A classic side dish for roast chicken or turkey is a bread stuffing, or dressing. This Baked Stuffing with Onion and Sage is a major crowd-pleaser and super easy to prep. You can freeze it for later so that holiday meal prep is stress-free.
Serve this Baked Stuffing alongside a Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast and Mushroom and Onion Gravy for a tasty holiday feast. Leftovers are good reheated the next day or baked with eggs for a fun breakfast hash.
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I never understood why Laura and Mary couldn’t agree. One insisted that Ma make the dressing with onion. The other demanded sage. The debate was so fierce, I think those Ingalls girls might have come to blows.
Girls, girls. Why not have both?
As a mom of many, I well understand the dilemma of trying to please all the people all the time.
Thankfully, when it comes to stuffing, there is a way to please the masses. My Baked Stuffing has both caramelized onions and sage — as well as celery, and a few other herbs to liven things up.
And while my children cannot agree on a dessert, they all agree on this recipe. You know what that means, don’t you?
Yes, my friends, I have solved the quandary that dear Caroline couldn’t!
Why Make This
Baked Stuffing is safer. Since there is a risk of salmonella poisoning in cooking the stuffing inside a turkey or chicken, baking the stuffing allows you the peace of mind that it’s completely safe.
This Baked Stuffing recipe is super easy to make. It takes a little time investment in terms of sautéing a generous amount of onions and celery in butter, but that investment is well worth it. The dish mixes up quickly and bakes beautifully in the oven!
You can freeze it. Yep, you can freeze this baked stuffing, prior to baking or even afterward to save leftovers. This recipe makes a bulk batch, so feel free to divide it into smaller portions if you aren’t feeding a crowd.
Everyone loves it. This is my kids’ favorite and most oft-requested dish at the holidays. Six kids of varying degrees of persnicketiness? There’s all the proof you need.
You can customize Baked Stuffing. Whether you stir in some extra mix-ins, like fruit or nuts, or bake the stuffing in muffin tins, this recipe allows all kinds of customization to please everyone at your table.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need for Baked Stuffing with Onion and Sage:
butter – Butter adds delicious flavor to Baked Stuffing at the same time as providing a medium for sautéing the onion and celery. You can use margarine, a plant-based butter, or cooking oil if you prefer.
onion – I like to use brown onion in my Baked Stuffing, but you can also use white onion, shallots, or leeks.
celery – Celery adds both texture and flavor to your baked stuffing. You can omit it if you like or substitute another favorite vegetable.
salt and black pepper – Add salt and pepper generously and taste the stuffing while you’re mixing it to adjust the seasoning to your liking.
dry stuffing mix – You won’t find many boxed mixes on Good Cheap Eats, but this Baked Stuffing comes together super quickly if you use a box of dried bread cubes, such as Mrs. Cubbison’s. You can also cut bread cubes yourself, but you’ll need to lightly toast the cubes prior to assembling the stuffing.
fresh parsley – While you can use dried parsley (you’ll need ⅓ cup) if you like, fresh parsley makes a big difference to the flavor and texture of Baked Stuffing. While I use other dried herbs as a money-saving hack, I find that adding in chopped fresh parsley (which is very affordable) adds a fresh, bright green element to the dish and counterbalances the dried herbs.
dried herbs: rubbed sage, tarragon, rosemary, thyme – This is a delicious combination of herbs to go in Baked Stuffing. If you don’t have all four, you can add a little more of the others to compensate. If you have access to fresh herbs, use three times the amount called for in the recipe.
stock or broth – You can use homemade chicken stock as well as vegetable or turkey stock. You can even use a little wine or juice for some of the liquid in the recipe, not all, just about ¼ to ½ cup.
Variations
There are so many things you can add to Baked Stuffing. Feel free to stir in any of the following mix-ins:
- chopped nuts or seeds
- dried cranberries or raisins
- chopped dried apricots
- chopped pineapple, apple, or pear
- cooked and crumbled sausage
- cooked and chopped bacon
- finely chopped and sautéed mushrooms
- cooked and chopped giblets
- diced and cooked carrots, bell pepper, or squash
To make this vegetarian: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
To make this vegan: Use vegetable broth for the chicken broth and oil or a plant-based butter for the dairy butter.
Step-by-Step Instructions
What makes this good are the layers of flavor and a good bread vehicle for soaking them all up. Here’s how to make Baked Stuffing with Onions and Sage:
- Melt the butter in a heavy pot. Add the onion and celery. Cook the onions and celery until they are very tender, a bit jammy, and lightly browned in spots.
- In a very large mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, sautéed vegetables, herbs, and fresh chopped parsley. Stir well to combine.
