Stuffing--Back to Basics

Notes: This dressing/stuffing requires no turkey or chicken wings. And it's super tasty. Use a hearty white bread--we used a country white.

2023 Notes: Half recipe made. It only took about 40 minutes to brown the bread for a half recipe. Using a 8x8" pan, and the bread cubes don't spread out evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Lots of overlap. The bread got a little too brown so burned a little in the stuffing, so consider checking the bread at 40 minutes.  Baking the half recipe didn't take as long as the whole recipe needs. This year it took about 25 minutes instead of 35-40 minutes to reheat after preparing the previous day and after 10 minutes at temp, covered.

Ingredients 

2 pounds hearty white sandwich bread cut into 1/2-inch pieces 

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces 

4 onions, chopped fine 4 celery ribs, chopped fine 

4 teaspoons poultry seasoning 

1 ¾ teaspoons salt 

1 teaspoon pepper 

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth 

Instructions

1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. 

2. Divide bread between 2 rimmed baking sheets and bake until golden brown, 50 to 55 minutes, stirring bread and switching and rotating sheets halfway through. 

3. Cool completely on baking sheets, then transfer to large bowl.

4. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until butter is nutty brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Reserve 3 tablespoons browned butter in small bowl. 

5. Add onions and celery to skillet, increase heat to medium, and cook until browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add vegetable mixture to bowl with toasted bread.

6. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. 

7. Add 2 cups broth to now-empty skillet and cook over high heat, scraping up any browned bits, until reduced to 1 cup, 6 to 8 minutes. 

8. Combine reduced broth with remaining 4 cups broth and add to vegetable-bread mixture. Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring once. 

9. Transfer stuffing to 13 by 9-inch baking dish and press into even layer. Drizzle reserved browned butter evenly over top and bake on upper-middle rack until golden brown and crisp, 35 to 45 minutes. 

Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve.

To make Ahead: Stuffing without butter topping can be refrigerated in baking dish, covered with aluminum foil, for up to 1 day. To finish, remove foil, drizzle with melted reserved browned butter, re-cover, and bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake until stuffing is heated through and top is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.