This crock pot stuffing is a mix of bread cubes, sauteed vegetables and seasonings, all placed in the slow cooker to create a flavorful and delicious side dish. A great way to free up oven space when you’re making a big holiday meal!
I like to use a slow cooker for side dishes on Thanksgiving to keep my oven open for the main course turkey. Some of my favorites include slow cooker creamed corn, slow cooker glazed carrots and this crock pot stuffing.
I always run into an issue when I’m preparing a holiday meal: not enough oven space! To solve this problem, I turn to other appliances such as my smoker, slow cooker or Instant Pot. This crock pot stuffing has the same classic taste, but doesn’t require an oven which makes it super convenient.
How do you make crock pot stuffing?
Start by cutting your bread into cubes, then you can either bake it in the oven, or let it sit out overnight to dry out. Cook the onions and celery in butter until they’re soft, then place the vegetables in a large bowl with the bread cubes. Add herbs, eggs and chicken broth to the bowl, then toss everything together to combine. Coat a large crock pot with cooking spray, then drizzle butter over the top. Cover and cook on high, then low heat, until the stuffing is done. Finally, sprinkle the stuffing with fresh parsley and serve.
Tips for the perfect dish
- You can use any type of bread you like for this dish, but choose something with texture such as a baguette, Italian loaf, rustic bread or hearty sliced white bread.
- It’s super important to let the bread dry so that the final product has the correct consistency.
- Leftovers will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for 2 months.
- This recipe can also be made in the oven. Simply follow the recipe as directed, then spoon the stuffing mixture into a baking dish and bake at 375 degrees F for 40 minutes.
Can you prepare stuffing in advance?
The components of this dish can be prepared before the big day. Feel free to make the bread cubes up to 3 days in advance, and the vegetables can be cooked the day before. If the bread and veggies are ready, all you have to do is toss them together with the herbs, eggs and broth, then place in the slow cooker.
Crock Pot stuffing flavor variations
While this recipe is great as-is, there are so many different ingredients you can add to customize your stuffing flavor.
- Protein: Add 1 pound of cooked crumbled sausage, 3/4 cup cooked diced bacon or sliced smoked sausage.
- Vegetables: You can’t go wrong with extra veggies including fennel, leeks, mushrooms or carrots.
- Fruit: Stir in some sauteed chopped apples, dried cranberries or dried figs.
- Seasonings: Feel free to add other types of fresh or dried herbs, chopped nuts or even cheese.
Once you see how simple it is to make crock pot stuffing, you’ll want to serve it for Thanksgiving each and every year!
More holiday side dishes you’ll enjoy
- Cauliflower Casserole
- Candied Yams
- Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Cranberry Salad
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Crock Pot Stuffing Video
Crock Pot Stuffing
Ingredients
- 10 cups hearty white bread cubes such as French bread, country style bread or sliced hearty white bread, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 10 tablespoons butter divided use
- 1 cup onion finely diced
- 1 cup celery sliced
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1/4 cup sage leaves finely chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves chopped, divided use
- 2 teaspoons thyme leaves
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups chicken or turkey broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Leave the bread out overnight spread out on baking sheets to get stale. Or, you can bake your bread cubes at 225 degrees F, stirring occasionally, until they get crisp which should take about one hour.
- Coat a 6 quart crock pot with cooking spray.
- Melt 8 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 5-7 minutes or until tender.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Place the bread cubes in a very large bowl, then add the cooked vegetables.
- Add the sage, 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley and thyme leaves to the bowl.
- Add the eggs, chicken broth, salt and pepper to the bowl. Toss gently until everything is well combined.
- Spoon the stuffing into the crock pot. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and drizzle it over the top.
- Cover the crock pot. Cook on HIGH for 30 minutes, then switch the heat to LOW and cook for 4 hours.
- Uncover the pot, then sprinkle the remaining parsley over the top and serve.
Robert says
This was really simple and good. The house smelled so “cozy” as it simmered on low for 4 hours. Thank you! So many stuffing recipes are needlessly complicated. I made a double batch for a church gathering at my home and not a crumb was left. That says it all.
Eden says
I always say the crockpot must be used during Thanksgiving and what better way to make this flavorful stuffing! Genius recipe and perfect for Thanksgiving!
Jessica Formicola says
My family likes “holiday food” all year round, so I made this stuffing last weekend with a turkey breast. Let me just tell you, it was amazing! And so glad to be able to save room in the oven for other things!
Andrea Thueson says
This stuffing recipe was the perfect blend of flavor and was so tasty! I cannot wait to make it for Thanksgiving!
Beth says
This stuffing was such a delicious and very flavorful recipe! I love that it’s made in the crock pot! Easy and makes our house smell so yummy!
Beth says
We love this recipe and I can’t wait to make this for Thanksgiving or Christmas! Such a delicious and very tasty recipe that will definitely be a hit here!
Beth Sachs says
This stuffing sounds perfect for Christmas. So flavourful and easy to make.
Dannii says
I am so excited to make this for Christmas. It looks amazing.
Tavo says
This stuffing was really delicious! My favorite now!
Denay DeGuzman says
As I prepped Cornish hens, my daughter assembled this delicious crock pot stuffing. It was easy to make and so good!
Anjali says
This stuffing is so satisfying and delicious – and I love that it can be made in the crock pot! Makes it super convenient to add to my holiday spread!