The 7 Best Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes

Since stuffing is the only thing your heart desires for Thanksgiving, here are 7 recipes to choose from.

Nov 8, 2024 - 23:07
The 7 Best Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes
Overhead view of a dutch oven with turkey dressing inside and a red linen next to it.
Annika Panikker

Would you be happy with a stuffing-only Thanksgiving? Me too. It's so easy to get the perfect bite of many textures and flavors, stuffing never feels old. Here are 7 stuffing recipes, from classics that are decades old and modern twists with kimchi to a recipe made in the slow cooker to free up oven space.

1. Thanksgiving Stuffing with Sausage and Apples

Thanksgiving stuffing
Alison Bickel

Contributor Summer Miller says, "Give me a plate filled with toasty cubed bread, diced celery, onions, sausage, apples, and, of course, sage, and I’m in flavor-blasting heaven. I’ll eat it all with absolutely no regrets."

2. Kimchi Stuffing

Overhead view of kimchi stuffing in a casserole dish.
Alison Bickel

Contributor Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee says, "I typically make the recipe with stale French or sourdough bread, torn or cut into chunks and mixed with chopped kimchi, onions, celery, walnuts, and garlic, baked until a little brown and crispy on top. It’s a beautiful combination of spicy and tangy, nutty, and aromatic all at once."

3. Vegan Mushroom Stuffing

Casserole Dish of Vegan Mushroom Stuffing
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Contributor Devan Grimsrud says, "Loaded with classic stuffing aromatics—onion, celery, garlic, and herbs—it gets the majority of its flavor and texture from a mix of mushrooms."

4. Mom's Stovetop Turkey Stuffing

Overhead view of a dutch oven with turkey dressing inside and a red linen next to it.
Annika Panikker

Simply Recipes Founder Elise Bauer says, "This is my grandmother's recipe, which my mother has been using to make our Thanksgiving turkey stuffing for more than 40 years."

5. Slow Cooker Stuffing

Slow Cooker Stuffing on a Spoon with More in the Background
Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

Contributor Nick Evans says, "I’m a bit of a wild man when it comes to stuffing. I like to add the classic ingredients like good bread, celery, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs, but I also add some sausage to mine for extra savory notes. To balance it out I l add some dried fruit (cranberries) and fresh fruit (diced apple)."

6. Sausage, Sage, and Cornbread Stuffing

Sage Sausage Stuffing in a pan ready for the oven
Elizabeth Stark

Contributor Elizabeth Stark says, "This stuffing ends up closer to a classic Thanksgiving bread stuffing than a true Southern-style cornbread stuffing, but with flavors and ingredients that everyone can enjoy."

7. Chicken Stuffing Casserole

Chicken stuffing casserole.
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

Contributor Liz Tarpy says, "This chicken stuffing casserole has two layers: A creamy filling made with chicken and a trio of onions, carrots, and peas tossed in an easy homemade béchamel sauce. It’s topped with a Thanksgiving-inspired stuffing of toasted bread, celery, onions, and fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme."