Turkey Dressing is an almost obligatory side item to serve with Thanksgiving Dinner. This dressing is made with homemade Italian and French Breads, Skillet Cornbread, and of course, Turkey Stock made from scratch. It has a great texture, lovely herby flavor, and pairs perfectly with Roasted or Smoked Turkey Breast, and especially with homemade Turkey Gravy ladled on top. It is a Thanksgiving tradition that I know your family and friends will love.
Turkey Dressing Recipe
Turkey Dressing
Equipment
- 2 casserole dishes 8" x 10"
- large bowl
- large spoon
- large ladle
- large skillet
- cutting board
- kitchen knife
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Italian Bread – made in advance
- 1 loaf French Bread – made in advance
- 1 loaf Skillet Cornbread – made in advance
- 6 cups Turkey stock – made in advance
- ½ cup butter
- 1 onion – 1 large or 2 medium, diced
- 5 stalks celery – diced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ bunch Italian parsley – chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary – finely minced
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp ground thyme
Instructions
- Bake the Italian bread (see recipe).1 loaf Italian Bread
- Bake the French bread (see recipe).1 loaf French Bread
- Bake the Skillet Cornbread (see recipe).1 loaf Skillet Cornbread
- Make the Turkey Stock (see recipe).6 cups Turkey stock
- Slice the Italian bread into ¾ inch slices, then remove the crust. Cut the Italian bread, French bread, and Cornbread into ¾ inch cubes. Set into casserole dishes or sheet pans, cover with a towel, and leave out for 24 – 48 hours until they are dry and crisp.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.1/2 cup butter
- Add the onions and celery, stir until well coated in melted butter.1 onion, 5 stalks celery
- Sauté for 3 – 4 minutes, or until onions and celery are soft.
- Add the salt, pepper, parsley, rosemary, basil and thyme.1/2 bunch Italian parsley, 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp ground thyme
- Stir to incorporate, and sauté for a minute or until aromatic.
- Preheat the turkey stock then add to the hot skillet with the vegetables.
- Stir to incorporate. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Toss all of the bread cubes together in a large bowl. Slowly ladle in the broth mixture, tossing as you go until your desired moisture level is achieved. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- I will typically use the entire batch of broth, because some moisture is lost during the upcoming baking step. Make sure the dressing is evenly moistened, and the herbs are evenly distributed.
- Pour the contents of the bowl into one or two large casserole pans, and spread out evenly in the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Bake the stuffing for 20 to 30 minutes until the top is golden brown and crispy.
- Serve hot, or keep covered with foil in the warm oven until ready to serve.
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
Plan in Advance
This Turkey Dressing brings together several other made-from-scratch ingredients, including Italian Bread, French Bread, Skillet Cornbread, and Turkey Stock. It’s easy to prepare, but the ingredients do take time to make in advance. So, plan accordingly. You will want to start making your breads and cornbread at least a few days in advance.
Freeze in Advance
The good news is that each of these ingredients freeze well, so they could be made well in advance. Just put them into vacuum seal bags, and freeze them until you are ready to use them.
Turkey Stock
I love making turkey sandwiches, such as my Cranberry Turkey Melt. I also like smoking meats. This creates a great opportunity to make Turkey Stock in advance.
I may make Smoked Turkey Breast in the middle of summer, when turkey prices are their lowest. Walmart sells turkey breast on the bone – basically a whole turkey with the legs and wings removed. I’ll spatchcock the turkey then fillet the breasts from the bones. After removing the breasts, I will use the leftover carcass to make stock.
Both smoked turkey breast and turkey stock can be frozen for later use. Just seal them in a vacuum bag, label and freeze. I’ll drop the sealed vacuum bags containing the turkey and stock into a large stock-pot of simmering water. After about 30 minutes, they will be hot and ready to use. They will taste almost as good as they day you made them!
Fresh Herbs
I love cooking with garden fresh herbs and vegetables. When I make Turkey Dressing, I will use fresh garden sage, rosemary, basil, thyme, and parsley. Unfortunately, Thanksgiving falls in late November, which is pretty cold where I’m from. A light freeze will kill most garden herbs, so it does present a challenge, For this reason, I grow my herbs in planters that can be relocated inside, in a window sill, where I can keep them alive until they are needed.
Store-bought Ingredients
You can of-course use store bought breads, stock, and herbs. But, what is the fun in that? I guarantee it will taste much better if you make everything from scratch, but I also guarantee your guests wont mind if you don’t.
Related Recipes
Italian Bread
French Baguettes
Turkey Stock
Turkey Gravy
Perfect Mashed Potatoes
Fancy Green Beans
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