Thanksgiving Herb Dressing
Prep Time: 1 hour | Cook Time: 40 – 50 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours | Serves: 8 – 10
A simple Thanksgiving and Christmas dressing, filled with traditional flavors and aromas of fresh herbs of rosemary, sage, and so much more.
Use a bread loaf with a bit of heartiness to it. I use half French loaf and half sourdough loaf. My local Kroger actually carries breads that have few ingredients and are super-delicious.
Use fresh herbs. The flavor and texture will be much better than using dried. This time of year of fall and winter, most grocery stores are beginning to carry more herbs than usual. Hopefully, you’ll be able to find them in your area. If not, ask a friend or someone you know that has an herb garden and ask if you can have some in exchange for some tasting of this awesome dressing!
I suggest an “all-purpose seasoning” for the dressing. It will give an extra layer of flavor. I suggest a spice blend by The Spice and Tea Exchange in Blowing Rock, NC called “Italian Street Fair Spice Blend.” It’s really delicious. I have also used their “Black Garlic Sea Salt” as a seasoning for any additional salt.
I also use Butter Infused Olive Oil by Abingdon Olive Oil Company for the oil in this recipe. It is one of my “everyday” oils. Sauteing the veggies with oil and butter gives you tons of flavor with less chances of burning. I love the flavors of the two fats in this recipe.
The prep time is lengthy because of the dicing of the veggies and pulling the herbs from their stems, but the end result… you’ll be rewarded for your efforts!
Enjoy!
Thanksgiving Herb Dressing
Fresh herbs and vegetables make the best holiday dressing!
Ingredients
- 1 pound French loaf, or sourdough loaf (or half and half), 1 -2 days old
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or infused olive oil, my favorite brand, see Notes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, small dice
- 2 leeks, sliced 1/4" slices, see Notes
- 1 1/2 cups celery, small dice
- 1 small fennel bulb, small dice
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 3 tablespoons Italian parsley leaves, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons - 1/4 cup all-purpose seasoning, one of my favorites, see Notes
- 3 cups chicken stock, unsalted or low-sodium
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13” baking dish with nonstick spray or with butter. Set the baking dish aside.
- Cut the bread loaf into ¾” to 1” cubes and place the cubes in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat the oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, add the onion, leeks, celery, and fennel. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir often until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down if the vegetables are beginning to brown.
- Add the oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, garlic, all-purpose seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add the warm vegetables to the bread cubes and toss to combine. Set aside.
- Pour the stock into a large bowl. Taste the stock and add salt and pepper to taste, especially if you are using unsalted or low-sodium. The stock must taste really good since the bread will be absorbing it. After seasoning, add the eggs and whisk until the eggs are completely combined and liquified in the stock.
- Add about half of the stock to the bread and toss. Continue to add the remaining stock by ½ cup amounts to the bread until it is very moist, but not soaked through. The bread should still hold its shape. Toss the mixture until all the bread cubes are evenly moistened and the vegetables are evenly dispersed.
- Pour the dressing into the baking dish and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and a little dry-looking. You may check the internal temperature; a digital thermometer should read 165 degrees F.
- Bring the dressing out of the oven and allow it to stand for about 10 minutes.
- Serve very warm.
Notes
We love Abingdon Olive Oil Company’s Extra-virgin olive oils, dark and white balsamic vinegars, infused olive oils, and so much more! I have used Butter Infused Olive Oil in this recipe.
Leeks are grown in sandy soil and most likely need to be washed before using. Slice them and place them in a bowl of water and separate the layers with your fingers, rubbing off the dirt. Allow the dirt to sink to the bottom of the bowl. Skim the clean leeks from the bowl and use.
I love The Spice and Tea Exchange’s “Italian Street Fair Spice Blend” for an “all-purpose seasoning.” It is filled with… Paired with their “Black Garlic Sea Salt,” the stuffing is very flavorful. Be mindful of the salt content in your seasoning. Adjust as needed as you cook so that you do not over or under-season your dressing. Using low-sodium stock will use less salt vs. using unsalted stock. Taste as you cook, safely, of course, as you are cooking with raw eggs.
USDA website states that whether the dressing has been cooked inside or outside of the turkey’s cavity, it should be cooked to 165 degrees F.
Nutrition Facts
Thanksgiving Herb Dressing
Amount per Serving
Calories
190.67
% Daily Value*
Fat
6.58
g
10
%
Saturated Fat
2.12
g
13
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.89
g
Monounsaturated Fat
3.16
g
Cholesterol
38.61
mg
13
%
Sodium
1242.89
mg
54
%
Potassium
359.69
mg
10
%
Carbohydrates
27.66
g
9
%
Fiber
3.6
g
15
%
Sugar
2.05
g
2
%
Protein
5.99
g
12
%
Vitamin C
7.11
mg
9
%
Calcium
65.58
mg
7
%
Iron
1.25
mg
7
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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