7 Stuffing Recipes—the Real Star of Thanksgiving


Hi Reader,

Come on, 'fess up. You think that stuffing is the star of Thanksgiving dinner. I know I certainly do.

Sure, turkey is great. Smothered in gravy, it's even better. But it's the carb-loading of stuffing that makes me oh so happy on Turkey Day.

I love it so much that in my cookbook, The New Portuguese Table, I offer up two stuffings for Thanksgiving. You'll find both at the bottom of this newsletter.

Also, some of you were asking more about turkey stock. Here's a video I made a few years ago. I didn't have a recipe. I bought some turkey necks and chicken gizzards and tossed in stuff from the fridge and pantry. A great stock is really that easy.
​

video preview​

My Best Thanksgiving
Stuffing Recipes

​Stuffing with Bacon, Apples, and Onions​

This stuffing with bacon, apples, sage, and onions is classic Thanksgiving fare and can be cooked inside or outside the turkey.
​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Wild Mushroom Stuffing​

The One and I love this so much, we make it all autumn and winter. Earthy flavors combine with slightly sweet brioche bread to create this beautiful brioche and wild mushroom stuffing.
​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Sourdough Dressing with Sausage and Prunes​

This sourdough dressing with sausage and prunes pairs pork with prunes for a savory and sweet side that goes well with Thanksgiving turkey.
​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Herbed Bread and Celery Stuffing​

This herbed bread and celery stuffing, made with celery, onion, thyme, basil, and parsley, is a sort of basic blank canvas of a stuffing that will satisfy you as-is or make a terrific foundation for your other embellishments. Lovely with chicken as well as turkey.
​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Homemade Cornbread Sausage Dressing​

This homemade cornbread sausage dressing is southern style Thanksgiving in a dish. Homemade cornbread is tossed with pork sausage, onions, celery, chicken stock, and herbs and baked until crisp on the surface, soul-satisfyingly tender underneath. Thanksgiving comfort food.
​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Roast Turkey with Stuffing and Vegetables​

We stuff our turkey with a simple bread stuffing flavored with lots of herbs, sauteed onions, garlic, and crunchy celery and surround it with chunks of peeled carrots, parsnips, and onions.
​☞ ​Try this recipe​

​Portuguese Turkey with Two Stuffings​

Portuguese turkey with two stuffings is a duet of beloved and traditional Portuguese stuffings: a chouriço-bread dressing with spicy sausage, onions, garlic, crushed red pepper, and paprika and another dressing with sweet sausage, potato, butter, nutmeg, and spices.
​☞ ​Try this recipe​

Leite's Culinaria

Why, hello! Leite's Culinaria is the James Beard Award-winning site that helps home cooks and bakers put dinner on the table and laughs in the kitchen. Hungry for more? Join 40,000 food lovers and subscribe.

Read more from Leite's Culinaria

Hi Reader, I have a particular weakness for pork because it is never expected to be fancy. Beef comes with expectations. Lamb needs watching. Pork just needs time and salt.One of my favorite sounds in the kitchen is the first crackle of a pork shoulder hitting a hot Dutch oven. It's the opening act to a meal that won't be rushed. By the time it comes out, the meat collapses under a fork, and everyone who came in "just to say hello" is still standing suspiciously close to the pot.Nobody is...

Hi Reader, I have enormous respect for people who can casually whip up a layer cake on a Tuesday night.I am not one of those people.For me, a layer cake is an event. It begins with clearing the kitchen counters as though I'm preparing for surgery. Every ingredient gets lined up with military precision. Butter softens. Eggs come to room temperature. Cake pans are buttered with a level of devotion normally reserved for newborns.Then comes the part that humbles everyone.Will the layers release...

Hi Reader, I'll admit it: Mushrooms and I got off to a rocky start.As a kid, they came from little cans, already sliced into pale, rubbery coins that squeaked when you bit into them. The person responsible for that introduction should've been sentenced to peeling shallots for eternity.Then, years later, I tasted a pan of properly browned mushrooms.Not steamed. Not crowded into a skillet until they went gray and wet. Properly browned.The edges were crisp and the centers were almost meaty....