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This classic gluten-free stuffing recipe will quickly become your favorite gluten-free thanksgiving side dish.
Forget skipping on the stuffing this Thanksgiving this year because gluten-free stuffing does exist, and you won't believe how good it is. This recipe has been a must-have around our Thanksgiving table for years, and now you can share this recipe with your family and loved ones this holiday season and for many years to come.
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Is stuffing gluten-free?
No, not all stuffing is gluten-free. Most are made with traditional bread, which contains wheat. The only time stuffing is gluten-free is if it is made with gluten-free bread and all of the remaining ingredients used are, in fact, gluten-free. Always check and make sure that the stuffing is gluten-free if you are on a gluten-free diet before consuming it.
Ingredients.
- Gluten-free bread.
- Carrots
- Celery
- Mushrooms
- Onion
- Ground Sausage
- Stock
- Eggs
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Garlic
- Spices
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Ingredients notes and substitutions.
- Gluten-free bread. - We are NOT using store-bought gluten-free dried bread cubs for this gluten-free stuffing recipe. You want to use fresh gluten-free bread. You can use your favorite homemade gluten-free bread or store-bought. I like to use Canyon Bakehouse country white or mountain white bread to make this recipe.
- Butter. - The butter is the only added bit of dairy to this gluten-free stuffing. If you want dairy-free stuffing, just use a dairy-free alternative instead of butter. You will also want to make sure that the bread you are using is dairy-free. (The Canyon Bakehouse breads are dairy-free.)
- Vegetables. - This stuffing uses a classic combination of yellow onions, mushrooms, celery, and carrots. The four of them create a nice balance of flavors and textures in the stuffing. If you really don't want to add one of them, feel free to leave it out.
- Eggs. - Adding the eggs helps to hold everything together. If you can't have eggs, just leave them out and add a bit more stock as needed. You will also want to make sure you are using egg-free bread. I know that both Katz and Schar brands both make gluten-free bread that is also egg-free. Be sure to use their deli style bread to make this gluten-free stuffing recipe.
- Sausage. - The sausage makes this a gluten-free sausage stuffing. If you want to make this without or substitute a vegan alternative and make it vegetarian, you can do that.
- Stock. - I tend to use bone broth for making stuffing. I find it has the most flavor. You can also use any chicken or vegetable stock that you prefer. Make sure to read the labels for your stock since not all broths and stocks are gluten-free.
Steps.
Step 1. Cook the sausage (if using) and saute the vegetables.
- Brown the sausage.
- Add the butter to the sausage.
- Combine the chopped vegetables with the butter and sausage.
- Saute until the vegetables have softened.
Step 2. Assemble the stuffing.
- Cube and lightly toast the gluten-free bread.
- Mix the eggs and stock together in a bowl.
- Combine the toasted gluten-free bread with the sausage and vegetable mixture.
- Pour the stock and egg mixture over the bread and vegetables and lightly toss.
Step 3. Bake the stuffing.
- Transfer the stuffing to a baking dish.
- Cover it with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Tips and tricks.
- Don't use dried gluten-free bread cubes. - I know brands like Aleia's, Three Bakers, and places like Trader Joe's make gluten-free stuffing mixes, but you won't get the same results. Those pieces of bread have been dried out so much that the bread almost disintegrates once you try to make it into actual stuffing.
- Cut the gluten-free bread into equal pieces. - For the best results texture-wise, I find cutting the gluten-free bread into about half an inch size pieces before toasting the bread makes the best gluten-free stuffing.
- Don't over-toast the bread. - I place the bread into a 400-degree oven for about 5-7 minutes. Flip the pieces over and let them go for another 3-5 minutes. You want them toasted but not crumbly.
- Chop the vegetables smaller than the bread. - This might be a given, but make sure you are cutting the vegetables smaller than the bread. The vegetables and the sausage come together with the egg and stock, pulling the gluten-free bread in to make them into delicious stuffing. If the pieces are larger, the stuffing won't hold together and will just be pieces of bread scattered with vegetables.
- Taste test. - Might sound odd, but when it comes to dishes like stuffing, flavors can either become overpowering or lost. Making sure your spices are where you want them to be as you assemble it can make a difference in the final results.
- Wetter or dryer gluten-free stuffing. - If you like a softer, wetter stuffing that resembles stove top stuffing, then you'll want to increase the stock to 2 ½ cups. If you like your stock a little drier, you can reduce the stock to 1 ¾ cups.
- Be careful mixing the egg and stock mixture with the gluten-free bread and vegetables. -Gluten-free bread breaks down easily. You want to make sure to gently fold the two together. If you find your bread is falling apart, stop stirring and transfer it to a baking dish. Once in the baking dish, you can finish adding the stock and egg mixture where it's needed to mix the stuffing together.
- Bake covered and then uncovered. - Baking the stuffing first covered allows the stuffing to come together and cook evenly without drying out.
Make ahead.
While I don't completely recommend making this gluten-free stuffing completely ahead of time, there are some things you can do prep that will make it come together faster the day you make it.
- Prep the bread. - You can let the gluten-free bread dry out at room temperature overnight. You can even go ahead and toast it a day or two ahead of time.
- Make the sausage and vegetable filling. - You can cook the ground sausage with the vegetables ahead of time. Just let them cool and store them in a container in the fridge for up to three days ahead of time.
