If you want to really wow your family and friends this Thanksgiving, you're in the right place. My challah stuffing is a rich and flavorful upgrade from your traditional recipe, and even better, you don't need to worry about stuffing it up a turkey's butt!
Baked in the oven, this stuffing is made from toasted challah with dried herbs, onion, celery, apples, and garlic. It is utterly delicious! In addition to being rich, buttery, sweet-and-savory goodness, this challah stuffing is the perfect bridge between comfort and class! It is homey and warm, yet also feels elevated and special. It is ideal for holiday feasts like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even Easter!
After testing many different types of bread, I found that challah, which is perfectly tender and subtly sweet, was the perfect vessel to soak up broth and add nuanced flavor! It absorbs the savory flavors beautifully, while staying soft and pillowy inside. It also bakes up perfectly golden and crisp on the outside, making it a truly well-balanced side dish for your turkey!
One other reason this challah stuffing is a November must-make is that it is easy to prep ahead of time! I hate stressing about getting everything ready for the holidays on the day of, so simple, easy-to-prep dishes, like this stuffing, these 6-step, mouth-watering Maple Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, or this homemade cranberry sauce using dried cranberries, are some of my favorites!
And, don't even worry about soggy stuffing here! To prevent any sogginess, we use the perfect ratio of broth to eggs and toast up the day-old challah so it doesn't become too mushy.
Not sure what else to make for Thanksgiving? This challah stuffing pairs really well with many other Thanksgiving dishes! Make this easy Dutch Oven Turkey Breast as your main dish and then whip up simple, nutrient-rich Pumpkin Couscous Salad and these light, fluffy Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes. These sides, along with this flavorful challah stuffing, will guarantee your guests are talking about your Thanksgiving meal for years to come!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Step 2: Cut the challah into small, ½-inch cubes (similar in size to Stovetop Stuffing). Divide cubed challah in a single layer between 2 baking sheets. Over each tray of cubed bread, season with olive oil, dried parsley, ground sage, salt, and black pepper. Gently toss with your hands to coat the bread.
- Step 3: Toast bread for about 22 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until dried and crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
⭐️ Quick Tip! Cut the challah into small cubes, about ¼ to ½-inch in size, so it mixes easily with the diced vegetables and egg/broth mixture.
- Step 4: Turn the oven up to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Step 5: In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, apples, and garlic, along with the remaining dried parsley, ground sage, salt, black pepper, and cinnamon. Stir to combine and cook for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
- Step 6: In a large measuring cup, measure the broth and add the eggs. Whisk until the eggs are beaten into the broth.
- Step 7: In a large bowl, add dried bread, cooked vegetables, and broth mixture. Stir to combine until the bread has softened and absorbed some of the liquid. You may need to work with half at a time, depending on the size of your largest bowl.
- Step 8: Pour into the prepared 9x13 dish. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until lightly browned and the eggs are no longer runny. Lightly cover with foil if the top starts to get too brown (I covered mine about halfway).
My Top Tips!
⭐️ Letting the cubed bread sit out on your counter, uncovered, overnight helps it dry out. If I have the time, I like to dice the challah and place it on the baking sheets the night before. Then, I’ll toast it in the oven the next day.
⭐️ To prep ahead: Just cook the vegetables on the stove, toast the bread, and keep everything stored separately (with the veggies in the fridge and the challah on the counter) until you are ready to make. Then, before serving, just mix everything with the broth and eggs, scoop into a baking dish, and bake until golden!
⭐️ If you can't get challah, brioche bread would work too!
Related Recipes
Looking for more Thanksgiving side dish recipes? Try these:
Share your cooking with me! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know. Leave a comment with a rating at the bottom of this page!
The BEST Challah Stuffing for Thanksgiving
Ingredients
- 2 pounds challah bread *preferably day-old (brioche would work too)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 5 teaspoons dried parsley, divided
- 3 ½ teaspoons dried ground sage, divided
- 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 ½ cups diced yellow onion (about 1 onion)
- 2 cups diced celery (about 3 to 4 celery ribs)
- 2 ½ cups peeled and diced honey crisp apple (about 2 apples)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 4 garlic cloves)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut the challah into small, ½-inch cubes (similar in size to Stovetop Stuffing). Divide cubed challah in a single layer between 2 baking sheets. Over each tray of cubed bread, pour 2 tablespoons olive oil (¼ cup total), ½ teaspoon dried parsley (1 teaspoon total), ¼ teaspoon ground sage (½ teaspoon total), ½ teaspoon salt (1 teaspoon total), and ¼ teaspoon black pepper (½ teaspoon total). Gently toss with your hands to coat the bread.
- Toast bread for about 22 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until dried and crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Turn the oven up to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, apples, and garlic, along with the remaining 4 teaspoons dried parsley, 3 teaspoons ground sage, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Stir to combine and cook for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
- In a large measuring cup, measure the broth and add the eggs. Whisk until the eggs are beaten into the broth.
- In a large bowl, add dried bread, cooked vegetables, and broth mixture. Stir to combine until the bread has softened and absorbed some of the liquid. You may need to work with half at a time, depending on the size of your largest bowl.
- Pour into the prepared 9x13 dish. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until lightly browned and the eggs are no longer runny. Lightly cover with foil if the top starts to get too brown (I covered mine about halfway).
Notes
- Letting the cubed bread sit out on your counter, uncovered, overnight helps it dry out. If I have the time, I like to dice the challah and place it on the baking sheets the night before. Then I’ll toast it in the oven the next day.
- To prep ahead: Just cook the vegetables on the stove, toast the bread, and keep everything stored separately (with the veggies in the fridge and the challah on the counter) until you are ready to make. Then, before serving, just mix everything with the broth and eggs, scoop into a baking dish, and bake until golden!
- If you can't get challah, brioche bread would work too!
Nutrition
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