Homemade Stuffing | Traditional bread stuffing recipe - Mom's Dinner (2024)

FAQs

What does adding egg to stuffing do? ›

Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture.

Any attempts to make stuffing with soft, fresh baked bread will result in a bread soup with a soggy texture. Follow this tip: Stale, dried-out bread makes the best stuffing.

Just mix the stuffing ingredients together and store in the fridge, freeing up time and reducing stress on Thanksgiving Day, when you're dealing with all the other prep! Try make-ahead stuffing this Thanksgiving to save time and oven space. Who doesn't love a low-maintenance side dish?

If you don't want to take up space in the oven, you can always leave the bread out on the counter to dry. A day or two before you assemble your stuffing, cut the bread into cubes. Then, lay the cubes onto sheet pans and let them dry out at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours.

Eggs add richness to the stuffing, and makes it cohere better. I'd use two eggs per pound of bread. I'm a no egg person - and I still stuff the bird (but also do a batch out of the bird). me, too, Chem - I make a boatload of dressing (we never stuff the bird) specifically so I have leftovers to eat with gravy.

Typically, baking the stuffing inside the bird helps keep the mixture moist. “I prefer stuffing (in the bird) to dressing (outside of the bird) because all those delicious drippings that come off the turkey gets absorbed right into the stuffing,” Bamford says.

The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much. Add more bread to soak up the excess moisture. If the mix is still dry and crumbly, add more liquid and toss gently until it starts to clump together.

Two to three days before you plan on assembling the stuffing, take a serrated knife and slice the loaf into rough 1/2-inch cubes, crust and all. You can also tear the loaf into pieces by hand for a more rustic look.

You can use any kind; store-bought white bread works well and would probably be my #1 suggestion for stuffing. You could also try using cut up dinner rolls, sourdough bread (actually this would be my personal first pick), challah, or anything else you want to experiment with.

For leftovers, remember the 2-hour rule and refrigerate cooked poultry and stuffing within two hours to avoid bacteria from multiplying on room-temperature food. Leftover stuffing should be consumed or frozen within 3-4 days.

How do I know when my stuffing is done? ›

The same timing applies for stuffing that is cooked separately, too. Be sure to reheat any leftover stuffing and use a food thermometer to make sure it reaches 165°F once again before eating it.

Fully cook raw meat, poultry, or seafood ingredients before adding to stuffing. Combine the ingredients and place them in your bird immediately before cooking. Don't stuff whole poultry with cooked stuffing. In addition to the turkey, the stuffing's center needs to reach 165 F.

Stuffing/dressing: If stored properly in the fridge, stuffing or dressing is good to eat up to three to four days after you cooked it. But it'll last about a month in the freezer.

Plan to serve about 3/4 cup of stuffing per guest. That amounts to roughly 4 cups of prepared stuffing for 5 guests and 7-1/2 cups for 10 guests. However, if you have grand plans for using leftovers in Stuffin' Muffins or turkey potpie with a stuffing crust, feel free to make a little bit more.

Eggs play an important role in everything from cakes and cookies to meringues and pastry cream — they create structure and stability within a batter, they help thicken and emulsify sauces and custards, they add moisture to cakes and other baked goods, and can even act as glue or glaze.

A whole egg coagulates at about 156°F (69°C). Eggs can act as binding agents. As their proteins set, eggs bind ingredients together giving strength and stability to meatloaves, casseroles and baked goods. Eggs are used to coat foods with crumbs, flour, etc.

Boiled egg yolks can thicken a dressing without breaking or clumping while creating a silky consistency that thoroughly coats your salad ingredients. Plus, the buttery richness of the yolk can help temper overly acidic or spiced dressings without muting them.