French onion stuffing has all the caramelized onion flavor of a classic French onion soup recipe in stuffing form. It has fresh herbs like parsley and sage, rich broth, savory, warm bread, and gooey Gruyère cheese for a delicious Thanksgiving side dish!
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Why You'll Love This Dish
Calling all French onion soup lovers! You're not going to want to miss this homemade stuffing recipe.
With delicious, golden caramelized onions, rich beef broth, savory, moist bread, fresh herbs and a hint of creamy melted cheese, this is likely to become your new favorite stuffing recipe.
Why will you love it?
It's been professionally tested. I tested this recipe many times to bring out as much French onion flavor as possible, playing with fresh herbs, different types of broth, and seasonings to get the perfect flavor.
It's adaptable.
If you have vegetarian friends coming to dinner, swap the beef broth for vegetable broth and ensure the Gruyère you've chosen is vegetarian.
For your gluten-free pals, swap the bread for a gluten-free option.
It's also just the right texture. The bread is moist but it's also crisp in parts. The onions are soft and caramelized. The cheese is gooey.
It's heaven in a bite.
What You'll Need
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- Bread I like to use a good quality, crusty French bread or Italian loaf that has been sitting for a day or two.
- Butter I recommend using unsalted butter. This way you can determine your own ideal level of seasoning.
- Celery You can either use just celery hearts of the whole stalks. I like to buy whole stalks and save the leaves and other trimmings for a vegetable or chicken broth later in the week.
- Sage I use fresh sage in this recipe for a hint of fall flavor. I don't recommend swapping this for dried sage as there is already dried sage in the poultry seasoning.
- Mushrooms I made this both with cremini mushrooms and button mushrooms and both tasted great.
- Onions I recommend using either yellow onions or sweet onions for this recipe. You'll need about 1.5 pounds, or around 4 small onions or 2 large onions, but be sure to weigh them at the store or at home for the right balance of flavors.
- Poultry Seasoning You can find poultry seasoning in most grocery stores in the dried spices aisle.
- Salt I always recommend using kosher salt in my savory cooking. It is less salty per teaspoon than table salt or sea salt, making it easier to taste as you go and harder to oversalt your food.
- Beef Broth If you have homemade beef broth or beef stock available, this would be a wonderful place to use it. If not, you can use regular beef broth from the store. This can also be swapped for vegetable stock or vegetable broth if you don't consume meat.
- Parsley A few sprigs of fresh parsley add a lot of life to this recipe. I don't recommend switching this for dried parsley.
- Sherry Adding just a bit of sherry is what really made this recipe taste like French onion soup. You only need a really tiny bit! If you can't find it, try using dry vermouth, marsala, or dry white wine.
- Gruyère This is the other ingredient that really made this dish taste like French onion soup. You can swap this for Swiss cheese if needed.
Recommended Equipment
How to Make the Best French Onion Stuffing
Step One: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the bread cubes to a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast for 20 to 30 minutes until the bread is dried out and crisp. Once done, transfer to a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish. Increase the heat of the oven to 375 degrees.
Step Two: Meanwhile, cut the vegetables. Dice the celery.
Step Three: Slice the onions.
Step Four: Roughly chop the parsley.
Step Five Slice the sage leaves.
Step Six Dice the mushrooms.
Step Seven Butter the baking pan or casserole dish.
Step Eight Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the large frying pan. Melt butter. Add the celery and cook for a few minutes over medium heat until softened. Remove the celery.
Step Nine Add the sage to the same frying pan. Cook for a few minutes until slightly crisp.
Step Ten Add the remaining butter to the frying pan and melt. Turn the heat to medium-low. Cook the mushrooms and a pinch of salt in the pan for about 20 minutes, until much of their moisture has cooked out and they are lightly browned.
Step Eleven Add the onions to the pan with the mushrooms, season with salt, and add the poultry seasoning. Caramelize for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every once in a while (5 minutes or so), until the onions are deeply golden, soft, and caramelized.
Step Twelve Increase the heat to medium. Add the sherry wine to the pan with the onions and cook down for a few minutes.
Step Thirteen Add the beef broth to the pan with the chopped parsley. Mix well and season to taste. It should be well-seasoned.
Step Fourteen Pour the broth and onion mixture over the bread in the baking dish. Add the celery and sage. Gently toss with a wooden spoon until everything is well combined.
Step Fifteen: Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, add the pieces of Gruyère cheese to the top of the stuffing, then place back in the oven for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
Step Sixteen: Taste a bite for seasoning, adjust if needed, then serve!
Variations
- Sourdough: You can use sourdough in place of the French or Italian bread here.
- Cornbread: Try swapping the bread for cornbread in this recipe for a little added sweetness.
- Thyme: If you love thyme, feel free to add a bit of fresh or dried thyme to this recipe. You can stir in thyme leaves while caramelizing the onions.
- Pepper: I don't think every dish needs black pepper. However, you're more than welcome to use salt and pepper in place of just salt.
Storage and Reheating
Fridge I recommend storing leftover stuffing in the same dish it was cooked in. Just cover with foil and eat within 3 to 4 days.
Freezer You can freeze stuffing for up to 3 months in small portions. The texture will be softer after it is reheated.
Reheating To reheat leftover stuffing, I keep it in the same casserole dish it was originally cooked in. Cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then uncover and bake an another 15 minutes or so until little crispy bits form.
Reheat frozen stuffing in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, then check every 5 minutes or so until cooked through.
FAQ
Unfortunately no. The USDA has guidance on proper stuffing handling hilariously titled You've Got the Right Stuff(ing). Now that song will be in my head all day.
