Food Holidays & Occasions Thanksgiving 21 Earthy Dressing and Stuffing Recipes Bake a stuffing or dressing that will steal the show in your Thanksgiving spread. By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 11, 2023 Trending Videos Photo: Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee Whether you're a Thanksgiving stuffing traditionalist or need a new family side dish, Food & Wine's stuffing recipes are ideal for any holiday dinner. Find something vegetarian-friendly, quick and easy, or indulgently delicious (we're partial to bacon). From classic sausage-and-bread stuffing to upgrades that use tarragon, prosciutto, and cranberries, these Thanksgiving stuffing recipes will become family and friend favorites. 01 of 21 Rustic Bread Stuffing with Swiss Chard and Chestnuts David Malosh Swiss chard lends a pleasant earthiness to this hearty vegetarian stuffing; meaty chestnuts add texture and richness. Get the Recipe 02 of 21 Pastrami and Rye Stuffing Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Earthy rye, smoky and meaty pastrami, sweet onions, and sharp mustard round out the layers of flavor in this deeply savory, deli-inspired stuffing. Get the Recipe 03 of 21 Cheesy Scallion Stuffing with Sesame Seeds Photo: HEAMI LEE / FOOD STYLING CHELSEA ZIMMER / PROP STYLING / CHRISTINE KEELY Cookbook author Eric Kim prepares a sourdough-scallion casserole topped with a mixture of Parmesan cheese and toasted sesame seeds that evokes the sweet umami richness and slight crispness of Korean pajeon (pancakes). The combination of ingredients is well calibrated and delicious. Get the Recipe 04 of 21 Sweet Onion Challah Stuffing Victor Protasio Baked in thin layer in a sheet pan, this nostalgic stuffing has plenty of deliciously crispy edges. The addition of orange juice adds a lightly sweet, floral flavor to this otherwise-traditional dish. Get the Recipe 05 of 21 Cranberry-Walnut Stuffing Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee Tart cranberries and toasted walnuts add flavor and a crunch to this crowd-pleasing holiday side dish. Rustic hunks of toasted bread form the backbone of this stuffing; a buttery sauteed mixture of onion, celery, herbs, and cooked sausage fills it out with rich flavor. Get the Recipe 06 of 21 Mushroom-and-Chestnut Stuffing with Giblets © Bobby Fisher This rich and delicious make-ahead Mushroom-and-Chestnut Stuffing with Giblets from Anthony Bourdain gets flavor from fresh herbs. The dish also gets a boost from a super simple homemade stock made from turkey wings and necks. It's a definite crowd-pleaser. Get the Recipe 07 of 21 Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage, Red Onion and Kale Con Poulos Folding kale into this delicious and easy stuffing is a nice surprise, especially when you get crispy bites of it (as well as crunchy bits of sourdough) off the golden top. Get the Recipe 08 of 21 Chestnut Stuffing with Fennel © John Kernick When Suzanne Goin was a child, making stuffing for the holidays was one of her first forays into cooking. "My mom always used store-bought crumbs, and it became my job to doctor them up," says Goin. "I'd just raid the spice cabinet and the first batches were a little [wild]. But I figured out what I liked best." This chestnut-laced stuffing with pancetta and fennel is adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques. The crispy olive oil-soaked bread cubes on top are especially delectable. Get the Recipe 09 of 21 Multigrain Bread Stuffing with Sausage and Herbs © John Kernick This is the perfect stuffing — moist in the middle and crisp on the top. Two bonuses: It's made with healthful multigrain bread and can be assembled one day ahead. Get the Recipe 10 of 21 Sausage-and-Bread Stuffing © David Malosh Gary Vaynerchuk's mother, Tamara, makes Stove Top stuffing every Thanksgiving, and he proudly admits loving it. Its simplicity inspired this recipe by former F&W editor Grace Parisi. Using homemade turkey stock gives it a rich flavor — for a shortcut, use chicken broth instead. Get the Recipe 11 of 21 Bacon, Onion, and Rye Bread Stuffing © Frances Janisch After tossing the ingredients and spreading them in a pan, Melissa Rubel Jacobson chills the stuffing for at least an hour before baking. This ensures that the bread soaks up the liquid — key to a stuffing that's crisp on top and moist within. Get the Recipe 12 of 21 Smoky Chorizo Stuffing © Con Poulos Rather than traditional sausage stuffing, chef George Mendes of NYC's Aldea serves a smoky version using chorizo and hot pimentón de la Vera (smoked paprika). Get the Recipe 13 of 21 Cornbread Stuffing with Country Sausage © Lucy Schaeffer Enrich traditional stuffing with country sausage and cornbread and add a kick with poblano chiles. This can be made two days in advance. Get the Recipe 14 of 21 Mushroom, Sourdough, and Poblano Stuffing Abby Hocking F&W's Justin Chapple keeps the big day stress-free by baking his stuffing the day before and then reheating it just before serving. The trick to make-ahead Thanksgiving stuffing is adding a little stock before reheating it. Get the Recipe 15 of 21 Cornbread Stuffing with Bacon and Greens © Fredrika Stjärne Chef David Tanis grew up in the Midwest, with rich corn bread stuffing for Thanksgiving. He tweaks his mother's recipe by adding a smoky element. "She'd roll over if she saw the bacon," he says. But it's not critical to the stuffing, which also gets savory flavor from hearty kale, so you can leave it out. Get the Recipe 16 of 21 Shiitake Mushroom and Fresh Herb Stuffing © Frances Janisch Tender and browned mushrooms add an earthiness alongside sage and thyme in this golden side dish. Get the Recipe 17 of 21 Whole-Grain Stuffing with Mustard Greens, Mushrooms, and Fontina © Con Poulos This wonderfully hearty stuffing can double as a vegetarian main dish for Thanksgiving. Just substitute mushroom broth or water for the chicken stock. Get the Recipe 18 of 21 Sausage-and-Apple Stuffing Bites © Con Poulos Since stuffing is one of the most popular parts of a Thanksgiving meal, try doing it as fun little hors d'oeuvre bites. Get the Recipe 19 of 21 Sticky-Rice Dressing © Con Poulos Joanne Chang says, "A Chinese meal isn't complete without rice; Thanksgiving isn't complete without stuffing. This sticky-rice dressing combines the best of both worlds." Chinese sausage makes the rice deliciously sweet and savory. Get the Recipe 20 of 21 Spiced Lamb-and-Rice Dressing with Chickpeas © Quentin Bacon Instead of the more common bread-based dressing, Sam Mogannam's mother, Mariette, always serves turkey with this hearty, savory Palestinian stuffing, traditionally used as a filling for grape leaves or halved zucchini. Get the Recipe 21 of 21 Pumpkin Seed Bread Salad © Frances Janisch Combine crusty country Italian bread with timely pumpkin seeds and sherry for a rich, warm bread salad. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? 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