The BEST Stuffing Recipe - Crispy, Buttery Herb Stuffing

This truly is the BEST stuffing recipe for so many reasons. It's crisp on top, light and moist inside, studded with fresh pears and sweet dried cranberries and BURSTING with delicious buttery, herb flavor. A big bonus is you can make it in advance and bake just before serving.

Although we have lots of traditional holiday fare here at The Café, we also like to try a few new things each year. Some of them stick and become must-make classics (like these Make-Ahead Bacon Wrapped Green Beans), some of them not so much. This crisp buttery stuffing with fresh pears and dried cranberries is mix of old and new for us. I've taken our classic stuffing recipe that was originally Nanny's (Scott's mom) recipe and given it a few new tweaks. Scott and I have tasted-tested it a few times and we think it truly is the BEST stuffing recipe ever!

As I mentioned above, I did update the old family recipe a bit although it's very similar to Nanny's beloved, age-old recipe. The flavor profile has stayed the same with herbs like sage, thyme and rosemary. I exchanged our traditional apples with diced fresh pears and subbed dried cranberries for the raisins.

Striving for a crisp exterior, I also went with baguettes in lieu of regular bread cubes since its crust-to-bread ratio is higher than regular loaves of bread, something I learned from the smart folks at Cook's Country. Another tip I learned from them is to brush the top of the stuffing with melted butter. They use the butter before the stuffing goes in the oven. I like to let it bake for 15 minutes before brushing for extra crisp stuffing.

Thanks, Cook's Country! Two delicious tricks that help make this the BEST stuffing recipe!

Make-Ahead

When making a holiday meal, I love to incorporate as many make-ahead dishes as possible in order to enjoy the day with family. For Thanksgiving, I use this Make-Ahead Gravy recipe that eliminates a lot of last-minute stress. I just pull it out of the freezer the night before, let it thaw then warm before serving. Cranberry sauce can also be made in advance and mashed potatoes are easy to prep early in the day and cook in the slow cooker.

This Best stuffing recipe is another make-ahead treasure. Put it tother right up to the baking step then cover and refrigerate. On the big day just pull it out and bake as directed. What's not to love?

The steps for making this stuffing are pretty straightforward.

1. I like to plump my dried cranberries in hot water while I'm prepping the other ingredients. This keeps them moist and sweet during baking
2. The bread needs to be diced into ½-inch pieces then dried in the oven. Both of these things can be done a day or two in advance.
3. When you're ready to put together the stuffing, preheat the oven to 400˚F and spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.
4. Combine eggs and broth in a large bowl, add the diced bread cubes and allow them to soak up the broth/egg mixture while you prep the other ingredients.
5. Sauté finely chopped celery, onion and garlic along with lots of herbs until soft and fragrant.
6. Dice up two fresh pears into ½-inch pieces.
7. Drain the cranberries
8. Combine everything in a large bowl and gently stir.
9. Transfer the stuffing to the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter.
11. Bake until golden, crisp and beautiful!
12. ENJOY!

Put this delicious, festive stuffing on your holiday menu. I think you'll agree, it's the BEST stuffing ever!

Cafe Tips for making The BEST Stuffing Recipe

• This recipe calls for fresh pears. I used Bartlett but you could also use Bosc or Red pears. Look for pears that aren't overly ripe.
• Look for a good quality, crusty baguette for this recipe. I use La Brea baguettes since they are of decent quality and readily available at my local grocers (and many grocers nationwide). Whole Foods also has reasonably priced, good quality baguettes as does Costco and Sam's Club. You don't want a squishy, soft baguette though (the kind sold as "French Bread" at many local grocery bakery sections).
• Baguettes vary greatly in size. You want 1½ pounds (24 ounces) of baguette. The La Brea baguettes that I used are around 12 ounces so I used two. Aldi and Costco baguettes are labeled as 12 ounces each. If you're purchasing baguettes from a bakery, they usually have a scale and you could ask them to weigh them. 24 ounces of baguettes yields roughly 16-18 cups of diced bread
• This makes a large pan of stuffing. Feel free to halve the recipe if you're not serving a crowd, however, it does make great leftovers rewarmed in the oven or microwave.
• Don't skimp on the butter! This is a holiday dish and the melted butter brushed on top makes it super crispy and flavorful. Six tablespoons of butter may sound like a lot but when you divide it up, it's only 1½ teaspoons per serving.

Thought for the day:

The Lord is our refuge and strength,
a very present Help in trouble.
Therefore, we will not fear,
even though the earth be removed
and though the mountains
be carried into the midst of the sea.
Psalm 46:1-2

What we're listening to for inspiration:

Cast All My Cares

If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.

5 from 1 vote

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The BEST Stuffing Recipe - Crispy, Buttery Herb Stuffing

This truly is the BEST stuffing recipe for so many reasons. It's crisp on top, light and moist inside, studded with fresh pears and sweet dried cranberries and BURSTING with delicious buttery, herb flavor. A big bonus is you can make it in advance and bake just before serving.

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Side, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Best Stuffing Recipe, Crispy Stuffing, Thanksgiving Stuffing

Prep Time: 45 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Servings: 12

Calories: 219 kcal

Ingredients

For the prep:

• 2 medium-size baguettes about 12-ounces each you’ll end up with 16-18 cups, about 12 ounces each - you want a total of 16-18 cups of diced bread)
• For the stuffing
• 1 cup dried cranberries (6 ounces)
• 3 cups chicken broth maybe more
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoon butter (I use salted)
• 1 large onion diced small
• 3 celery ribs diced small
• 2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 2 garlic cloves finely minced
• 2 medium pears yellow, red or Bosc, not too ripe
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

To finish:

• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the prep:

1. Can be done a day or two in advance. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250˚F.

2. Dice the baguettes into ½-inch pieces. Place the cubed bread on a sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the bread stay in the oven for at least 30 minutes or until the oven has cooled down completely.

For the stuffing:

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

2. Place the dried cranberries in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover completely with water then microwave on high power for 2 minutes or until the water is very hot. Remove from the microwave and let sit while preparing the stuffing.

3. Spray a 2-3 quart baking dish generously with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

4. Whisk together the broth and eggs in a very large bowl. Gently stir the dried bread cutes into the broth/egg mixture. Set aside and gently stir from time to time while preparing the rest of the stuffing.

5. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a medium-size sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, sage, thyme, Italian seasoning and salt. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes or until veggies are nice and soft. Push the veggies to the side and add the garlic to the center of the pan. Stir and cook for another 30 seconds.

6. Drain the dried cranberries well and add them to the bread cubes along with the diced pears, fresh rosemary, fresh parsley and the onion mixture. Stir gently with a large spoon or spatula, lifting the mixture from the bottom to combine everything. If the mixture seems dry, drizzle with a bit more broth.

7. Transfer the stuffing to the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and, with a pastry brush, pat the top of the stuffing with the melted butter. Try not to miss any areas.

8. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 10-20 minutes (check after 10 minutes) until nicely golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

9. Garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

Calories 219kcal

Fat 9g

Saturated fat 4g

Trans fat 1g

Polyunsaturated fat 1g

Monounsaturated fat 2g

Cholesterol 56mg

Sodium 733mg

Potassium 150mg

Carbohydrates 31g

Fiber 2g

Sugar 7g

Protein 6g

Vitamin A 463%

Vitamin C 8%

Calcium 57%

Iron 2%

Thought for the day:

The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.

What we're listening to for inspiration:

More Precious than Silver

If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations and ideas for variations.