Thanksgiving day is always hectic. So, why not make your holiday a little easier with this make-ahead side dish? This loaded veggie corn bread stuffing is chock-full of diced carrots, celery, and onion, with just the right amount of butter, cream, and chicken broth to make it extra flavorful and moist. And, by prepping the stuffing ahead of time, you’ll have more time to relax with your family and friends on the big turkey day.
Stuffing is a holiday side dish that almost everyone has an opinion about. Hell, there are those of us who get into a knock-down, drag-out fight just discussing whether or not it should be called stuffing or dressing. Some people like it with nuts or dried fruit, while others opt for diced fresh apples or pears folded into it instead. And then, of course, there are those who make it with either sausage or bacon. There are so many different ways to make it, and we haven’t even begun to talk about bread or seasoning choices yet. Basically, when it comes to stuffing, it’s pretty hard to make everyone happy, because each person has their own favorite version of this holiday side dish.
Today, I’m attempting to make everyone happy, with an unoffensive stuffing recipe without tons of crazy extra ingredients in it. Nope, you won’t find any truffle oil, parmesan cheese, or finely diced overly-expensive pancetta in this recipe. What you will find it, is lots and lots of veggies. You know, the kind of veggies that should be in Thanksgiving stuffing. Carrots, celery, and onion. And, I’ve kept the seasoning simple as well, which means you won’t have to rush to the market and buy tons of spices that you’ll never use again until next Thanksgiving. Honestly, this is pretty much a stuffing recipe that almost everyone will love. Now, you just need to decide whether or not you want to drench it in gravy.
Ingredients:
- 8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 3 Carrots, Peeled & Finely Diced
- 6 Celery Stalks, Finely Diced
- 1 Large Sweet Yellow Onion, Peeled & Finely Diced
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Parsley (Additional for Garnish)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper (Additional for Garnish)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Sea Salt (Additional for Garnish)
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 1/2 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 (12-oz.) Bag Corn Bread Stuffing
Directions:
- Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or stockpot.
- When the butter is melted, add the finely diced carrots, celery stalks, and onion. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the parsley, pepper, and salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the heavy whipping cream and broth. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Turn the heat off and add the corn bread stuffing. Stir well to combine and then allow to rest for 20 minutes.
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out mounds of stuffing and then place the mounds in a 9×13 glass baking dish. Lightly sprinkle the stuffing mounds with a bit of salt, pepper, and dried parsley.
- Cover with foil and freeze or refrigerate until use.
- If frozen, remove the stuffing the night before and allow it to defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the stuffing from the fridge an hour before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 to 20 minutes, or until golden.
Suggestions:
- I used Pepperidge Farm Corn Bread Classic Stuffing for this recipe. Around Thanksgiving, you can find it in most markets. It’s a nice neutral stuffing mix, without any offensive spices.
- Taste a little bit of the stuffing before sprinkling the top of the stuffing mounds with additional salt, pepper, and parsley. It will give you an idea of how much extra salt, pepper, and parsley to add.
- Do not place your baking dish in the oven straight from the refrigerator or freezer. You do not want your baking dish to explode.
- How long you bake your stuffing, will depend on how crispy you like it. I like my stuffing moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside, so I bake it longer. If you don’t like your stuffing crispy, you can just bake it covered for the initial 30 minutes without cooking it uncovered for any additional time.
- I suggest making this stuffing a day or two ahead of time if you plan on refrigerating it. If you make it more in advance, I suggest freezing it.
Improvements:
- Add browned crumbled sausage or crispy crumbled bacon to the stuffing.
- If you are a vegetarian, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
- Add dried cranberries or raisins to the stuffing.
- Fold a 1/4 cup of finely chopped pecans into the stuffing.
Ingredients:
- 8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 3 Carrots, Peeled & Finely Diced
- 6 Celery Stalks, Finely Diced
- 1 Large Sweet Yellow Onion, Peeled & Finely Diced
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Parsley (Additional for Garnish)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper (Additional for Garnish)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Sea Salt (Additional for Garnish)
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 1/2 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1 (12-oz.) Bag Corn Bread Stuffing
Directions:
- Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or stockpot.
- When the butter is melted, add the finely diced carrots, celery stalks, and onion. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the parsley, pepper, and salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the heavy whipping cream and broth. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Turn the heat off and add the corn bread stuffing. Stir well to combine and then allow to rest for 20 minutes.
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out mounds of stuffing and then place the mounds in a 9x13 glass baking dish. Lightly sprinkle the stuffing mounds with a bit of salt, pepper, and dried parsley.
- Cover with foil and freeze or refrigerate until use.
- If frozen, remove the stuffing the night before and allow it to defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Remove the stuffing from the fridge an hour before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 to 20 minutes, or until golden.
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