This really is The Best Stuffing Recipe Ever. It's full of sweet cranberries and apricots, crunchy walnuts, mushrooms, onion, and celery. The veggies keep this stuffing perfectly moist without ever becoming soggy. It's our family's go-to Christmas and Thanksgiving stuffing recipe!

A close up shot of The Best Stuffing Recipe Ever.

This is the Thanksgiving stuffing recipe we have been making for years. I know that claiming that it is the best stuffing recipe ever is quite a gigantic claim, but it's 100% true. Seriously, it's the best.

When I first shared this recipe with you back in 2012, it was my handsome man who made it for me. Since then, it's become our go-to stuffing recipe. I have a feeling that once you try it, you'll make it for all your turkey dinners.

Why this is the best stuffing recipe:

  • The bread is always perfectly moist. It's never dry. It's never soggy. All this perfectness is thanks to our friend, mushrooms. They release their moisture as the stuffing cooks which means that you don't need to pour tons of stock over the stuffing risking making it soggy.
  • Apricots and cranberries. They take first place in the reasons I love this stuffing recipe list. They add just the right bit of sweetness and go so well with a big turkey dinner.
  • Walnuts! And pine nuts! They soften when cooked and give a great bite to the stuffing.
  • It's so ridiculously easy to make. Toss everything together in your biggest bowl then pack it into your casserole dish.
  • It's totally make-ahead-able. I know that oven space is at a premium at holiday feasts so the less time something has to spend in the oven, the better. This stuffing can be partially pre-cooked then finished with the bird comes out of the oven. #win
All the ingredients to make The Best Stuffing Recipe Ever in a glass bowl.

See that bowl filled to the brim with all the ingredients for this bread stuffing? Please don't copy that picture. Be smart and choose a MUCH larger bowl.

You'll want room to mix everything together without spilling half the ingredients. Trust me on this one!

In many ways, this is very similar to an old fashioned bread stuffing recipe. There are lots of onions and celery, poultry seasoning and pepper. And (obviously) bread. Kind of hard to make bread stuffing without that one important ingredient!

A plate of Thanksgiving dinner with The Best Stuffing Recipe Ever on it.

What takes this from traditional to the best stuffing recipe are the nuts and fruit. Two simple additions that rock the stuffing.

Once you try them in this stuffing recipe you'll seriously wonder how you ever ate stuffing any other way.

If you're making stuffing to go with your Christmas dinner this year, I beg you to make this one. It really is the best stuffing recipe ever.

Also, does anyone not make stuffing to go with their Christmas or Thanksgiving turkey? That thought has me a little worried.

The Best Stuffing Recipe Ever in a casserole dish with a wooden spoon taking out a spoonful.

Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes:

Looking down at The Best Stuffing Recipe Ever on a black table with a glass of red wine and a plate of Thanksgiving dinner beside it.

The Best Stuffing Recipe Ever

Yield: 6 – 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 50 mins
This really is The Best Stuffing Recipe Ever. It's full sweet cranberries and apricots, crunchy walnuts, mushrooms, onion, and celery. The veggies keep this stuffing perfect moist without ever becoming soggy. It's our family's go-to Thanksgiving and Christmas stuffing recipe!

If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!

4.86 stars (34 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 4 cups white bread, cut into bite sized cubes (sub your favorite gluten-free bread, if needed)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
  • 1 Ā½ cups mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
  • Ā½ cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup walnut halves
  • Ā½ cup pine nuts, or add more walnuts
  • Ā¼ cup olive oil
  • 1-2 tablespoons poultry seasoning

Instructions 

  • To make the stuffing: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. That's it, seriously!
    4 cups white bread, 1 onion, 2 stalks celery, 1 Ā½ cups mushrooms, 1 cup dried apricots, Ā½ cup dried cranberries, 1 cup walnut halves, Ā½ cup pine nuts, Ā¼ cup olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
  • To cook the stuffing: 1. Either stuff the cavity of the turkey before you roast it in your oven. Remember that a stuffed turkey will take a little longer to cook.
  • Or 2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place stuffing in a lightly greased ovenproof dish and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until the bread is soft and the veggies are cooked. It is good if the vegetables still have a little crunch.

Notes

To make bread crumbs:

  1. Lay bread cubes on 2 large baking sheets and set aside for 2 days. Gently toss after the first day to make sure they are drying evenly.

OR

  1. To speed up the drying process, put the bread cubes on baking sheets in your oven at the lowest temp. This will take about an hour. Watch them closely though, you don't want to make toast.

To make this stuffing ahead of time:

Bake the stuffing for 30 minutes then remove it from the oven. Leave the stuffing on your counter and once the turkey comes out of the oven, put the stuffing back in for 15 minutes.
Serving: 1 serving = ā…› of the recipe, Calories: 363kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 157mg, Potassium: 464mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 650IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 77mg, Iron: 3mg
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