The Right Stuffing
Mom's is best, but a few simple extras add flair to the soul of Thanksgiving

We may talk turkey on Thanksgiving, but what we really want is the stuffing. That's why many Thanksgiving tables have two kinds of stuffing. Who serves two kinds of turkey?

My mother made her stuffing the night before Thanksgiving. Her remarkably simple bread stuffing, gently seasoned with celery, onions and sage, was so delicious that Dad, my siblings and I couldn't keep our hands off it. We picked at it as soon as it came out of the frying pan—sometimes before it came out of the pan. (The key to Mom's stuffing is that she "toasts" it by frying it in a cast-iron skillet.)

So, my family would be in complete agreement with Holly Garrison, author of The Thanksgiving Cookbook, who calls stuffing "the soul" of Thanksgiving. Her mother's bread stuffing sounds similar to my mother's, except that her mother didn't sauté the onions and celery, although Garrison says she would, if she was creating her own. "But people don't give up flavors easily. They want what they grew up with," she says.

I know what she means. I tried to improve on Mom's stuffing by using whole wheat bread instead of the white sandwich bread she uses, but it didn't taste as good. Despite health concerns about margarine, Mom still clings to using it instead of butter, because that's what her mother-in-law used when she taught Mom the recipe.

Lisa Schroeder of Mother's Bistro & Bar in Portland, Oregon (www.mothersbistro.com), also got her bread stuffing recipe from her mother. Like my mother's, it contains the holy trinity of onions, celery and sage. However, Schroeder dries the sandwich bread (sometimes eggy challah bread) so it can soak up more juices. And she sautées the onion before the celery, a practice I've included in my version of Mom's recipe. "Celery releases too much water. If you cook it with or before the onion, the onion won't caramelize properly," she says. Schroeder believes that many cooks don't sauté the vegetables long enough (until they just begin to brown) to develop sufficient flavor. She also favors her herbs fresh—and she uses parsley in addition to sage. The stuffings made by Schroeder, Garrison and my mother illustrate how even a straightforward stuffing can vary to suit personal taste—or your family's quirky traditions. That's what makes stuffing fun. And unlike baking, preparing stuffing doesn't require much precision or skill. Which is not to say there are no rules. There are, or at least some guidelines. Garrison writes that all stuffings have four elements: a base or starch, texture, seasonings and a binder. Bread is the most common base. It could be cottony "American bread" (as Mom calls it), hearty sandwich loaves, Italian or French bread, San Francisco sourdough, rye, whole wheat or multigrain.

Cornbread is popular for stuffings, especially those with a Southern twist. Since cornbread isn't normally sold commercially, you'll have to make your own. But it isn't difficult to make, and it allows you to season the bread the way you want, adding chiles, for example, if you're doing a Southwestern-style stuffing.

Wild rice is a common base because it is so American and it evokes images of autumn. But wild rice isn't starchy enough, and needs something like white rice or bread to bulk it up. Other starches to consider are couscous, barley and bulgur. Using potatoes is another option. I made a baked potato stuffing with bacon and herbs (from Garrison's book) that was quite good.

Texture comes from vegetables, fruits and nuts. Other than celery and onions, consider leeks, scallions, shallots, fennel and mushrooms, especially exotics such as shiitakes, which impart that woodsy, fall taste. (Reconstituted dried mushrooms such as porcini or morels intensify the mushroom flavor.) Tart apples and cranberries provide not only texture (leave the skin on the apples) but color and seasonality. Don't forget dried fruits too, particularly dried cranberries, cherries, dates and apricots. Pecans are the quintessential stuffing nut because they are indigenous to the Americas. They go especially well with wild rice and cranberries. Though they are not true nuts, chestnuts are wonderful in stuffings. Toasting the nuts brings out more flavor.

Herbs add plenty of flavor, especially when fresh, though dried versions of thyme, rosemary and sage work pretty well. If using dried sage, avoid the powdered variety, as it can be acrid. Crumble dried herbs between your fingers to release more flavor. With parsley, I prefer the more robust flat-leaf over the curly variety.

Fat adds and carries flavor. It may come from pork, such as breakfast-style pork sausage, smoky kielbasa or spicy andouille sausage (for a Cajun-style stuffing) or bacon. Best of all is good, old-fashioned butter. Add more richness with turkey liver, ground turkey and oysters.

The most common binder is eggs, though milk, broth, stock and other liquids can be used. (Wines and spirits such as brandy or Sherry add flavor as well as moisture.) When using liquids, add them gradually until you've achieved a moist, but not soggy, dressing. Taste the dressing for seasoning before adding eggs. Don't overmix the stuffing or you'll get a pasty texture. One cup of stuffing per pound of turkey will give you enough for leftovers.

If all this still seems daunting, use the bread stuffing recipe below—a slight variation of Mom's—as a base for innumerable variations. For example, you could make a New England–style dressing by adding apples, cranberries and pork sausage. Or make a chestnut dressing with roasted chestnuts and Madeira or Sherry, even combine wild and button mushrooms and fresh thyme for a mushroom stuffing.

Stuff the turkey just before putting it into the oven. When baking stuffing outside the turkey, moisten it with homemade turkey stock or chicken broth. If possible, add juices from the turkey roasting pan. The United States Department of Agriculture says cooked stuffing should reach 165° F. If you get flummoxed on the big day, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at (800) 535-4555. Maybe the operator will tell you about his mother's stuffing.

Basic Bread Stuffing

Ingredients: (Click To Print)
• 18 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups chopped onion (about 3 medium onions)
• 2 1/2 cups chopped celery (about 6 ribs)
• 2 pounds good-quality sliced white sandwich bread
• 1 3/4 cups homemade chicken broth (or 14-ounce can)
• 2 to 2-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 2 to 2-1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste


Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Increase the heat to high and add the onion. Sauté about 10 minutes, stirring periodically, until onions just start to turn brown. Lower the heat, if needed, to prevent burning. Scrape the onions into a large mixing bowl. Put another 2 tablespoons of the butter in the pan, add the celery and cook, stirring periodically, until it just starts to turn brown. Add to the onions.

Meanwhile, put the chicken broth in a small bowl. Lightly dip slices of bread into the broth. Squeeze out the excess moisture, then crumble the bread into the large mixing bowl with the cooked celery and onion. Season with the sage, parsley, salt and pepper, and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Place the pan used for cooking the celery and onions back over medium-high heat. Add half of the remaining butter. When the butter stops sizzling, add half of the stuffing. Cook, turning every few minutes with a spatula, until the bread stuffing is lightly toasted. Lower the heat if needed to prevent burning. Remove to a bowl, and then repeat with the second batch. Allow stuffing to cool.

Stuff the turkey or bake stuffing in a buttered casserole.

Makes about 10 cups.

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