This easy crockpot stuffing recipe is made from scratch with dried bread cubes and fresh vegetables. Save yourself some oven space and prep your favorite side in the slow cooker!
Why this recipe works
To start, crockpot stuffing beats the boxed stuff by a long mile. Plus, it saves space in the oven during the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Lastly, it’s arguably the best side dish on the Thanksgiving table, especially when made from scratch. This slow cooker version basically checks every box.
Once you learn how to make stuffing in the crockpot, I promise there’s no going back! We’ve turned to the slow cooker for more than one dish to help take the load off our shoulders the day of. Crockpot mashed potatoes, crockpot macaroni and cheese, and now of course, this easy crockpot stuffing, all of which have been major time savers – especially because they are transportable too.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
STUFFING – From white, brown, sourdough to Italian bread, just about any kind of bread works well for making stuffing. You can even use hamburger or hot dog buns if that’s what you have on hand, as long as its dried and cubed. Though, we are partial to a slightly more structured bread because it holds up better than fluffy bread. You can easily substitute with store-bought unseasoned bread cubes. I typically like to add a cup or so more if using store-bought cubes as they’re typically smaller than homemade cubes.
How to Make Crockpot Stuffing
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Spray the base of the Crockpot with non-stick spray (or grease with butter) and set aside.
- Melt butter in a medium-large pan and cook the onions and celery for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow them to cool slightly.
- Add bread cubes into a large bowl and season with salt, dried thyme, poultry seasoning, and black pepper.
- Add the cooked vegetables and butter to the bread and mix well again.
- Start by adding 2 cups of stock to the bread, mix well, then add the remaining ½ cup and mix until all the bread is wet. The bread cubes should still hold their shape so be gentle when mixing.
- Add the two whisked eggs in, mixing carefully again, then transfer the bread cube mixture to the Crockpot base.
- Cook on high for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional 4 hours.
- Season with fresh thyme and any additional salt and pepper if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Drying bread to make stuffing is really simple. You can either slice your bread into cubes and let it rest on a baking sheet (uncovered and exposed to air) for around 24 hours. Or, for a quicker alternative, you can follow the same process that you would when making homemade croutons which is drying the cubes out in the oven. However, you’ll want to be careful not to brown the cubes, you simply want to dry them out. Keep an eye on them in the oven!
You can sautee the onions and celery in butter, allow it to cool, then transfer it to an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator a day ahead of time. Of course, you can also dry out your bread cubes and prep your herbs and seasonings ahead of time as well. When ready to assemble, pop the veggie and butter mixture into the microwave to remelt the butter and continue with the recipe as you would normally. These little steps will remove extra work the day of, especially if you’re making this stuffing for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Yes, absolutely. Feel free to toss in some cooked crumbled sausage for even more flavor! Add the cooked sausage to the bread cube mixture before transferring it to the crockpot.
Store leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Serving Suggestions
This easy crockpot stuffing recipe makes an excellent base for all sorts of additions from carrots to mushrooms, garlic, and other classics like crumbled sausage and herbs.
You can play around with the herbs you add to this dish. Dried thyme and poultry seasoning are a staple in my book, but marjoram, sage, rosemary, and parsley all pair beautifully with homemade stuffing.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
- Roasted Turkey
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Homemade Green Bean Casserole
- Homemade Pull Apart Dinner Rolls
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Crockpot Stuffing
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1 stick
- 1 large yellow onion chopped small, about 1 1/2 cups
- 3 ribs celery chopped, about 1 cup
- 1 loaf bread dried and cubed. a standard size loaf of bread should yield about 10-12 cups of dried cubes
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 large eggs whisked
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- Feel free to toss in some cooked crumbled sausage for even more flavor!
- To dry your bread, you can either slice it into cubes and let it rest on a baking sheet (uncovered and exposed to air) for around 24 hours. Or, for a quicker alternative, you can follow the same process that you would when making homemade croutons which is drying the cubes out in the oven. However, you’ll want to be careful not to brown the cubes, you simply want to dry them out. Keep an eye on them in the oven.
- From white, brown, sourdough to Italian bread, just about any kind of bread works well for making stuffing. You can easily substitute with store-bought unseasoned bread cubes. I typically like to add a cup or so more if using store-bought cubes as they’re typically smaller than homemade cubes.
- You can play around with the herbs you add to this dish. Marjoram, sage, rosemary, and parsley all pair beautifully with homemade stuffing.
Instructions
- Spray the base of the Crockpot with non-stick spray (or grease with butter) and set aside.
- Melt butter in a medium-large pan and cook the onions and celery for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow them to cool slightly.
- Add bread cubes into a large bowl and season with salt, dried thyme, poultry seasoning, and black pepper.
- Add the cooked vegetables and butter to the bread and mix well again.
- Start by adding 2 cups of stock to the bread, mix well, then add the remaining ½ cup and mix until all the bread is wet. The bread cubes should still hold their shape so be gentle when mixing.
- Add the two whisked eggs in, mixing carefully again, then transfer the bread cube mixture to the Crockpot base.
- Cook on high for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional 4 hours.
- Season with fresh thyme and any additional salt and pepper if desired.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make Ahead – You can sautee the onions and celery in butter, allow it to cool, then transfer it to an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator a day ahead of time. Of course, you can also dry out your bread cubes and prep your herbs and seasonings ahead of time as well. When ready to assemble, pop the veggie and butter mixture into the microwave to remelt the butter and continue with the recipe as you would normally. These little steps will remove extra work the day of, especially if you’re making this stuffing for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Nutrition
Kristen Rittmer
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