Old Fashioned Sage Dressing is made with just 6 ingredients, it’s quick and simple with tons of flavor. A classic old-fashioned Thanksgiving dressing recipe that will quickly become a favorite. Includes gluten-free instructions.
Every family has their own take on dressing. When I first had Thanksgiving with my husband’s family, I fell in love with his mother’s dressing. It was so different than my mom’s make-ahead stuffing, yet delicious in its own way.
My mother-in-law is no longer with us, but her dressing recipe continues to appear every Thanksgiving and Christmas. My sister in laws take turns making this recipe each year.
How to Make
Just like any other recipe, start by gathering the equipment and ingredients. The first year I got the opportunity to make this old fashioned sage dressing, I was surprised at how simple it was to make. This recipe is made with only 6 ingredients!
Equipment
- cutting board
- chefs knife
- medium-sized skillet
- large pot
- stir spoon
- roasting pan
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2-4 ribs celery, diced
- 2 pounds ground chuck
- 12 cups chicken broth
- 2 sticks butter
- 3 bags Sage and Onion Bread Cubes
PRO TIP: This recipe makes 20 servings.
Watch the video for step-by-step instructions or follow the instructions below to learn how to make this tasty and simple Old Fashioned Sage Dressing!
Instructions:
Step 1. Preheat the oven.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 2. Prepare onions, celery, and beef.
To a medium-sized skillet, add the onions, celery, and beef. Cook together until beef is browned.
How to brown ground beef:
After the ground beef has been added to a skillet, use a spatula to carefully break up the meat into large chunks. Let the chunks of beef cook for approximately 1 minute. Then, break the chunks into smaller pieces and let cook for approximately 1 minute. Repeat the process of alternating between breaking up the ground beef and cooking for 1 minute until the ground beef is no longer pink. By the end, you will have successfully browned ground beef.
Step 3. Heat chicken broth with butter.
In a large pot, heat the chicken broth and butter until both sticks of butter are melted.
When I first made this recipe, I was shocked that this recipe required 12 cups of chicken broth… I am here to tell you then you really do need every last drop of the broth.
Dressing needs to be wet before it is put in the oven. This helps to prevent the dressing from being too dry once it’s cooked. We have all had a helping of dry dressing at a Thanksgiving meal. No need to worry about dry dressing with this recipe – just make sure to use the full 12 cups of broth.
Step 4. Mix ingredients together.
It is time to put everything together! Add the bread cubes to a large roasting pan. If you’re looking to make this gluten-free try using Aleia’s Gluten-free Savory Stuffing and just use the cubed bread part.
Then, pour the broth mixture over the bread. Lastly, add the cooked beef mixture and stir.
Which bread is best for dressing?
I find that bread cubes are the best to use for dressing because you can skip the step of drying out the bread. I even take it a step further and buy the bread cubes that are seasoned. It eliminates extra ingredients but not the flavor.
If you want to take the extra step of drying out the bread, I recommend using white bread.
Step 5. Bake.
Bake for 30-45 minutes or until bread is browned. Once cooked, do not over stir. Serve hot.
FAQ
The difference is the cooking method. Stuffing is cooked “stuffed” into another food like a turkey while dressing is cooked in a separate pan.
Yes! Store in a freezer-friendly container with a lid in the freezer. Frozen dressing will last up to 1-2 months.
Other Holiday Side Dishes To Serve with Old Fashioned Sage Dressing:
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.
Old Fashioned Sage Dressing
Equipment
- medium-sized skillet
- large pot
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2-4 ribs celery, diced
- 2 pounds ground chuck ✅
- 12 cups chicken broth ✅
- 2 sticks butter
- 3 bags Sage and Onion Bread Cubes or Aleia's gluten-free Savory
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- ⭐️Prepare onions, celery, and beef. Add onions, celery, and beef to a medium-sized skillet. Cook until beef is browned.1 large onion, diced, 2-4 ribs celery, diced, 2 pounds ground chuck
- ⭐️Heat chicken broth with butter. In a large pot, heat chicken broth and butter until butter is melted.12 cups chicken broth, 2 sticks butter
- Mix ingredients together. Add bread cubes to a roasting pan. Pour broth mixture over bread. Add beef mixture and stir.3 bags Sage and Onion Bread Cubes or Aleia's gluten-free Savory
- ⭐️Bake. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until bread is browned. Once cooked, do not over stir. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
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Sheri says
I lost my grandmothers recipe and when I saw this one I had to try it. It was very similar to the one I remember growing up with. Thanks for sharing!