Recipe · Kitchen · November

Classic sage stuffing with a crisp top

Name: Classic sage stuffing with a crisp top
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients: 1½ lb sturdy white or sourdough bread, cut in 1-inch cubes; 8 tbsp butter, plus more for the dish; 2 onions, diced; 4 celery stalks, diced; 3 tbsp chopped fresh sage (or 1 tbsp dried); 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme; 2 eggs; 2½ cups chicken or vegetable stock; 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper

Day-old bread, butter, onions, celery and plenty of sage, baked in its own dish so the top goes crisp. Make it the day before. Serves 10.

By Almanac Kit EditorsUpdated Oct 12, 20261 h 10 minServes 10

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You'll need

Why bake it outside the bird

Stuffing cooked inside the turkey has to reach 165°F in the center, and by the time it does, the breast is overcooked. Baked in its own dish, it gets what everyone actually fights over: the crisp top and edges.

It also frees up the oven timeline. Assemble the stuffing the day before, refrigerate it covered, and bake it while the turkey rests. Add 10 minutes to the covered time if it goes in cold.

Classic sage stuffing

Prep 25 · Cook 45 · Serves 10

Ingredients

1½ lb sturdy white or sourdough bread, cut in 1-inch cubes
8 tbsp butter, plus more for the dish
2 onions, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
3 tbsp chopped fresh sage (or 1 tbsp dried)
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
2 eggs
2½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper

Steps

Step 1: Spread the bread cubes on two sheet pans and dry them at 275°F for 30 minutes, or leave them out overnight.
Step 2: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions and celery until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the sage and thyme for 1 minute.
Step 3: Whisk the eggs with the stock, salt and pepper. In a big bowl, toss the bread with the vegetables, then pour the stock mixture over and fold until evenly damp.
Step 4: Pack into a buttered 9x13 dish. Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake 20 minutes more, until the top is crisp and golden.

9x13 baking dish

[Product name]

Glazed stoneware that goes from oven to table. Fits a full batch of stuffing.

Check price on Amazon

Cast-iron skillet

[Product name]

A 12-inch skillet goes from stovetop to oven and lasts decades.

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The bread

Use a sturdy loaf, not soft sandwich bread, and dry it properly. Fresh bread turns to paste when the stock goes in; dried cubes soak it up and keep their shape.