Bread Stuffing (Two Breads)

This two-bread stuffing recipe aims to please everyone, with white bread and cornbread. The unique combination of breads adds textural interest, while sage and aromatics keep the flavour profile classic. This double-batch recipe makes two full 9x13" pans of bread stuffing, so it's best for those who need to feed a crowd - or who consider leftovers one of the best parts of Thanksgiving or Christmas. If you have more excess than you know what to do with, try making a recipe designed for repurposing leftovers - for stuffing, we're partial to a boxing day leftover pie.

butter, for greasing
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups yellow onions, finely chopped
4 cups celery, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh sage, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. garlic, grated
12 cups prepared cornbread, torn into 1" pieces (~ 1⅓ lbs)
2 (1 lb) loaves white sandwich bread, day-old, torn into 1" pieces
3 Tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
6 cups chicken stock or broth

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Grease 2 (9x13") baking dishes with butter.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add sage and garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Transfer cooked vegetables to a large bowl. Add cornbread, sandwich bread, parsley, salt and pepper; stir until well combined. Gradually stir in the stock until breads are evenly moistened.

Scrape mixture into prepared baking dishes. Bake in a preheated oven until hot and lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do I need to dry out bread for stuffing?
It definitely helps. Day-old, stale, or oven-toasted bread is best for giving the dish texture and preventing mushiness or soggy spots. This bread stuffing recipe calls for day-old white sandwich bread, which you can dry out further by tearing into pieces and leaving on a baking sheet on the counter for a few hours. Cornbread stuffing will sometimes skip this step, since cornbread is crumblier and less squishy than packaged sandwich breads, but feel free to cut or tear it into small pieces and dry in the same way if desired.

What cornbread should I use?
This bread stuffing recipe will work just fine with store-bought cornbread, but it can feel extra special to make it yourself.