Paula Deen Turkey / Chicken Stuffing

Paula Deen Turkey / Chicken Stuffing is a buttery, old-school bread dressing with just eight ingredients and about an hour of your time. It feeds 6 from a loaf pan or 12 when you triple it for a turkey. This is the kind of side that anchors a Thanksgiving table or a Sunday roast.

The butter is what makes or breaks this recipe. Paula melts a full half pound with the onions and lets the celery soften in it before tossing the torn bread through. That fat coats every piece of bread, which is how the stuffing stays moist inside and gets a light crust on top.

You can prep the bread mixture a day ahead and refrigerate it before adding the eggs. Let it cool fully before cracking them in, or the eggs will cook on contact and the texture goes wrong. Pour stock over the pan right before baking to keep the center from drying out.

Paula Deen Turkey / Chicken Stuffing

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Course: Side DishCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Calories

500

kcal

A traditional Southern bread dressing where torn white bread is tossed through melted butter with sauteed onions and celery, bound with beaten eggs, and baked at 350 degrees until golden. Scales easily from a loaf pan for chicken to a full batch for turkey.

Ingredients

• 1 loaf fresh (3 for a turkey) white bread
  

• 1 small bunch diced (2 with turkey) celery
  

• 1 large diced (3 for turkey) onion
  

• 2 large (up to 8 for turkey) eggs
  

• 1 large pinch salt
  

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  

• 1/2 lb (add 1/2 lb for turkey) unsalted butter
  

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup (optional) fresh turkey stock

Directions

• Preheat the oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees (if cooking in loaf pan).
• Cook the onions: In large stockpot, melt butter. Stir in chopped onions, salt and pepper and cook until onions are translucent.
• Add the celery and bread: Add celery and cook over low heat until just tender. Tear loaf of bread into pieces and add to stockpot with onion mixture and toss well until mixed.
• Cool the mixture: Turn off heat and allow to cool, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the eggs: Crack eggs into mixture and use hands to toss well. Make sure the mixture is wet. Add more eggs if needed.
• Pack and add stock: Pack cooled mixture tightly if stuffing a bird. A loaf pan can be used. After packing dressing into loaf pan pierce with a knife and pour chicken or turkey stock over dressing 1/4 to 1/2 cup per loaf pan.
• Bake: Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Tools for this recipe

• Kirecoo 12-quart stainless steel stock pot, USA Pan 1-pound loaf pan, Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef's knife. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can you use cornbread instead of white bread?

You can, but the texture will be drier and crumblier. Paula calls for white bread because it tears into soft pieces that soak up the butter evenly. If you swap in cornbread, add an extra egg and a little more stock to hold it together.

How do you keep the stuffing from drying out?

The stock poured over the pan right before baking is what keeps the center moist. Pierce the top with a knife so the liquid soaks all the way down. If it starts browning too fast, cover it with foil for the last 10 minutes.

Can you make this stuffing the day before?

You can prep everything up to the point of adding the eggs and refrigerate it overnight. Add the eggs and stock the next day, right before baking. Do not add the eggs the night before or the bread will get too soggy.

Why do you have to let the mixture cool before adding the eggs?

If the bread mixture is still hot from the butter and sauteed vegetables, the eggs will scramble on contact. That gives the stuffing a grainy, lumpy texture instead of a smooth bind. Fifteen to twenty minutes of cooling is enough.

How long does leftover stuffing keep in the fridge?

It keeps well for 3 to 4 days in a sealed container. Reheat it in a 325 degree oven with a splash of stock and a foil cover so it does not dry out. Paula's test kitchen also found the dressing tastes better when you separate the oil from the stock before adding it to the pan.