Herbed Stuffing

Kelly Allen Autumn Bread Celery Onion Stuffing Thanksgiving_Side

This is our classic Thanksgiving stuffing recipe: no frills, nothing fancy. Just buttery bread, plenty of veggies, and a handful of savory autumnal spices. A classic for any gathering.

Ingredients:

1 loaf of crusty bread, such as sourdough.
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan and dotting the stuffing
1 small head of garlic, peeled and sliced
3-4 yellow onions, sliced
5-7 celery stalks, thinly sliced
½ cup dry white wine
2½ cups stock (chicken, vegetable, or turkey)
3 large eggs
½ cup finely chopped parsley
¼ cup finely chopped chives or scallions
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme
Salt and pepper, as needed

Preparation

Tear or cut the bread into 1-2 inch pieces. Spread out the bread pieces on a baking sheet and toast in an oven set to 300F until lightly golden. Allow to cool.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, combine olive oil and half of the butter. Warm over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onions, seasoning them with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until everything is softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes. Add the white wine and cook until very reduced, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool.
Whisk together the broth and eggs in a medium bowl. Place the dried bread in a very large bowl. Add the leek and celery mixture, parsley, chives, red pepper flakes, and marjoram. Gently toss everything to coat. Add the egg mixture and toss a second time (gently!). Let sit for a few minutes and toss again, making sure all of the liquid is absorbed.
Butter a large (3-quart) baking dish. Add the stuffing mixture. Dot the top with additional butter.
Cover the dish with foil and bake until cooked through, 25-30 minutes. If you're cooking ahead, you can stop now and refrigerate the stuffing. Otherwise, continue.
When ready to serve, remove the foil from the dish and increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Bake until the top is quite crisp and golden, another 20 to 25 minutes.