It really doesn’t get more all-American than this classic stuffing. We loaded it with fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme, and it can still take any additions you like. Feel free to add dried apricot, diced apple, pine nuts, Italian sausage, or chestnuts. The vegetable stock recipe below really suits this dressing. It has a lot of depth, and you can make it well ahead.

Whole Wheat Bread Stuffing With Fresh Herbs Aplenty

Serves 6-8.
Inspired by Rick Rodger’s Herbed Stuffing.

Ingredients

8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 medium onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 3 cups)
6 stalks celery with leaves, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 14-ounce stale loaf 100% whole wheat bread, such as a batard or levain
1 Tbsp finely minced sage
1 Tbsp finely minced rosemary
1 Tbsp finely minced thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1-1/4 cups hot turkey stock, chicken stock, or vegetable stock, plus 1/2 cup more if baking dressing outside of a bird
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Cooking Instructions

Tear bread into bite-sized chunks.
In a 12-inch skillet or saute pan over moderate heat, heat butter until hot but not smoking. Stir in onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes, until very soft and mellow. It shouldn’t take much color. While it’s cooking, chop fine the sage, rosemary, and thyme.
Transfer to a large bowl and add bread cubes, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir in 1-1/4 cups hot stock.
If using to stuff a bird or birds: Use immediately to fill the bird’s cavity and follow your recipe.
If baking entire recipe as a side dish: Preheat oven to 350°F and butter 3-quart casserole or 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Place stuffing in the dish — be sure to let the crust of the bread be on the surface so it gets nice and toasty in the oven. Drizzle with 1/2 cup hot stock. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until the top is slightly crisp and golden, about 10 minutes longer. Scatter fresh parsley over the top. Serve immediately.

Vegetable Stock

Makes one quart

Ingredients

2 medium onions
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small heart of celery (save the outer stalks for the recipe above)
2 large carrots
5-6 black peppercorns
1 bunch of Italian flat leaf parsley
2 dried shitake mushrooms
1 tsp salt

Cooking Instructions

Roughly chop the onions and place them in a large Dutch oven or saucepan with the olive oil, over medium high heat. Allow to sweat, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, roughly chop the other vegetables, adding them to the pot in turn. Cook for another 5 minutes, then add in 2 quarts of water, the peppercorns, parsley, dried mushrooms and salt.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, allowing it to simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour.
Strain.