When most people think of sage, their minds (and taste buds) immediately think of Thanksgiving. Sage dressing, or stuffing, has been the traditional go-to recipe for decades—if not centuries! Lately, food experts have cast doubt on the safety of eating stuffing cooked inside the bird, so dressing—cooked by itself and served alongside the turkey—has become more popular. We like that version, because it allows us to make the dressing vegetarian by swapping out just a couple of ingredients. You still get all that lovely sage flavor and aroma—and no one has to miss out.

Classic Sage Turkey Dressing

When most people think of sage, their minds (and taste buds) immediately think of Thanksgiving. Sage dressing, or stuffing, has been the traditional go-to recipe for decades—if not centuries! Lately, food experts have cast doubt on the safety of eating stuffing cooked inside the bird, so dressing—cooked by itself and served alongside the turkey—has become more popular. We like that version, because it allows us to make the dressing vegetarian by swapping out just a couple of ingredients. You still get all that lovely sage flavor and aroma—and no one has to miss out.

• 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.