Name: Easy Christmas Buttery Apple Herb Stuffing
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 13 pieces White Loaf (cubed ); 3 ribs Celery (chopped); 1 medium Brown Onion (diced); 1 Chicken Stock Cube; 200 ml Water; 4 cloves Garlic (minced ); 1 teaspoon Dried Sage; 2 teaspoons Dried Rosemary; ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme; 150 grams Unsalted Butter; 1 tablespoon Olive Oil; 3 medium Eggs; 60 ml Heavy Cream; 2 teaspoons Black Pepper; 1 Red Apple (peeled, cored and cubed)

Stuffing, a savory or sweet mixture used to fill poultry or other foods, has a history spanning thousands of years. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations like the Egyptians, who stuffed birds with grains, liver, and spices, and the Romans, who included stuffing recipes in the Apicius cookbook, using ingredients like vegetables and herbs. During the Middle Ages, stuffing became popular in European cuisine as a way to enhance flavor and stretch small amounts of meat, often combining breadcrumbs, dried fruits, herbs, or suet. Meanwhile, English cooks developed ‘forcemeat’, finely ground mixtures for meats and pies.In the United States, stuffing refers to cornmeal and cranberries, making stuffing a centerpiece of Thanksgiving traditions. Today, stuffing has countless variations—from Southern cornbread stuffing to Mediterranean dolmas and Eastern European cabbage rolls—highlighting its universal appeal.

Across cultures and centuries, stuffing remains a flavorful, creative, and adaptable culinary tradition. But time and time again, I think we all kinda get confused about what stuffing really is. Is it a separate dish? Is it stuffed in a bird or vegetable? What is it made of? The easiest explanation I can find, which is indirectly implied in the above mini history crash course on stuffing – is that stuffing evolved from just something you fill in the cavity of a bird to something you can make and cook entirely separately. Stuffing can also have different ingredients and be used differently from country to country. Whatever it may be, we can safely agree that nothing hits like a good stuffing (inside or outside the bird). It is a great way to complement the main dish—in this case, the side dish to the Easy One Pan Christmas Roast Chicken in the first recipe of the 2024 Christmas Edition Dinner Mini Series, which makes this Easy Christmas Buttery Apple Herb Stuffing the second recipe in this mini series.

Now, not to toot my own horn (I’ll toot it anyways, hahaha), but this is a stuffing recipe you’ll want to keep in mind for this Christmas and the next. It’s easy, affordable, uses a lot of ingredients you might already have in your pantry, is crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, full of flavor, and pairs incredibly well with my Easy One Pan Christmas Roast Chicken—or, quite honestly, any roast you plan to make.

So, run and make this and tag me on social media—I’d love to see your recreations and share them! Or, leave a comment and rate the recipe below.

BEE ROLL

TIPS & TRICKS / SUBSTITUTIONS

TIPS & TRICKS

Baking Easy One Pan Christmas Roast & Easy Christmas Buttery Apple Herb Stuffing together

If you are making this with Easy One Pan Christmas Roast and have an oven that can fit both a 30×20 cm baking dish and a 34×23 cm baking dish together, you can easily bake the Easy One Pan Christmas Roast and Easy Christmas Buttery Apple Herb Stuffing side by side. Remove the stuffing once it is done, and allow the roast chicken to continue baking until fully cooked. This method works perfectly, as both the roast chicken and stuffing bake at the same oven temperature, which also saves time.

HOW TO MAKE EASY CHRISTMAS BUTTERY APPLE HERB STUFFING

Preheat the oven to 180°C (with fan) or 200°C (without fan).
Begin by slicing the bread into rough cube sizes— the size doesn’t really matter, but avoid making them too large. Just aim for even pieces. Set aside. Prep the vegetables and fruit: cube a medium onion, chop the celery ribs into small chunks, peel, core, and cube the apple, and mince the garlic cloves. Set everything on a large plate and set aside as well.

In a small bowl, add the eggs and heavy cream (my third egg was playing peekaboo here), whisk everything well, and set aside. In a large pan, add butter and olive oil over medium heat, allowing the butter to melt. The olive oil ensures the butter doesn’t burn. Add the cubed onion, chopped celery, and minced garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes.

Next, add the cubed apple along with the dried sage, rosemary, and thyme. Sauté for another minute. Be careful not to sauté for too long, as we don’t want the dried herbs to burn or the apples to overcook—we want to retain some crispness from the apple for added texture in the stuffing. Add the crushed chicken stock cube and sauté for 30 seconds.

Add the cubed bread pieces and mix everything together well. Lastly, add water to moisten the bread—don’t worry, this won’t make your stuffing soggy. Stir everything thoroughly and let it cook in the pan for 1 more minute, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the stuffing from the pan to a 30×20 cm baking dish. Finally, pour the egg and heavy cream mixture evenly over the stuffing. Use a spatula to move the bread slightly around to ensure the mixture is evenly distributed.

Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crisp (see Tips & Tricks). This stuffing will be super fluffy and soft on the inside, with a crunchy, crisp top—the best of both worlds! Serve immediately (caution: it may still be very hot inside) as a side dish alongside roast chicken, topped with a side of gravy for a cozy Christmas dinner!

STORAGE

You can store the remaining stuffing in the same baking dish, covered with plastic wrap or foil, in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat, pour about 50-100 ml of water or chicken stock over the stuffing (depending on the amount of leftovers), then bake, covered, at 180°C (with fan) or 200°C (without fan) for 20 minutes. After that, uncover and bake for an additional 25 minutes.