- Then all you have to do is mix everything together with the eggs and stock the day you want to bake it off.
Storing leftovers.
To me, there is nothing better than Thanksgiving leftovers. Luckily leftovers of this gluten-free stuffing can be stored in a container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
To reheat: You can either place it in a 350-degree oven for about 15-20 minutes or until warmed through. You can also reheat the stuffing in the microwave.
Serving suggestions.
This gluten-free stuffing recipe is always on our Thanksgiving table for dinner alongside some of our other favorites, like my gluten-free green bean casserole, with crispy gluten-free fried onions. There is no wrong way to serve delicious stuffing.
Stuffing for a crowd.
This gluten-free stuffing recipe makes enough for one 9x13 baking dish or about nine servings worth of stuffing. If you want to make gluten-free stuffing for a larger crowd, you can easily double this recipe as needed.
While it won't matter, doubling and cooking the sausage and vegetables together. I do suggest mixing separately, so you do not overmix the stuffing and have the gluten-free bread fall apart.
More gluten-free side dishes.
From a delicious gluten-free Thanksgiving to your everyday dinner table, these gluten-free side dishes are always a hit.
📖 Recipe
Easy Classic Gluten-free Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 15 Ounce Loaf of Gluten-free Bread I recommend Canyon Bakehouse country white bread.
- 1-2 Cups Ground Sausage Leave out for vegetarian stuffing.
- 1 ½ Cups Carrots Small diced.
- 1 ½ Cups Celery Small diced.
- 1 ½ Cups Mushrooms Small diced.
- 1 Medium Onion Small diced.
- 2 Cups Chicken Stock
- 2 Large Eggs See notes for egg-free.
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Butter See notes for dairy-free.
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Sage
- ½ Teaspoon Thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 °Fdegrees.
- In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat until it is cooked through.1-2 Cups Ground Sausage
- Once the sausage is cooked, add the butter to the sausage and let it melt.2 Tablespoons Butter
- Add the diced vegetables to the sausage and continue to cook until the vegetables have started to soften.1 ½ Cups Carrots, 1 ½ Cups Celery, 1 ½ Cups Mushrooms, 1 Medium Onion
- Add the spices to the sausage and vegetables.2 Teaspoons Salt, 1 ½ Teaspoons Pepper, 1 Teaspoon Sage, ½ Teaspoon Thyme
- Set the sausage and vegetable mixture aside.
- Cut the loaf of gluten-free bread into pieces about ½ an inch in size.1 15 Ounce Loaf of Gluten-free Bread
- Transfer the cut bread to a baking sheet and drizzle the bread with the olive oil.2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Bake the bread in the preheated oven for about 5-7 minutes, flip and then bake it for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until the bread is lightly toasted.
- Remove the toasted bread from the oven and let it cool.
- Reduce the oven temperature 350 °F degrees.
- In a small bowl, mix the chicken stock and eggs together and whisk until you can no longer see the eggs. The stock will look cloudy.2 Cups Chicken Stock, 2 Large Eggs
- In a large mixing bowl, gently fold the toasted gluten-free bread with the sausage and vegetable mixture.
- Slowly pour the stock and egg mixture into the bread mixture and fold to coat.
- Transfer the stuffing mix to a baking dish.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake covered for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Let the stuffing cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Don't use dried gluten-free bread cubes. - I know brands like Aleia's, Three Bakers, and places like Trader Joe's make gluten-free stuffing mixes, but you won't get the same results. Those pieces of bread have been dried out so much that the bread almost disintegrates once you try to make it into actual stuffing.
- Cut the gluten-free bread into equal pieces. - For the best results texture-wise, I find cutting the gluten-free bread into about half an inch size pieces before toasting the bread makes the best gluten-free stuffing.
- Don't over-toast the bread. - I place the bread into a 400-degree oven for about 5-7 minutes. Flip the pieces over and let them go for another 3-5 minutes. You want them toasted but not crumbly.
- Chop the vegetables smaller than the bread. - This might be a given, but make sure you are cutting the vegetables smaller than the bread. The vegetables and the sausage come together with the egg and stock, pulling the gluten-free bread in to make them into delicious stuffing. If the pieces are larger, the stuffing won't hold together and will just be pieces of bread scattered with vegetables.
- Taste test. - Might sound odd, but when it comes to dishes like stuffing, flavors can either become overpowering or lost. Making sure your spices are where you want them to be as you assemble it can make a difference in the final results.
- Wetter or dryer gluten-free stuffing. - If you like a softer, wetter stuffing that resembles stove top stuffing, then you'll want to increase the stock to 2 ½ cups. If you like your stock a little drier, you can reduce the stock to 1 ¾ cups.
- Be careful mixing the egg and stock mixture with the gluten-free bread and vegetables. -Gluten-free bread breaks down easily. You want to make sure to gently fold the two together. If you find your bread is falling apart, stop stirring and transfer it to a baking dish. Once in the baking dish, you can finish adding the stock and egg mixture where it's needed to mix the stuffing together.
- Bake covered and then uncovered. - Baking the stuffing first covered allows the stuffing to come together and cook evenly without drying out.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag a photo #grainfreetable or @grainfreetable on Instagram. I'd love to see what you come up with!
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