Best Ever Stuffing for Crock Pot or Oven · i am a food blog

Set-it-and-forget-it stuffing recipe in a slow cooker (or oven) with soft, creamy bread, crispy, toasted edges and a secret ingredient.

I LOVE stuffing. I feel like I could make a meal of stuffing and mashed potatoes and be a very happy camper. Give me ALL the carbs. Ever since I discovered making stuffing in the slow cooker, I’ve been sneakily meal prepping at the start of each week so I can feed my stuffing addiction. Who says stuffing is just for Thanksgiving? Not me!

The stuffing isn’t even difficult to prepare. This is one of the simplest side dishes – maybe even the easiest? The most urgent thing you will need to think about is whether you need to cut a loaf of bread or use store-bought bread cubes. I do both. When I’m in a hurry, these store-bought bread cubes are a lifesaver, but for a more special stuffing, like Thanksgiving, I’ll get a rustic loaf, tear it open, and dry the cubes myself.

How to Make Bread Cubes for Stuffing

1. Choose a loaf of bread. There are so many types of bread! I generally use a rustic white, sourdough or French bread.
2. Cut the bread into cubes. Use a bread knife to slice the bread into 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick slices, then lay them flat and cut them into 1/2 to 3/4 inch strips. Cut the strips into cubes.
3. Toast the bread cubes. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking dish and cook in a low oven until dry and crisp, stirring once or twice. Let cool completely. Boom! Homemade bread cubes.
4. Prime: If you want your stuffing to have a more artisanal, rustic, hipster look, tear up your bread. The torn irregular pieces look more homemade and the added texture and craggy crevices grill better!

Once you have your bread cubes, you’re pretty much done. This stuffing is stuffed (heehee) with classic flavors like celery, garlic, sage, and thyme, but I also added a few umami-boosting ingredients to jazz up this stuffing: a blend of mushrooms, shallots, and a little soy sauce.

This slow cooker stuffing is a winner! It has the best mix of textures, crispy and toasty, soft and chewy. The edges where the stuffing is right against the side of the slow cooker are the best part: crispy and nicely caramelized.

How to make stuffing

1. Toast the bread. Toast the bread in the oven so that it is crispy on the outside but not too dry on the inside. You want it to look like a crouton.
2. Brown the aromatics. You’ll need to get out a pan for this step, but it’s worth it because searing the mushrooms and shallots brings out so much more flavor.
3. Mix the stuffing. Get a giant bowl so you can mix everything evenly. Try to soak all the bread evenly.
4. Cook it in the slow cooker. Generously butter the slow cooker insert then add everything, cover and cook over low heat for 3-4 hours. The sides will become wonderfully crispy and the inside will be creamy and smooth.

Stuffing Ingredients

You will need: 1 loaf of bread, butter, mushrooms, shallots, celery, garlic, herbs, eggs, chicken stock, and just a touch of the secret ingredient: soy sauce !

• Bread – My favorite is to buy a sourdough or rustic loaf from our neighborhood bakery and tear it into different sized pieces so that there is plenty of surface area and rocky bits for all the flavor to cling to.
• Mushrooms – The deep flavor of the mushrooms will add a huge punch of flavor to this stuffing. Try getting a mixture of mushrooms (cremini, portobello, button, maitake, shiitake, oyster mushroom, trumpet, king) and tearing the delicate ones to get textured surfaces. Most grocery stores sell sets of mixed mushrooms, so grab one.
• Shallots – The sweetness of shallots and their pretty purple color is perfect as a stuffing to add a sweet caramel note to play up all the salty flavors.
• Herbs – I stuck with classic herbs like sage and thyme for that nostalgic stuffing feel, but you can mix in any fresh herbs you like.
• Eggs – Eggs are one of those controversial things in stuffing. If you grew up with eggs in your stuffing, you’re probably an egg fan. If you like very loose stuffing that falls apart on the plate, you think deviled eggs are a travesty. I love how the eggs lightly bind your stuffing and make it a custard. We’re just going to add an egg so the stuffing doesn’t get too dense. Make sure to whisk the egg well so that it is fully incorporated into the broth.
• I am willow – This is the not-so-secret ingredient. The soy sauce adds an extra layer of saltiness and umami, binding everything together. Butter, mushrooms, and soy sauce is seriously one of the most amazing flavor combinations in the world.

I don’t have a slow cooker, can I still make this?

Of course! Just put everything in a lightly buttered casserole dish and bake at 350°F covered with foil for 30-40 minutes, then remove the foil and crisp the top for another 10 minutes .

Which slow cooker for this stuffing?

Since we are a small family of two, we have the casserolewhich holds 2.5 liters. If you are making this in a larger slow cooker, use the handy “serving” scale and double the number of servings.

Get ahead

If you want to prepare this in advance, toast the bread cubes and sauté the mushrooms, shallots and garlic the day before. Store the bread at room temperature, uncovered and put the aromatics covered in the refrigerator. The next day, mix all the ingredients and place them in the slow cooker!

How to store

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

Warm

To reheat, crisp in a baking dish at 350°F for 10 minutes or until heated through. Or just microwave if you want it quick, easy and not so crunchy.

What to serve with stuffing

Stuffing all day, every day!
xoxo steph

Stuffing recipe

Set-it-and-forget-it slow cooker stuffing recipe with soft, creamy bread, crispy, toasted edges and a secret ingredient.

Serves 6

Preparation time 20 minutes minutes

Cooking time 4 hours hours

Total duration 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

• 1/2 kg bread rustic white or sourdough bread, cut or torn into 1-inch cubes (about 5 cups)
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1 kg mushrooms mixed, sliced ​​or torn
• 2-3 shallots in quarters
• 2 stems celery diced
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 2 tablespoon wise finely chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme only leaves
• 1 big egg slightly beaten
• 1.5 cup chicken broth low sodium preferably
• 1 tablespoon I am willow low sodium preferably

• Heat the oven to 225°F and arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until dry and crisp, stirring occasionally, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Let cool completely.

• In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sear, without moving, until caramelized, turning if necessary. Add the shallots and cook until golden, then add the garlic and cook until just tender. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the celery, sage and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

• Add the bread cubes to a large bowl and mix with the cooked vegetables. Whisk the eggs with the chicken broth and soy sauce in a liquid measuring cup or bowl, pour over the bread cubes and mix until evenly coated. Season generously with salt and pepper.

• Generously butter a slow cooker and add the stuffing. Cook covered for 3 to 4 hours over low heat, until the stuffing begins to crisp around the edges. Enjoy hot!

Nutrition Facts

Stuffing recipe

Amount per serving

Calories 185
Calories from fat 50

% daily value*

Fat 5.6g9%

Saturated fat 2.9 g18%

Cholesterol 41mg14%

Sodium 422mg18%

Potassium 485 mg14%

Carbohydrates 26.3g9%

1.8g fiber8%

Sugar 2.5g3%

Protein 8.9g18%

*Percent Daily Values ​​are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.