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.
Servings: 12
Calories: 219kcal
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
Instructions
For the prep:
- Can be done a day or two in advance. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250˚F.
- 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:
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
- 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.
- Spray a 2-3 quart baking dish generously with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.
Nutrition
Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 733mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 463IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg