Holiday Stuffing
Meals

Holiday Stuffing

Savory vegetarian holiday stuffing with mushrooms, herbs, bread, broth, and cream.

Ingredients

Bread Base

  • 1 lb day-old bread, cubed

Savory Backbone

  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 10–12 oz mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

Herbs and Seasoning

  • 2 tsp fresh sage, chopped
  • 1½ tsp fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ¾–1 tsp kosher salt

Liquid

  • 2–2½ cups warm vegetable stock
  • ¼ cup heavy cream, optional
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce or vegetarian Worcestershire

Optional Boosters

  • ½ cup grated parmesan
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Pinch white pepper or cayenne

Instructions

1

Dry bread

Spread bread cubes on baking sheets and bake at 300°F for 20–30 minutes until dry but not browned.

2

Build flavor base

Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook slowly until very soft. Add mushrooms and cook until moisture evaporates and they begin to brown. Add garlic and herbs and cook 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.

3

Assemble

Combine dried bread and mushroom mixture in a large bowl. Stir in parmesan and nutritional yeast if using. Whisk warm stock, cream, and soy sauce or Worcestershire. Pour liquid gradually over bread, tossing gently. You want moist, not soupy.

4

Bake covered

Transfer to a buttered dish. Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes.

5

Crisp top

Uncover and bake another 20–25 minutes, until the top is golden and crisp.

Notes

  • Make-ahead: assemble up to 1 day ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Bake from cold, adding 10–15 minutes, and crisp uncovered at the end.
  • Savory variations: add green onion and extra black pepper, add 1 tsp miso to the stock, dot the top with butter before the final bake, or sprinkle extra parmesan in the last 10 minutes.
  • This stuffing works well under roasted vegetables, with gravy, or fried into leftover patties.