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Thanksgiving stuffing balls. If there was ever a side dish that could out shine the turkey, this stuffing recipe is it. Stuffing no longer has to be a sad side dish that is squishy and boring. Instead it can become the what everyone looks forward too! Seriously, my friends who have had these always ask if I’ve made the “stuffing balls” when they come over for Thanksgiving.
What are Thanksgiving stuffing balls?
This recipe for Thanksgiving stuffing comes from my husband’s grandmother. And you bet it gets served every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. But honestly, these get made a few times whenever then next holiday looks too far away . (Yea, Flag Day stuffing balls!)
What makes this take on Thanksgiving stuffing stand out is how it is served. Instead of being spooned out of another casserole dish on the table, this stuffing is shaped into balls and baked. This results in a roll-like ball of chewy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside, stuffing goodness.
Pro-tip for nailing the chewy and moist texture.
An important step in this stuffing recipe is the preparation of the bread. You’ll need to buy a loaf of the cheapest white bread you can and cut it into bite sized pieces. Place them all on tray with a kitchen towel over top for 1-3 days and let the bread dry out. Doing this is what will make the stuffing develop its perfect texture! (Speaking of bread, have you tried this banana bread yet?)
So, let’s have your Thanksgiving stuffing take back its place as a main part of your holiday meals and become something everyone looks forward to each year.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of white bread- cut into pieces and left to dry under a towel on the counter for 1-3 days
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 lb butter
- 1 cup celery, finely diced
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 tsp salt
- 1-2 tbsp minced parsley (you can used dried parsley)
Directions
Start by cutting up the bread and drying it out 1-3 days in advance.
Preheat oven to 350F
On the day you want to make the stuffing balls, start by sautéing the onion and celery in butter. While sautéing the celery and onions, place the loaf of dried bread pieces into a large bowl. Add the Parsley into the bowl with the dried bread. Pour the sautéed mixture over the bread crumbs along with some chicken broth to moisten the mixture. Start mixing with your hands and stop adding broth when the bread starts sticking together. You may not use the full cup of chicken broth, and that’s okay!
Form tight balls the size of a small snow ball or a fist.
Place formed balls onto a greased baking pan or silicone baking sheet and cover with tin foil. Bake the stuffing balls for 30 minutes and then flip the balls gently to another side and place back into the oven covered for another 15 minutes. Remove the balls, flip again remove the foil and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes more until browned.
Thanksgiving Stuffing Balls
Ingredients
- 1 loaf White Bread cut into pieces and left to dry under a towel on the counter for 1-3 days
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- ½ lb Butter
- 1 cup Celery finely diced
- 1 cup Onion finely diced
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1-2 tbsp Parsley minced (you can use dried parsley)
Instructions
- Start by cutting up the bread and drying it out 1-3 days in advance.
- Preheat oven to 350F
- On the day you want to make the stuffing balls, start by sautéing the onion and celery in butter. While sautéing the celery and onions, place the loaf of dried bread pieces into a large bowl. Add the Parsley into the bowl with the dried bread. Pour the sautéed mixture over the bread crumbs along with some chicken broth to moisten the mixture. Start mixing with your hands and stop adding broth when the bread starts sticking together. You may not use the full cup of chicken broth, and that's okay!
- Form tight balls the size of a small snow ball or a fist.
- Place formed balls onto a greased baking pan or silicone baking sheet and cover with tin foil. Bake the stuffing balls for 30 minutes and then flip the balls gently to another side and place back into the oven covered for another 15 minutes. Remove the balls, flip again remove the foil and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes more until browned.
2 Comments
Chris Houston
February 19, 2020 at 11:44 pmI had never heard of stuffing balls until this recipe and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. They’re so delicious and the texture is perfect. My kids -all approved!
Travis
February 25, 2020 at 5:58 pmThis should be on everyone’s table on thanksgiving. And they taste great left over if there are any. I usually eat 4 to 6 the day of. when forming them into balls I found they turn out best when I didn’t work them to death.