- Add enough chicken stock or broth until the bread is moist but not soggy. Taste as you go.
- Spoon the stuffing into a greased dish and bake.
For softer textured stuffing, cover for at least part of the baking time.
For crispy baked stuffing, do not cover while baking.
For extremely crispy baked stuffing, spoon the mixture into muffin pans and bake until very crisp.
Freezing Instructions
This recipe for Baked Stuffing with Onions and Sage freezes very well. For years I’ve made my stuffing far in advance of the holidays so as to free up my time in the kitchen closer to the holiday.
This particular recipe makes a bulk batch, making it a perfect candidate for freezing. Bake one pan and freeze the other pan for another time.
- Simply prep the dish, but do not bake it. Cover, label, and chill if the ingredients are still warm.
- Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To use: Thaw in the refrigerator and then adjust the seasonings/add more broth, if needed. Then bake according to the recipe.
FAQs
At its most basic, stuffing includes dry bread, butter, stock or broth, and seasonings. You’ll find many recipes that include mix-ins such as cooked vegetables, sausage, fruit, and nuts.
Traditionally stuffing was the bread mixture that was placed inside the turkey or chicken before it was cooked. The juices of the bird would add extra flavor and moisture to the mixture. Dressing, on the other hand, was that same bread mixture baked in a dish and served alongside the roast turkey.
In the last couple decades, concerns over food safety have arisen over food-borne illness resulting from stuffing that contained undercooked poultry juices.
It’s recommended not to stuff the bird unless you follow some extra precautions and cook the stuffing thoroughly. Even though you don’t stuff the bird, many people still call this stuffing.
Whether you cover it while baking is purely a matter of personal preference. My mom and husband prefer very crispy dressing (uncovered) while the rest of us prefer softer dressing (covered). If yours is a house divided, then do what I do. Cover half the dish with aluminum foil and leave the other half uncovered.
While I generally don’t use boxed products in my recipes, in this instance I like to lean on Mrs. Cubbison’s dry bread stuffing. It saves the time I might spend chopping and drying bread. You can totally make this recipe with your own bread cubes, just adjust the liquid you add if your bread isn’t incredibly dry. You don’t want soggy stuffing.
Recipe Costs
Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.
- butter – $0.50
- onion – $2.00
- celery – $1.00
- seasonings – $0.30
- dry stuffing mix such as Mrs. Cubbison’s – $4.00
- fresh parsley – $0.50
- chicken stock – $2.00
While your costs may vary depending on where and how you shop, you can expect to pay about $9.30 for a double batch of Baked Stuffing, about $0.47/serving.
More Great Holiday Dishes
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Baked Stuffing with Onion and Sage
Equipment
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- wooden spoon
- heavy stockpot
- glass measuring cup
- 9×13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 6 onion chopped (about 6 cups)
- 7 ribs celery chopped (about 4 cups)
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 12-ounce packages stuffing mix such as Mrs. Cubbison's
- 1 cup parsley (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 cup chicken stock or vegetable broth
Instructions
- In a large heavy pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and celery and saute until very tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The vegetables will break down and start to brown a bit. This process may take up to 15 minutes or longer.
- Empty the bags of stuffing mix into a large mixing bowl. Add the vegetable mixture as well as the parsley, sage, tarragon, rosemary, and thyme. Stir gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the stock, a cup at a time, until the stuffing is barely moistened.
- Grease two 9×13-inch baking dishes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Divide the mixture between the two pans. Bake for 45 minutes and then uncover to brown and crispen the top, according to your preferences.
Notes
- chopped nuts or seeds
- dried cranberries or raisins
- chopped dried apricots
- chopped pineapple, apple, or pear
- cooked and crumbled sausage
- cooked and chopped bacon
- finely chopped and sautéed mushrooms
- cooked and chopped giblets
- diced and cooked carrots, bell pepper, or squash
Nutrition
This post was originally published November 22, 2019. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Sue
I always put eggs in mine. Wil this make a difference??
Jessica Fisher
Hey Sue, I have never put eggs in mine, so I don’t know what the difference would be. I would suggest comparing the liquids here to what you normally do and adjust accordingly.
Jodi
Do you think it would work with gluten free stuffing mixes?
Jessica Fisher
I am not sure yet. I’m going to test a small batch of this with gf bread that I will cube and toast/dry out in the oven. Only one of us eats gf so it’s not cost effective for me to make a lot. I will report back asap.
Jeanne
Are the spices ground or leaves?
Jessica Fisher
Dried rosemary, tarragon, and thyme leaves. Rubbed sage is powdered.