Classic Thanksgiving Bread Dressing
A traditional bread dressing made with toasted baguette cubes, sautéed celery and onion, and savory herbs. Moist, buttery, and fragrant — the perfect side to pair with turkey and gravy.
Ingredients
- 10-12 cups cubed bread (dried out overnight or toasted in warm oven to remove moisture)
- ½-¾ cup butter
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 3-4 celery stalks (finely chopped)
- 8 oz water chestnuts (finely chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1½ tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp dried thyme or poultry seasoning
- 2–3 cups chicken stock
Instructions
- Prep the bread. Cut the bread into cubes and spread them in a thin layer on cookie sheets or baking pans. Leave them out to dry overnight, or pop them in a 300°F oven for 10–15 minutes until lightly crisp. The goal here is just to dry them out, not toast them.
- Sauté vegetables. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook until soft and fragrant, about 8–10 minutes.
- Add seasonings and water chestnuts. Stir in the sage, thyme, salt, and pepper, then add the chopped water chestnuts. Cook for another 2–3 minutes, stirring often, to let the flavors blend and the vegetables become fragrant.
- Combine. In a large bowl, mix the dried bread cubes, sautéed vegetables (with butter), chopped water chestnuts, salt, pepper, sage, and thyme. Gradually pour in broth, tossing gently until evenly moistened but not soggy.
- Bake. Transfer to a buttered baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15–20 minutes, until golden and lightly crisp on top.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Scaling: For a smaller batch, use 5–6 cups bread, half of the butter and vegetables, and 1–1½ cups broth. (Half a can of water chestnuts works perfectly.)
- Pan Size: Full recipe fills a 13×9-inch pan generously. Half batch fits an 8×8-inch dish.
- Texture Tip: The water chestnuts add subtle crunch without changing the soft, comforting feel — these are a family favorite that we highly recommend!
- Make Ahead: Assemble up to one day ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Bake just before serving.
- Bread Mix: You can use various kinds of bread. Sometimes we use a mix of white and wheat, and sometimes we cut up baguettes. The bread you choose will change the flavor and texture slightly, but the recipe will work well with any plain or savory bread.