You can. While I prefer to use Italian or French bread for stuffing, you can use croutons in a pinch. Be sure to use unseasoned croutons and skip the toasting step!
You have to be incredibly patient when caramelizing onions. They take a very long time. If you have cooked the onions for an hour and they still aren't caramelizing, you might have a stove that doesn't produce much heat. Try placing the skillet over medium heat and continuing the cooking process, keeping a close eye on the onions.
This stuffing recipe is packed with flavor, but if you're finding it's missing a little something, try adding a generous pinch of salt and taste it again. Salt is usually the issue with food that tastes a bit bland.
How to Serve this Caramelized Onion Stuffing
This is the best side for Thanksgiving day! You can also serve it for a special treat for friends and family any time of year. Try serving this stuffing with:
Herbes de Provence Roast Chicken: This delicious and simple herbes de Provence roast chicken recipe is the perfect pairing with stuffing.
Roasted Half Chicken: Need a smaller serving? This roast chicken shows you how to cook roast chicken halves.
Christmas Roast Chicken: This wonderful roast Christmas chicken recipe has an orange butter and is dusted with warm spices.
Turkey and Gravy: Try this stuffing with slow-cooker turkey breast with gravy.
Roasted Vegetables: Some roasted broccolini or roasted Brussels sprouts and asparagus are excellent with this dish.
Fruit Salad: Have you ever had a Thanksgiving fruit salad? I totally recommend it! It can be a day with so much heavy food that this is a nice, sweet, crisp respite that's super flavorful, too.
Need a fun appetizer for Thanksgiving? Try this fall charcuterie board! How about a cocktail? This Thanksgiving cocktail is a great choice.
And be sure to round out your meal with a delicious dessert, like these thumbprint cookies with icing.
Expert Tips
- Grease the dish. If you're having trouble with the stuffing sticking to the sides of the pan, you can grease the dish with cooking spray, a bit of butter, or olive oil beforehand.
- Don't be afraid of butter. If your onions seem a bit dry while caramelizing, add a tablespoon of oil or butter. This isn't the place to skimp!
- Simmer the sherry. Be sure to simmer the sherry for a few minutes before adding the beef broth to remove a bit of the alcohol flavor. If you don't consume alcohol, try swapping this for a bit of broth and lemon juice.
- Get an oven thermometer. Ovens can be off by up to 100 degrees when they indicate they are up to temperature. A reliable oven thermometer ensures that your oven temperature is always accurate.
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More Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe
French Onion Stuffing Recipe
Equipment
- Cutting Boards
- Measuring Cups
- Large Skillet
- Large Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Casserole Dish (9 inch by 13 inch)
Ingredients
- 16 ounces bread from an Italian or French loaf
- 10 tablespoons butter divided
- 3 stalks celery
- 8 leaves sage
- 8 ounces mushrooms button or cremini
- 1 ½ pounds onions yellow or sweet
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- kosher salt to taste
- 2 cups beef broth or vegetable broth or stock
- ½ cup parsley
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry or dry vermouth
- 3 ounces Gruyère cheese or to taste, see note 3
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the bread cubes to a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast for 20 to 30 minutes until the bread is dried out and crisp.
- Once done, transfer to a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish. Increase the heat of the oven to 375 degrees.
- Meanwhile, cut the vegetables and herbs. Dice the celery.
- Dice the mushrooms.
- Slice the onions.
- Roughly chop the parsley.
- Slice the sage leaves.
- Dice the Gruyère cheese.
- Butter the baking pan or casserole dish with about 1 tablespoon butter.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the large frying pan. Melt butter. Add the celery and cook for a few minutes over medium heat until softened. Remove the celery.
- Add the sage to the same frying pan. Cook for a few minutes until slightly crisp.
- Add the remaining butter to the frying pan and melt. Turn the heat to medium-low. Cook the mushrooms and a pinch of salt in the pan for about 20 minutes, until much of their moisture has cooked out and they are lightly browned.
- Add the onions to the pan with the mushrooms, season with salt, and add the poultry seasoning. Caramelize for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every once in a while (5 minutes or so), until the onions are deeply golden, soft, and caramelized.
- Increase the heat to medium. Add the sherry wine to the pan with the onions and cook down for a few minutes.
- Add the beef broth to the pan with the chopped parsley. Mix well and season to taste. It should be well-seasoned.
- Pour the broth and onion mixture over the bread in the baking dish. Add the celery and sage. Gently toss with a wooden spoon until everything is well combined.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, add the pieces of Gruyère cheese to the top of the stuffing, then place back in the oven for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Taste a bite for seasoning, adjust if needed, then serve!
Notes
- Do not refrigerate uncooked stuffing.
- Be very patient when caramelizing onions. It can take up to an hour.
- You can also use Swiss cheese in this recipe.
- Fridge I recommend storing leftover stuffing in the same dish it was cooked in. Just cover with foil and eat within 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer You can freeze stuffing for up to 3 months in small portions. The texture will be softer after it is reheated.
- Reheating To reheat leftover stuffing, I keep it in the same casserole dish it was originally cooked in. Cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then uncover and bake an another 15 minutes or so until little crispy bits form.
- Reheat frozen stuffing in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, then check every 5 minutes or so until cooked through.
Jessie says
I loved it best when sauteed with a generous amount of butter. It gave the onions a delectable caramelized masterpiece!
Genevieve says
Thanks Jessie! I updated your comment to remove the typo suggestion as it's been fixed. 🙂