Baked Herb Stuffing

The beauty of this herb stuffing recipe is its unabashed ease: Rather than dice up a loaf of fresh bread just to dry it out, you’ll start with packaged dried bread stuffing mix, which is already loaded with flavorful dried herbs. Instead of following the package directions, you’ll zhuzh things up with a pinch more dried sage, plus fresh parsley, celery, and plenty of melted butter. Of course, this is your Thanksgiving stuffing, so if you want more add-ins, go for it, sauté some mushrooms along with the celery and onions, or toss in a handful of dried cranberries and toasted pecans. Add a sprig of fresh thyme or fresh rosemary on top while it bakes, both for decoration and to perfume the whole house. You can also scroll down to find suggestions for a sausage and sage variation, as well as one with dried apricots and toasted pecans.

This herb stuffing was developed to fill a 12-pound turkey, as in our Classic Stuffed Turkey With Old-Fashioned Gravy, but it also works well baked in a large skillet or covered casserole to serve as a holiday side dish. Garnish the pan with whatever fresh herbs you have on hand (a combination of parsley and fresh sage is particularly nice) and serve with a big boat of our very best turkey gravy.