Wild Mushroom Stuffing // Stuffing Recipe 101

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Hands down my most favorite part of Thanksgiving is this Wild Mushroom Stuffing recipe. NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

Wild Mushroom Stuffing recipe from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

We’re about to dive head first into a whole lotta turkey, gravy, dessert, salads, potatoes, side dishes and baked cheese (because baked cheese should be mandatory at all fall gatherings).

Wild Mushroom Stuffing from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

Before we get to the rest of those things, we’re talking about this Wild Mushroom Stuffing Recipe!

If you’re a long time reader of What’s Gaby Cooking, you know that stuffing and I are best friends. FOREVER. It’s my favorite part about Thanksgiving and I love this recipe. Hands down the best stuffing recipe EVER created and I’ll never deviate from it. I drizzle a bit of my homemade gravy on top and go to town.

Wild Mushroom Stuffing recipe from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

It’s earthy, with all the mushrooms. Fresh, because of all the variety of herbs and perfectly salty with the addition of Parmesan cheese. You really can’t go wrong. AND… because I know not all of you are as obsessed with mushrooms as me, you can easily omit those when whipping this up and it will still be a mega star! AND if you have vegetarians in your family, they will love the addition of shrooms!

Wild Mushroom Stuffing recipe from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

Let’s talk stuffing recipe 101 so we’re all prepped and ready for Thanksgiving day!

What is stuffing?

It’s only the best part of Thanksgiving + Christmas! No but really, stuffing is a combination of dried out cubed bread that can be mixed with any number of add-ins. I like keeping things bright and fresh and decadent with the recipe below.

What makes the best stuffing?

There are 3 parts to incredible stuffing.

  1. Great bread. Find a really delicious loaf of bread – it can be plain or seasoned. I’ve done this recipe with a rosemary roasted garlic bread and it was incredible. Also incredible with a good old baguette from an amazing french bakery!
  2. Herbs. The herbs in this dish are what really make it shine. They bring such a depth of flavor that a lot of stuffings don’t have.
  3. Parm + Eggs. The parmesan cheese and egg mixture gives this almost a custard like finish that makes it creamy while still maintaining the bread!! It’s perfect.

Do I need to dry my bread cubes?

You do!! I prep my bread cubes a few days ahead of time and let them dry out on the counter. This way they still maintain their shape/bulk when you add the eggs, parmesan and stock. If you don’t have time to let the bread cubes dry out a few days ahead of time, you can toast it in the oven the day of no problem!

What kind of bread should I use for Thanksgiving stuffing recipe?

I love a really great french loaf, a baguette, sourdough, or any other type of hearty bread. The only breads I would stay away from would be a brioche or anything generally soft.

Do I need to use eggs in stuffing?

I prefer stuffing with eggs for many reasons. First, it acts as a binder. Two, it doesn’t fall apart when you serve it. Three, it feels a little bit more filling and custardy!

Can I prepare stuffing ahead of time?

You sure can! I do all the time. I’ll prep the bread and the butter/herb mixture a day or so ahead of time so all I have to do on the day of the feast is mix everything together and bake. Easy.

Can you freeze Thanksgiving stuffing?

You sure can! Once you’re done baking it, let it cool, and then transfer it into smaller glass containers and freeze. When it’s time to eat it, just warm it up in a toaster oven, in the oven or in the microwave until it’s warmed throughout.

And there you have it! Any other Thanksgiving stuffing questions… should them out below!

PS – are you thinking of putting this on your Thanksgiving menu? Check out the full What’s Gaby Cooking menu here along with the master prep schedule to keep things organized and on track!
And if you need more Thanksgiving Ideas check out this roundup of 80+ Thanksgiving Recipes and Ideas
Wild Mushroom Stuffing from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

Wild Mushroom Stuffing

5 from 29 votes
Hands down my most favorite part of Thanksgiving is this Wild Mushroom Stuffing. NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins
Total Time 1 hr 40 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 loaf country-style French bread with crust cut into 1-inch cubes (about 14-15 ounces)
  • 10 tablespoons butter
  • 1 pound wild mushrooms
  • 2 shallots finely sliced
  • 2 ribs celery
  • 2 bunches green onions thinly sliced
  • 3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 3 large garlic clove minced
  • 2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups chicken broth, divided
  • 4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread the cubed bread on large rimmed baking sheet and transfer into the oven. Bake until bread is dry, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
  • Meanwhile, melt the butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and saute until golden, about 7 minutes. Add the celery, green onions, various herbs, garlic, salt and pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes more.
  • Generously grease a large baking dish.
  • Place the bread cubes in large bowl. Add the warm vegetable mixture; toss to combine.
  • Whisk the eggs and 3/4 cup broth in medium bowl. Add egg mixture to stuffing and toss to coat. Mix in Parmesan.
  • Add more broth (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup) to stuffing if it still looks and feels dry. Transfer to skillet or baking dish. Cover with buttered foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake until golden, about 30 minutes.

310 Comments

  1. WOW! What a success! I added some sage sausage as some suggested and cooked it on my smoker (pecan wood). My daughters loved it and one daughter said “don’t ever make any other kind of stuffing again”. Great recipe! Thank you!

  2. I made this using seasoned crostini and croutons, and chanterelles, shitake, trumpet and crimini mushrooms. Absolutely delicious and a hit at Thanksgiving dinner.

  3. 5 stars
    I made this for Thanksgiving and it turned out to be some of the best stuffing I’ve ever had! I used sourdough instead of French bread but otherwise did not change a thing. Super easy recipe. My husband has ALREADY asked me if I would please this again the next time I roast a chicken.

