14 cupscubed bread (see recipe notes below on kind of bread0
1cupunsalted butter
3cupsdiced onionapproximately 2 large onions
2cupsdiced celery
4clovesof garlicminced or pressed through a garlic press
1 ½tsp.saltplus more to taste
1tsp.black pepper
1Tbsp.poultry seasoning
2Tbsp.fresh herbsuse a mixture of fresh thyme, rosemary and sage
¼cupfresh parsley
2 ½ - 3 ½cupsof chicken or turkey broth
2large eggsbeaten
Instructions
Prepare cubed Bread:
Start the day before by cutting the bread into cubes. You can do either of the following methods to dry them out:
Method One: Lay them on sheet pans and let them dry overnight. Be sure not to overcrowd the pans so that the bread gets dry. You want the bread to dry out for a full 24 hours.
Method Two: Heat oven to 275 degrees F. Place the bread on sheet pans in a single layer and cook for 25 – 30 minutes. Mix the bread around on the sheet pans to ensure everything dries evenly. Check the bread oven to ensure it does not toast and is just drying out. Remove from the oven. You can either use this right away or do it the day before and allow them to cool and store in an airtight container.
Make the stuffing:
Heat 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat until melted.
Add the celery and onions to the pan and cook on medium-high heat until they are softened.
Next add the rest of the butter, garlic, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, fresh herbs, and parsley to the pan and cook for 1 minute.
To a 6-quart slow cooker, add all the bread cubes. Add two cups of broth, beaten eggs, and the celery/onion mixture to the slow cooker. With a large spatula carefully combine everything in the slow cooker.
Cook on high for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes switch to the low setting and cook for another 3 -4 hours. I recommend checking on the mixture after about 2 hours to see if it needs additional broth. Add more broth as needed if you want a moister texture. Try only adding ½ cup at a time.
Once cooked you can leave the stuffing on warm until you are ready to serve. Check seasonings and add additional salt and pepper if needed
Notes
Recommendations on bread: I highly suggest using good old sliced sandwich bread.
Also, this recipe uses a mixture of wheat and white bread. You can use all white if you want, but the wheat bread helps build an extra depth of flavor and earthiness to the taste. You can also play with the ratios and use a higher amount of white bread than wheat bread.
Two loaves of bread are used. You will have more than enough bread cubes. I recommend reserving the extra just in case you add too much broth, then you mix in the extra cubed-up bread to help create the texture you are looking for in your stuffing.
If your slow cooker runs a little on the warmer side during the low setting, be sure to check the sides of the slow cooker to ensure your stuffing isn't burning. You can run a spatula around the sides of it every so often to help it not stick to your slow cooker.
You can also make the celery/onion mixture the day before. Store in a container overnight. Reheat the mixture slightly the next day so it is easier to stir in and combine with the bread cubes.
Check for salt: At the end of the cooking, I recommend checking the seasoning for salt and pepper. Every chicken broth is different and I would recommend adding a bit more salt at the end if needed
Stuffing too dry?
Melt more butter and drizzle over the stuffing.
Stir gently.
Stuffing too wet?
Cube up a few slices of sandwich bread and stir gently into stuffing mixture.
Let the extra bread soak up the extra moisture
Can I add sausage?Yes, add 1 pound of crumbled, cooked sausage, like Jimmy Dean into the crockpot with the bread mixture. You could also use Italian sausage.