Thanksgiving Stuffing Muffins

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Muffins feature all of the traditional Thanksgiving flavors…baked in a muffin tin! They’re also single-serve, so they’re perfect for holiday gatherings with family and friends.

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Every year for Thanksgiving, we make 2 different versions of stuffing. Technically they should both be called ‘dressing’ since they are cooked outside of the turkey…but we still call ’em stuffing.

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays where you crave the comfort food side dishes that you grew up eating as a kid. For me, my mom’s version of stuffing is one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes. For Laura, Thanksgiving wouldn’t be the same without her mom’s stuffing balls. And so we make 2 different versions.

What is Stuffing (Dressing)?

Thanksgiving Stuffing (or dressing) is a simple combination of bread cubes, vegetables and chicken broth. Sometimes cooked sausage is added in for additional flavor. Despite the simplicity of the recipe, there are many, many variations of this classic holiday side dish.

My mother’s stuffing recipe doesn’t use bread cubes. It’s a traditional Southern version that replaces the bread cubes with crumbled up biscuits and cornbread muffins. Laura’s family recipe also doesn’t use bagged bread cubes – hers is just a loaf of white sandwich bread that gets left out overnight so that it’s dry and stale the next morning. (Similar to French toast, stale bread is used for stuffing as it more easily absorbs the liquid batter.)

Thanksgiving Stuffing Muffins

A couple of years ago, we went to a potluck of Thanksgiving leftovers. The day after Thanksgiving, everyone showed up with a favorite side dish. Lots of food, football and good times! At that gathering, someone had a tray of Thanksgiving Stuffing Muffins. I was intrigued! Stuffing…in muffin form!? Genius! Plus, ‘Stuffing Muffins’ is just fun to say!

Back home, I decided to take Laura’s family recipe for Stuffing Balls and turn ’em into Thanksgiving Stuffing Muffins. I chose her version as the stuffing balls already seemed very similar to stuffing muffins. The biggest difference is the muffin version needs a bit more chicken stock and another egg. The mixture needs to be ‘wetter’ so that it can be pressed down into a muffin tin rather than pressed into balls.

For these Thanksgiving Stuffing Muffins, you don’t need to worry about leaving the loaf of white bread out overnight. The breads gets cut into cubes and tossed with melted butter. Then it goes into the oven for a few minutes to toast and dry out a bit. Plus, starting a stuffing recipe with buttery toasted white bread is such a better idea than using stale bread, right!?

This recipe truly is Thanksgiving comfort food at its best! It’s not terribly difficult to make, either…although it is a bit messy. (I chose to just get right in there and use my hands to fill and pack the muffin cups. It was much faster than trying to spoon in the unbaked filling.)

Ingredients

• White Bread and Butter. Use a cheap loaf of white sandwich bread. The cheapest loaf you can find is perfectly fine. And if it’s already a bit stale when you buy it? All the better! The bread gets cubed up and tossed in a large bowl with melted butter.
• Mild Italian Sausage. I used a pound of ground mild Italian sausage. Feel free to use hot Italian sausage for a spicy kick! And if you can’t find ground mild sausage, just grab links and remove the sausage from the casing. (Sometimes I can only find sweet Italian sausage in ground form…so cutting the casings off is an easy way to achieve the same goal.)
• Onion, Celery and Garlic. Classic combination of aromatics that contributes loads of flavor to this recipe!
• Fresh Herbs. You can certainly use dried herbs, but fresh herbs really boost the flavor in these stuffing muffins. If you use dried herbs, just use ⅓ the amount of fresh herbs.
• Eggs and Chicken Broth. The broth helps soften the mixture and turn it into something that can be pressed into muffin cups. The eggs help bind the mixture together as it bakes.

How to Store Leftovers

I love this recipe. It’s delicious! But there will be leftovers. (Well, unless you have a family of 12…) Part of the fun of Thanksgiving is having Thanksgiving leftovers for the whole weekend, right?? Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, place in an oven or toaster oven at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. You could zap leftovers in the microwave, too. That’ll be faster but the texture would be as good.

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Muffins also freeze well! Just place them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 4 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for about 30 minutes before reheating as normal. I don’t recommend freezing them unbaked, though.

I know everyone has a long list of favorite Thanksgiving side dishes, but if you’re looking for one more…these stuffing muffins are pretty fantastic! I hope you and your family enjoy these as much as we do. Cheers!

Did you bake this Thanksgiving Stuffing Muffins recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Thanksgiving Stuffing Muffins

These Thanksgiving Stuffing Muffins feature all of the traditional Thanksgiving flavors…baked in a muffin tin! They're also single-serve, so they're perfect for holiday gatherings with family and friends.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 12 muffins

Calories: 351kcal

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Ingredients

• 1 20-oz. loaf sliced white bread, cut into 1” cubes
• ½ cup unsalted butter melted
• 16 oz. bulk mild Italian sausage see note
• 1 medium white onion diced
• 3 celery stalks sliced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• ¾ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Spray 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray; set pan aside.
• Using a large bowl, add bread cubes and butter; toss until well coated.
• Spread bread cubes evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
• Remove bread cubes from oven and place in a large bowl.
• Increase oven temperature to 350°F.
• Meanwhile, place sausage in a medium skillet and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, or until fully cooked. Transfer cooked sausage into bowl with the bread cubes.
• Using the same skillet, add onions and celery; sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, or until softened.
• Add garlic, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir until well combined. Continue sauteing, stirring often, for 1-2 more minutes.
• Transfer onion mixture into bowl with the bread cubes; stir until well combined.
• Using a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and chicken broth. Pour egg mixture into bowl with the bread cubes; stir until well combined. (Tip: Make sure to mix well or the muffins might not hold together once baked!)
• Divide mixture evenly into the cups of the muffin tin. Press the stuffing down firmly into each of the cups. (Tip: I just used my hands for this step. It’s messy, but much easier!)
• Bake at 350°F for 26-28 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and internal temperature is at least 160°F.
• Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then run a thin spatula or knife around each muffin cup to loosen the muffins.
• Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm.

Notes

If bulk sausage is not available, just use links and remove the sausage from the casing.

Looking for more Thanksgiving side dish recipes? Check out these other favorites, too: