When people mention sage, one thing instantly comes to mind: Thanksgiving! After all, sage has been a traditional herb for stuffing. The Thanksgiving turkey just isn’t complete without it.

Recently, though, there has been some debate over the safety of eating herbs or stuffing cooked inside the bird. Because of this, making turkey dressing became the alternative. Since the dressing is cooked by itself, you’re sure that it’s safe to eat — not to mention more delicious if your sage comes straight from your garden.

My cousins and I couldn’t be happier because that means we get to experiment and come up with some pretty creative turkey dressings every year! This year, I’d like to start with classic sage turkey dressing. It retains the familiar flavor and aroma of sage, but with a vegetarian twist.

Some finely chopped sage takes center stage in this dressing, which compliments the buttery mixture of celery, onions, garlic, thyme, and pepper. The eggs and vegetable broth balances out the strong herbal flavors with its slightly sweet undertones. Meanwhile, the toasted breadcrumbs will lend this Classic Turkey Sage Dressing a nice crumbly texture.

Refrigerate your delectable dressing overnight or up to 24 hours. I like keeping it longer in the fridge, so I make sure to take that into account when planning for Thanksgiving dinner. When it’s time to party, you can bake the dressing and let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Voila — classic sage turkey dressing! This is definitely a tradition for our Thanksgiving dinners. It can take a bit of work, but it’s worth the long prep time. Try it out for yourself and see how it can brighten up your holiday meals!

Classic Sage Turkey Dressing

Cooked outside of the turkey, your classic stuffing becomes what’s called “dressing.” The rules are almost the same though, and this Classic Sage Turkey Dressing is hearty and delicious served with poultry.

• Author: Norann Oleson
• Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6 to 8 1x
• Category: Entrées

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 16– to 18-ounce loaf of rustic white bread cut into 1-inch cubes, about 10 cups
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 additional tablespoons melted
• 1 pound yellow onions, diced
• 4 large celery stalks, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped, fresh sage leaves
• Leaves from 4 stalks of thyme
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups turkey, chicken, or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet and bake for 90 minutes, or until crisp, stirring every 30 minutes.
2. Heat the 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Add the onions, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft. Stir in the sage and thyme and cook for 2 more minutes, then turn off the heat.
3. Beat the eggs with the broth, salt, and a generous amount of pepper. In a large bowl, fold together the toasted breadcrumbs with the cooked onion and celery mixture, then stir in the egg-broth mixture.
4. Spread the dressing into a lightly greased 3-quart baking dish and drizzle with melted butter.
5. At this point, the dressing can be covered with foil and refrigerated overnight or up to 24 hours.
6. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 375 degrees and bake, covered with foil, for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
7. Let the dressing stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• If you’re baking the dressing from the refrigerator, allow an additional 10 minutes of baking time.

Have you tried this recipe? It’s so easy, and we bet it will become a staple in your house—please tell us how it turned out for you.