I love stuffing and my potato bread stuffing is one of the best Iโve ever had. Itโs also one of the easiest side dishes you can make and will elevate a weeknight meal of roast chicken into a meal to remember!
Stuffing is the perfect side dish to compliment turkey or roast chicken. And I promise youโll have lots of smiles around the dinner table when they see youโve made stuffing for dinner!
As a kid I remember how much I looked forward to Thanksgiving, not only for the turkey but for the stuffing. It was one of the few times a year my father cooked, and the old man knew how to make stuffing! And in those wonderful days of yester-year, we cooked our stuffing inside the turkey and it was the best Iโve ever had.
But now we know why it was so good, it sucks a lot of the moisture (and flavor) out of the turkey. Thatโs why a stuffed turkey is often dry and overcooked. And the really bad news is, it puts us at risk for foodborne illness.
The longer it takes the turkey to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees gives bacteria more time to multiply. And that means that uncle Sal (salmonella) might be paying you and your guests an unexpected holiday visit, which will definitely put a damper on the festivities.
Ingredients to make Potato Bread Stuffing
Letโs start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Potato Bread Stuffing. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Do I have to use mushrooms in my stuffing?
No, you donโt. We love mushrooms and they blend really well in the stuffing mixture?
How to make Potato Bread Stuffing
Itโs really pretty easy to make stuffing. With just a little prep and your homemade potato bread stuffing will be ready for the oven.
- The first step is slicing the mushrooms, then dicing the onions and celery.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the veggies.
- Cook the veggies for 3-4 minutes or until they are somewhat soft.
What else can I add to my stuffing?
These are some of the additions you can add to your stuffing.
- giblets
- sausage
- bacon
- fresh herbs
- raisins or craisins
- oysters
Cooking should be about what you enjoy eating and what your family enjoys. I wonโt suggest experimenting at Thanksgiving, but trying different types of stuffing during the year will be a delicious way to try new flavors.
Do I have to use potato bread to make stuffing?
No, you donโt. You can use your favorite bread to make your stuffing. I do like using the bread cubes, it makes a more uniform stuffing and potato bread cubes are more like fresh bread. If you want a more rustic-looking stuffing use french bread or rolls and cut it up into irregularly shaped cubes.
**If you do use a stuffing like Pepperidge Farm, you may need more stock to reconstitute the dry cubes.
The next step in making our stuffing is to add the cooked celery, onions, mushrooms and all the liquid from the pan to the potato bread cubes. Next, mix the poultry seasoning into your stock and add the stock to the stuffing mixture, mix well.
**Donโt add all the stock, reserve half a cup, adding it only after checking the consistency of the stuffing. The stuffing mix should be wet, but not soggy!
Pour the stuffing into your baking pan. For this size recipe I used an 9 x 9 inch glass baking dish. Cover the pan with non-stick foil and bake at 350 degrees for 75-90 minutes. If you like a crispy top on your stuffing, remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking. I like my stuffing soft and moist so I donโt uncover my stuffing.
** Donโt use a baking pan that is too large. You donโt want a thin layer of stuffing, it should be 2+ inches deep.
I like my stuffing on the softer side, moist and flavorful. You should get a hint of butter and a light taste of poultry seasoning. The idea is to get all the ingredients working together, none overpowering the others.
My basic recipe is for a 10-12 pound turkey. For a 20-pound turkey, I make 3 times my basic recipe so I have plenty of leftovers!
Pam
Chef Dennis,
I am going to make this stuffing with extra mushrooms and also make the cranberry sauce as I donโt like meat.
Thank you for the sugar substitute suggestions on the cranberry sauce โ I am not a big sugar or salt eater.
Have a wonderful holiday!!!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen
This dish looks amazing. I wish I could eat that right now!
Swathi
Potato Bread stuffing sounds delicious I am going to try it for this Thanksgiving. I havenโt tried potato in bread stuffing.
Terra
Chef Dennis, You ALWAYS have the best recipes. I donโt know how you do it, but this stuffing is full of Umami, and perfect with gravy. SO GOOD!
Rosey
This stuffing does sound good. We usually only have it at Thanksgiving, how silly of us. I smiled at your memory of your dad cooking for Thanksgiving. The same was true in our houseโฆone of the only times in the year as well, that it wasnโt mom or grandma in the kitchen. ๐
Kathy
This looks so good. I love stuffing. Itโs one of my favorite side dishes for Thanksgiving. I would love to try your recipe too.
Lynndee
I love anything with potatoes in it. That looks delicious. I canโt wait to give it a try.
Gervin Khan
The recipe looks astonishing, love the texture of the different ingredients plus the color it giving makes this enticing.
Tasheena
I never tried potato bread stuffing before. Looking forward to trying this recipe.
Nancy at Whispered Inspirations
Stuffing is my absolute holiday fave, now potato bread? This is genius. YUM.
Nikki Wayne
Thanks for the recipe,I love potato bread so much.
Danielle
This looks delicious! I need something to bring to my familyโs side on Thursday. Figured that out now!
Natalie
I will have to try this using vegetable stock to make it veg-friendly! This made me crave stuffing so bad!
Heather
I usually use rye bread for our stuffing, but potato bread sounds like such a refreshing change!
Beth
Stuffing is my favorite Thanksgiving dish! This looks a lot like what we make, Iโll have to try adding mushrooms!