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Bread Stuffing

This classic dressing is based on a wonderful recipe by James Beard; it’s amazing with butter, but check out the variations if you prefer olive oil. Also, feel free to use whole grain bread or corn bread for even more flavor and a heartier texture.
Prep Time20 minutes
Bake Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8 cups, enough for a 12-pound bird
Author: "How to Cook Everything: Thanksgiving" by Mark Bittman

Equipment

  • Large, deep skillet, or Dutch Oven

Ingredients

  • ½ pound (2 sticks) butter
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • ½ cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts
  • 6 to 8 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs (see tip)
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon or sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon or sage, crumbled
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup chopped scallions
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

  • Melt butter over medium heat in a large, deep skillet, Dutch oven or casserole. Add onion and cook, stirring, until it softens, about 5 minutes. Add nuts and cook, stirring almost constantly, until they begin to brown, about 3 minutes.
  • Add bread crumbs and herbs and toss to mix. Turn heat to low. Add salt, pepper and scallions. Toss again; taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add parsley and stir. Turn off heat. (You may prepare recipe in advance up to this point; refrigerate, well wrapped or in a covered container, for up to a day before proceeding.)
  • Pack what you can into a chicken or turkey if you like before roasting and put the rest in an ovenproof glass or enameled baking dish. (Or cook the bird without the stuffing and bake all the stuffing on the side.) Either way, you want it crisp around the edges but still moist inside; figure about 45 minutes at 350–400°F.
    You can also bake the stuffing up to 3 days in advance, refrigerate it in the baking dish, and just warm it up in the hot oven for 30 minutes or so before dinner.

Notes

Tip
To make the bread crumbs, tear bread into chunks and put them in the container of a food processor; you may need to do this in batches. Pulse until you have coarse, irregular crumbs, no smaller than a pea and preferably larger.

Variations:

Bread Stuffing with Sage and Chestnuts
Start by boiling or roasting ¾ to 1 pound chestnuts until they are tender. Shell, skin, and chop. Cook the onion as in Step 1. When soft, add the chestnuts and ½ cup dry white wine (omit the nuts). Simmer for 5 minutes. In Step 2, use sage and just 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley.
Bread Stuffing with Sausage
In Step 1, omit the butter. Cook 1 pound sausage meat (you can squeeze the meat from links) in its own fat over medium heat until pinkish gray. Spoon off the fat, then add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Omit the nuts. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger), and 1 teaspoon ground cumin, optional. Omit the tarragon or sage.
Bread Stuffing with Mushrooms
In Step 1, use butter or olive oil and cook 1 cup sliced button mushrooms along with the onion. If you have them, add 1 ounce soaked, drained, trimmed, and minced dried porcini mushrooms at the same time. Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic when the mushrooms have softened. Omit the nuts. Use sage or thyme (1 teaspoon fresh or ½ teaspoon dried).