The BEST Make-Ahead Stuffing recipe! This stuffing has been in my family for years. My mom has perfected this recipe by combining dried bread, sausage, beef, and bacon along with extra moisture from applesauce, milk, and broth. Make the day before then cook before your holiday meal. Gluten-free instructions included.
I share a lot of recipes here on Create Kids Club, but none quite as special to me as this stuffing recipe. This recipe is hands down my all-time favorite recipe. It’s the recipe my 3 siblings and I look most forward to at the holidays and the one we fight over who gets to take home the leftovers – so much that my mom has started doubling the stuffing just so we can ALL take leftovers home.
After many texts with my mom to get this recipe correct, I had to pick up the phone to have her walk me step by step through it. It’s a recipe that shows up just once or maybe twice a year in my family- Thanksgiving and sometimes Christmas. I’ve never actually made it myself, she is always the one to make the stuffing. I wanted to make sure I got her recipe just right for sharing.
Tips:
- If you’re looking for a low-fat recipe, this is not it. This recipe is a treat and it is packed full of flavor and fat.
- Buy the cheapest white bread at the store then spread it out on a baking sheet and let the bread dry for 1.5 – 2 days. This will help prevent soggy stuffing. If you are using gluten-free bread, I feel you. There is no such thing as cheap gluten-free bread. I save the ends or all those extra hole-filled pieces that you get through the course of the year. Keep them in the freezer to use for this recipe.
- Combine the recipe with your hands. Mix it really well making sure to get the bread blended with all the other ingredients.
- Make this recipe a day ahead. It helps the flavors to combine while saving you time the day of the meal.
- This recipe makes 20 servings. Make 1/2 batch or double the batch depending on the size of your holiday crowd.
Equipment
- roasting pan
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- liquid measuring cup
- medium-sized skillet
- large skillet
- spatula
Ingredients
- 2 loaves white bread let bread dry for 1-2 days
- 1 pound bacon, reserving grease use 6 pieces of bacon
- 1/2 stick butter
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 4 ribs celery, diced
- 1 pound ground chuck
- .5 pound Jimmy Dean sage pork sausage
- 2 sticks butter, melted
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1-cup milk
- 1-cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1-1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 3 large eggs, beaten
How To Make
Step 1. Cook the bacon.
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving the bacon grease.
Crumble 6 pieces of bacon for the recipe.
PRO TIP: You can store the extra bacon in the fridge to serve for breakfast the next day or freeze for another recipe.
Step 2. Prepare the Bread.
Take the dried bread and tear it into smaller pieces. Then, add all the bread pieces to a large roasting pan.
Step 3. Saute onions and celery.
Sautéing” is a cooking method that cooks the ingredient(s) quickly in a small amount of oil or fat. For this recipe, you will sauté onions and celery in butter.
Melt 1/2 a stick of butter over medium heat in a medium-sized skillet. Then, add the diced onion and celery and sauté until translucent (about 3-4 minutes). “Translucent” means that you should be able to almost see through the onions and celery. Stir – watching for the onions and celery to turn translucent while shrinking in size.
Step 4. Add the rest of the ingredients.
Add the following to the roasting pan:
- raw ground chuck
- raw ground pork
- cooked bacon
Pour the reserved bacon grease and melted butter on top. Then add:
- applesauce
- milk
- broth
- salt
- pepper
- celery salt
- onion powder
- poultry seasoning
- beaten eggs
Step 5. Blend well.
Using clean hands, blend the stuffing very well.
Then, cover the roasting pan. My mom recommends covering the roasting pan with tin foil. Place the pan in the refrigerator. Let the stuffing sit overnight – all the flavors will soak together.
Just thinking about this recipe is getting me excited for this years Thanksgiving meal. I can’t wait for you to taste this delicious stuffing!
Step 6. Bake.
On the day of your meal, uncover the stuffing. Then, bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Serve hot.
FAQ
Different families enjoy stuffing differently. Some like it dry, others like it on the runny side. To adjust the level of moisture, simply add more chicken broth. I always keep a few extra cartons on hand for the holidays.
You want the stuffing moist, not wet. If there is a pool of liquid at the bottom of your pan, it’s too wet. Simple add more dried bread to soak up some of the liquid.
More Holiday Recipes
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.
The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.
Make-Ahead Stuffing Recipe
Equipment
- liquid measuring cup
- medium-sized skillet
Ingredients
- 2 loaves white gluten-free bread let bread dry for 1-2 days
- 1 pound bacon, reserving grease ✅
- 1/2 stick butter
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 4 ribs celery, diced
- 1 pound ground chuck ✅
- .5 pound Jimmy Dean sage pork sausage ✅
- 2 sticks butter, melted
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup chicken broth ✅
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoon celery salt ✅
- 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder ✅
- 1 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning ✅
- 3 large eggs, beaten
Instructions
- ⭐️Cook the bacon. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving the bacon grease. Crumble 6 pieces of bacon for the recipe. You can freeze the rest for another recipe.1 pound bacon, reserving grease
- ⭐️Saute onions and celery. In a medium-sized skillet, melt 1/2 a stick of butter over medium heat. Add onions and celery and saute until translucent.1/2 stick butter, 2 medium onions, diced, 4 ribs celery, diced
- Prepare the Bread. Break the dried bread into smaller pieces. Add to a large roasting pan. Add the sauteed onions and celery.2 loaves white gluten-free bread
- Add the rest of the ingredients. Add the following to the roasting pan- raw ground chuck, raw ground pork, cooked bacon. Pour the reserved bacon grease and melted butter on top. Add applesauce, milk, broth, salt, pepper, celery salt, onion powder, poultry seasoning, and beaten eggs.1 pound bacon, reserving grease, 1 pound ground chuck, .5 pound Jimmy Dean sage pork sausage, 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1 cup milk, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoon celery salt, 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning, 3 large eggs, beaten, 2 sticks butter, melted
- ⭐️Blend well. Using clean hands, blend the stuffing very well. Cover and refrigerate.
- ⭐️Bake. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
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Deby says
Oh my gosh. Best stuffing ever. This one is a keeper.