat by the time the stuffing has reached a safe serving temperature. We used fresh parsley, sage, thyme, and marjoram to create an herby stuffing. Half-inch cubes of bread made the stuffing pleasantly chunky and allowed the other ingredients to be distributed evenly throughout. Tasters preferred chicken broth to other liquid ingredients, since it gave the stuffing clean, savory flavor; a couple of eggs offered richness, moisture, and structure. Covering the stuffing for only part of the baking time ensured that it was moist throughout, with a crispy, crunchy top. Instead of oven drying in step 1, you can let the bread stale overnight at room temperature. This recipe can be doubled and baked in a 15 by 10-inch baking dish for a larger crowd.
Serves 8 to 10
- 1 1/2 pounds hearty white sandwich bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 celery ribs, minced
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh marjoram or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