  4. 5 stars
    this stuffing was EPIC. my husband hates mushrooms (sad) so i omitted but holy moly it was delicious. it was just the two of us and we crushed the entire thing in two days. def making this for christmas. and vday? and easter? memorial day? suitable for all occasions IMO.

  5. Every year I’ve been totally underwhelmed by stuffing, frankly if it wasn’t one of my dad’s must-haves, I probably wouldn’t even make it. This recipe was a GAME-CHANGER! It was my favorite thing on the Thanksgiving table and I’m trying to figure out how long I have to wait until I make it again. I prepped the bread and herb/mushroom/butter mix the day before, then threw it together quickly on Tgivs. It was so savory and delicious… and I’m still drooling thinking about it!

  6. 5 stars
    Made this for Christmas this year, and it was a huge hit! Will reduce the salt a bit next time we make it, but it’s going in the cookbook.

  7. 5 stars
    Absolutely the best!!! LOVED those mushrooms
    I only used 1/2 the salt and it was fine.

    And yes…the vegetarians asked to take some home!!
    WINNER

  8. If adding sage sausage to the mix, how much sage sausage can be safely added without ruining the ‘bones’ of this recipe? Maybe just one large link?

    1. Thx Gaby! One more question: any comments on idea of combining chanterelles, oyster and shitakes for this recipe? Do you think this mix would be a good combination for the recipe, or is mix of 3 too much? What ‘wilds’ would you suggest? Many thanks. Getting a bit anxious and want to make sure to serve a savory and really delicious stuffing.

  9. Gaby…. If traveling a couple hours to Thanksgiving dinner, how should I best prepare this stuffing? It looks amazing and I absolutely have to make it! Should I keep the dried bread cubes and mushroom veggie or mixture and egg mixture all separate and simply combine and bake when I get to my destination? I’m just trying to be courteous and not take up too much of their kitchen.

  10. 5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe for the past two Thanksgivings and I cannot agree more, it is hands down my favorite part of Thanksgiving, too. The only part of the recipe that I keep messing up on is preparing 2 cups of veggie broth with the eggs as opposed to 3/4 cup like the instructions indicate. I keep overlooking this part and I end up having to scoop out some of the broth/egg mixture. I think this is because the ingredient list does not specify it as 2 cups of veggie broth, divided. Otherwise, great recipe and I made a mental not to not drown the bread cubes in broth/egg.

  11. Hi Gaby,
    I’m making for 24 people. Three large sourdough loaves of bread like from the deli…is that correct? Also, what size pan do you think? I’m very excited!

  12. Hi Gabby,

    Can you answer the question about travelling. Should we just warm it up wherever we are going so the sequence is Cook/Refrigerate/Travel/Warm up? I always have this question about everything, so I’m looking for clarity.

    Also, Is no-chicken or veggie broth fine. I’m cooking for vegetarians. Is there any broth you would recommend as a substitute.

    Thanks in advance!

    Warm regards,
    Hilary

    1. veggie broth is fine!

      and if you make it day of – I would do this: cook, let cool to room temp, travel, re-heat and serve.

  13. This looks amazing! One of our guests is allergic to eggs, would it be possible to omit them, or is there anything I could substitute as a binder?

  14. Hi Gaby,
    You might want to add in the directions in #5 that when doubling or tripling the recipe to do the same to the amount of broth. It’s confusing. I just printed out the Triple recipe and expected the recipe directions to do be tripled. Good thing I read all the notes. thanks! Can’t wait till Thursday!

  15. Can I make this dish ahead of time? Mix everything including the egg mixture with the bread the night before and store covered with foil in fridge? Then bake it the next day?

  16. Hello,
    I am just making this recipe and am a little confused about one of the ingredients.
    When you say two stalks of celery, are you really meaning to say two ribs of celery?
    I checked the terms on the internet and a stalk is the whole bunch of celery while ribs are the individual rib pieces that make up the stalk.
    Thanks,
    Pam

  17. 5 stars
    I tried this recipe for the first time and this stuffing has amazing depth of flavor! I used many different types of mushrooms (oyster, shitake, not sure the others) and it didn’t hurt that there was so much butter in the recipe. This is going to be on my Thanksgiving table every year from now on! Thanks Gaby!

  18. Your recipe sounds amazing… but I have a relative who is seriously lactose intolerant. Can I use duck fat instead of the butter? Or perhaps you have a better suggestion for a substitution.

  19. 5 stars
    Made this for Thanksgiving last week. The taste was fantastic, loved the mushrooms. Unfortunately, I had the turkey on the bottom rack and put this in with it on the bottom rack, so the bottom of the stuffing got a little overdone. I used half white and half crimini mushrooms. I think it’s hard to go wrong with whatever mushrooms you can find or want to use. Next time I will know better than to place it on the bottom rack, and yes, there will be a next time for this. Love it.

  20. 5 stars
    I made this for Thanksgiving this year – it was AMAZING. Will definitely be my go-to stuffing going forward. Thank you!!

  21. 5 stars
    I make this every Christmas and even throughout the year and its a huge hit with everyone!!! The most amazing stuffing…I can literally eat a bowl of it with gravy on!! Thankyou!:)

  22. 5 stars
    AMAZING stuffing!! I’ve never been a fan of stuffing and normally I avoid it, but this year I decided I wanted to make stuffing for my guests and it turned out to be my favorite dish and one that I will continue to make every single year.. oh and did I mention my cooking skills are not the greatest?? But this recipe was so easy to understand and make that it made me look like quite the pro. Never really rate anything online but this one I had to.. thank you for sharing!

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