Ingredients
Cooking spray, for Crock-Pot
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp. sage, finely chopped
2 large eggs, beaten
2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
7 c. stale bread, cubed into small pieces
1 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
Preparation
Step 1In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. When melted, add celery, onion, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.Step 2Grease the bowl of your Crock-Pot and add your cubed bread. Pour vegetable mixture, eggs, broth, and parsley over bread. Toss to combine and cover. Step 3Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, stirring after 2 hours have passed. Garnish with parsley before serving.
Keep these few things in mind when making this slow-cooker stuffing and you’ll be cool as a cucumber on the big day: Sautéing = flavor. Plenty of slow cooker recipes are just dump and go. This one requires a little extra effort, but it makes a huge difference in the final product. Sautéing the herbs and vegetables in a separate pan allows the flavors to open up and infuse the stuffing. Throwing in raw vegetables will work (you’ll still have to brown any meat separately if you want to use it), but the flavors will be much more subtle than a classic stuffing. Alternatively, you can use an Instant Pot for this recipe: it has a sauté function for the veggies and meat, as well as a slow-cooker setting. Adding meat is easy. Big fan of sausage stuffing? Start by browning your favorite sausage in a medium skillet, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Use the sausage fat and half the amount of butter called for in the recipe to sauté the rest of your veggies and herbs. This will infuse your stuffing with tons of extra flavor. Not a fan of sausage? Try chopped bacon! You really can set it and forget it. Thanksgiving is hectic, we get it! This is the perfect dish to set aside while you prepare everything else. After the 3 hour cook time, switch the pot to the “keep warm” setting — just give it a stir every 30 minutes or so to make sure the bread around the edges doesn’t dry out. If the stuffing is ready hours before dinner time, you can add up to ¼ cup of broth every few hours to keep things hydrated. Looking for more recipes for Thanksgiving dinner? Check out our favorite Thanksgiving sides to round out your menu, and you can’t forget about the Thanksgiving desserts — Homemade Pumpkin Pie, anyone? Made this? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!
