Classic Thanksgiving Day Stuffing Recipes That Never Disappoint

The idea of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t date back to the pilgrims. Yes, there was a meal, but we aren’t sure about the menu. Luckily, it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that you serve delicious stuffing, like one of these classic Thanksgiving Day stuffing recipes. 

These classic Thanksgiving Day stuffing recipes are not only classic but also delicious and perfect for serving a holiday dinner. Let’s clear the air, we have no idea what was served at the first Thanksgiving feast.

Of course, it wasn’t called Thanksgiving, but you get the idea. We have a pretty good idea based on what was commonly grown and raised during that time, plus what would’ve been in season.

See, seasonal ingredients mattered more than they do now. Today, we can grow anything, raise any animal, and the time of year doesn’t matter. However, America’s pilgrim era wasn’t so fortunate.

They could only eat what would grow or what would hold through the colder weeks of fall. The menu wasn’t cemented until much later. Now, we have traditional recipes that date back to Abraham Lincoln’s presidency.

That being said, Google “Thanksgiving stuffing recipes” and you will likely find that many of us are looking for ways to modernize the menu. Take stuffing, for example, the traditional stuffing recipe doesn’t include sausage or bacon, and there’s no muffin tin or ball roller involved.

Heck, we don’t even cook the dish inside the turkey anymore, hence why the American South calls it “dressing” instead of stuffing, because it isn’t stuffed in anything!

Still, these classic Thanksgiving Day stuffing recipes take us back to a traditional Thanksgiving. Sure, there will be some with unconventional ingredients, but variety is the spice of life. Let’s just be grateful we can enjoy it.

Classic Thanksgiving Day Stuffing Recipes That Never Disappoint

What is a classic, traditional Thanksgiving stuffing recipe? Should we consider the first stuffing ever made for Thanksgiving to be the traditional one? How about the sausage and apple stuffing someone’s grandma made every year, but came up with in 2000?

This is why sticking to a classic Thanksgiving is difficult. The actual, historical version of stuffing is not something anyone would enjoy today. We would choose a modern traditional stuffing recipe over the one also known as “farce” or “forcemeat,” which had veggies, herbs, spices, and cereal.

Not that the stuffing was terrible, but it was used to stuff the ever-popular dish, dormouse.

Grandma’s Stuffing Recipes

There is no law requiring us to have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. We are free to make a homemade stuffing recipe or skip it altogether. However, we know that grandmas everywhere have worked hard on building family traditions.

A classic Thanksgiving stuffing is most likely what your family enjoys. This means we start with day-old bread. Grandma loved using stale bread and giving it new life. There is just something about bread stuffing we can’t get over.

We add in some herbs, spices, and diced veggies, and boom, classic stuffing.

What is the Difference Between Stuffing and Dressing?

These classic Thanksgiving Day stuffing recipes could also be called dressing. That’s right, there is no difference, not really. Of course, some might say a classic Thanksgiving stuffing idea is to cook it inside the turkey.

However, you might recall that you never saw Grandma stuff anything inside a turkey. Mom’s Thanksgiving stuffing recipe definitely wasn’t cooked inside the turkey. There are recipes for stuffing that are cooked inside the meat; however, we don’t often see them anymore.

Some people in the south got confused about why it was called stuffing if it wasn’t stuffed in anything. Therefore, they stopped calling it stuffing and started calling any classic herb stuffing recipe dressing, instead.

For the record, it is called stuffing because the recipe was traditionally cooked inside the meat. Remember the dormouse from earlier? You can toast bread in an oven or a toaster; it will still be toast.

These Are Common Stuffing Mistakes

Thanksgiving dinner needs to go off without a hitch. We have family and friends all waiting for a delicious meal, so we’d best make it. Of course, these classic Thanksgiving Day stuffing recipes will guide us through.

Still, we want to keep an eye out for mistakes, don’t want to ruin the best sausage stuffing recipe or even the best stuffing recipe. The first thing to note is that the bread, whichever kind you use, should be stale.

Stale bread won’t get as mushy as fresh bread will. The last thing we want is mush instead of this amazing apple stuffing recipe. People also try cooking the stuffing in the turkey, don’t. That will lead to undercooked stuffing AND turkey.

What Does Adding Eggs to Stuffing Do?

Some of these classic Thanksgiving Day stuffing recipes include eggs, like this mother-in-law crockpot stuffing recipe, and some don’t. That begs the question, why add eggs at all?

We’ve all done it, maybe not on Thanksgiving, but we have all made that boxed stuffing recipe. The boxed stuff holds its shape, can be molded like dough, but not as moist as dough; that’s what eggs can do.

The eggs in this stuffing recipe for a crowd add richness to the dish, but also help it stay together. Some stuffing recipes are more crumbly, and that’s okay; they are just different.

You can decide which one you go with, either a stuffing recipe with eggs or a stuffing recipe without eggs. It all comes down to the texture you want.

Best Stuffing Recipes for Thanksgiving

We have plenty of options for a classic or traditional Thanksgiving stuffing. We can make classic Thanksgiving stuffing in a crockpot, on the stove, or in an oven. There aren’t even any rules as to what goes in the stuffing, so long as it has bread, herbs, and veggies. Want to add mushrooms?

Go ahead and make a mushroom stuffing recipe. Use sausage, bacon, sourdough bread, pretzel bread, ditch the celery, and use carrots; you can do whatever you want. The important thing is that we invite as many friends and family over and express gratitude for those we have around us.

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy these classic Thanksgiving Day stuffing recipes! 

More Thanksgiving Ideas

Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes for a Feast | Thanksgiving is more than just the stuffing; it is so much more. Luckily, there are plenty of recipes that can help make it the best dinner this year.

Best Thanksgiving Appetizers for an Amazing Meal | Appetizers are important because they help keep people happy while they wait for the main course. 

Fall Jello Shot Recipes | Liven things up a bit with the help of jello, shot cups, and a little bit of fall flavoring mixed with liquor.

Green Bean Casserole Recipes to Entertain with | Green bean casserole is a staple in some homes on Thanksgiving, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be the exact same recipe every year.

Vegetable Platter Ideas for Parties and Happy Hour | Let’s not forget the vegetarians in the family who would prefer something a little less meaty to nibble on before, during, and after dinner.