My Mother-in-Law’s Stuffing Is the Dish I Look Forward to All Year

There’s traditional Thanksgiving stuffing—and then there’s my mother-in-law’s stuffing. It’s always the first holiday dish to disappear. Everyone takes heaping servings of this once-a-year savory delicacy. It’s actually so popular that she has started making double batches for Thanksgiving to ensure leftovers with turkey the next day. What’s her secret? Celery, sage sausage, a Granny Smith apple, butter, and a generous amount of fresh herbs.

She cooks some inside the bird for those of us who like our stuffing steamy and ultra moist. And the rest of it in a baking dish for the ones who prefer a little golden crunch around the edges. I’m her favorite (only) daughter-in-law, so she has agreed to share this handed down recipe that lives only in her head.

The History of Stuffing—and Why We Love It

Stuffing, or dressing, depending on where you’re from, has strong Thanksgiving roots, and it has always been a fantastic way to use up stale bread and to make a cheap meal that feeds a crowd.Stuffing is nostalgic, often a recipe passed down within families, and it’s the perfect savory side to tender, lean turkey—especially when it’s cooked inside the bird and soaks up the turkey’s juices and butter in the oven. And it’s completely customizable to your family’s palate, often incorporating celery, nuts, fruit, and even smoked cheeses or oysters.

In our family, it wouldn’t be the holidays without a buttery, high-piled casserole dish of sage sausage stuffing sending its warm, herby wafts through the entire house. It’s almost as coveted as the holiday’s iconic turkey and pumpkin pie.

Chatting with my mother-in-law (a.k.a. Nana) about her mother’s stuffing recipe, she shared that she’s been making this treasured dish for more than 50 years. Sometimes, it was for her immediate family of four. Other times, it was adapted to feed 16 Thanksgiving guests.

“Through the years and, due to my own culinary journey, I have modified some ingredients and techniques, but have remained true to the basics of this family holiday tradition,” Nana says.

My Mother-In-Law’s Stuffing Recipe

• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 75 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 45 mins
• Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 12 oz bag herb-seasoned bread cubes (if you prefer to air dry your own bread, tear 12 slices of sandwich bread or two loaves of French bread into bite sizes and let sit out uncovered on a tray for 2 days)
• 16 oz Jimmy Dean bulk sage sausage, cooked thoroughly, crumbled, grease drained
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 4 large ribs celery, finely chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, small diced
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, medium diced
• 1 package of fresh poultry blend herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme)
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter.
2. Cook, crumble and drain the sausage.
3. In a separate pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and saute the onion and celery until slightly soft (about 5 minutes).
4. Combine sausage, celery and onion in a large pot suitable for mixing.
5. Add bread cubes, apple, chopped sage, thyme and rosemary, chicken stock, and salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly until the ingredients are completely combined. The mixture should be coated and moist, but not too soggy.
6. Transfer stuffing to the greased baking dish. 
7. Dot the top with 4 tablespoons of butter and cover with foil. 
8. Bake stuffing at 350℉ covered for 60 minutes. 
9. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 15 minutes for golden brown top.

Ways To Customize Your Stuffing

• Chicken Stock: This can be switched out for turkey stock for a richer flavor. Or vegetable broth for vegetarian stuffing. It’s used to moisten the bread cubes and keep everything from drying out in the oven. Watch the sodium content—stuffing can easily be overseasoned or oversalted.
• Bread: Nana’s mother would have bread chunks torn and drying all over the kitchen for a day or so before making her stuffing. Nowadays, packages of seasoned bread crumbs provide a convenient timesaving option. Cubed, not crushed, holds up better in the bird and in the oven. Feel free to swap in rye bread or cornbread.
• Herbs: Dried or fresh will work. Nana swears by the supermarket’s poultry herb blend of rosemary, sage and thyme. The aromatic ingredients soak into the porous bread crumbs and set the foundation for the stuffing’s essential flavor. Dried herbs can be used in a pinch, but deliver a duller, less complex flavor than fresh herbs.
• Add-Ins: Get creative here. Toss in dried cranberries or cherries, chestnuts or pecans, roasted seasonal vegetables, or small cubes of smoked cheese.