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These make-ahead friendly Stuffing Muffins are the perfect way to pre-portion stuffing for your Thanksgiving table! A classic stuffing mix is made from day-old bread, fresh herbs and classic seasonings before being baked in a muffin tin for perfectly-sized stuffing muffins with and extra-crunchy exterior yet a still tender middle.
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why I Love Serving Stuffing Muffins At Thanksgiving
- By baking a classically seasoned stuffing mix (fresh thyme and sage, onions, celery and garlic) in a muffin pan, you get perfectly portioned stuffing muffins with plenty of surface area for super crispy edges.
- Because these stuffing muffins are pre-portioned, they’re both great for calculating enough for everyone around your holiday table (but remember to make a few extra as people will want seconds!) and for portion-control if you’re watching what you eat during the holidays without comprimising on flavor.
- To cut down on Thanksgiving stress, these Stuffing Muffins are actually best made a day ahead: simply assemble and refrigerate unbaked in the tin, then bake straight from the fridge, adding an extra 5 minutes to make up for the cooler starting temp.
What I Learned Testing This Recipe
- I found the best way to make sure your muffins don’t fall apart is to pack them well into the muffin cups (so that the egg mixture can help them stick together), and not to skip the 5 minutes before removing them from the pan after baking which is to help them firm up.
- Also, don’t be tempted to mess with the 5 minute soaking time. I found that 5 minutes is the perfect time to get the mixture absorbed into the bread so you don’t end up with dry patches, and also just right to make sure they don’t turn too soggy.
- The stuffing mix should look slightly too wet before it goes into the muffin tin. The bread will continue to absorb the broth as it rests and while it bakes, so a mixture that looks dry when you’re assembling it can produce dry stuffing muffins.
- 1/2-inch is the right size for the bread cubes, I tried larger pieces and they did not pack properly into the muffin tin, and smaller ones yielded muffins that did not have enough texture.
Ingredients
French bread or sourdough – Both work, but it needs to be day-old bread to stop turn muffins turning soggy. Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes.
Butter – For cooking the vegetable base. For dairy-free muffins, sub in your favorite neutral cooking oil.
Yellow onion and celery – Diced. You could also sub in white or brown onion.
Garlic – Fresh will provide the best flavor, but you could use pre-minced for ease.
Fresh sage, thyme and parsley – Fresh herbs are key here to the most fragrant, aromatic stuffing muffins. But, if you do need to use dried herbs use half amounts.
Eggs – To bind the muffins and stop them falling apart.
Chicken broth – This will absorb into the bread for tender, super-flavorful muffins. Don’t worry, use the right amount and it won’t turn them soggy! Turkey broth would also work to lean into the Thanksgiving vibes, and vegetable broth will turn these muffins vegetarian!
Cooking spray – For the muffin tins, to stop the muffins sticking. You could also butter the pan or brush with neutral oil.
Leftovers & Storage Tips
Leftover stuffing muffins will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, bake them in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes until they’re crisp and heated through.
You can also freeze these muffins ahead! Bake, and allow them to cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and then reheat them in the oven (again, at about 350°F for 10-15 minutes).
Frequently Asked Questions
Probably because your bread was not stale enough, this is why these stuffing muffins must be made with day-old bread. If you need to make these muffins with fresh bread, toast the bread cubes in the oven first until dry. 10 minutes at 375°F should do it!
Yes! Bake the stuffing in a buttered baking dish instead. You might need to adjust the cooking time (it will probably take longer) based on the depth of the stuffing in your chosen dish.
Yes, and it will make it so much easier to remove the muffins from the pan. But, you won’t get the same amount of browning and crispiness as you would using a metal pan.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Make-ahead Stuffing Muffins
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin tin
Ingredients
- 1 pound day-old French bread or sourdough cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- cooking spray for the muffin tin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. If your bread isn't already stale, spread the cubes on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for 10 minutes to dry it out — fresh bread turns to mush instead of holding its shape!
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, sage, and thyme and cook another 30 seconds, until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and chicken broth. Add the toasted bread cubes and the onion mixture, along with the parsley, and toss until the bread is evenly coated and starting to soften. Let it sit for 5 minutes so the bread can soak up the liquid.
- Generously spray a 12-cup muffin tin. Divide the mixture evenly among the cups, packing each one down gently and mounding the top slightly — they won’t rise much, so what goes in is close to what comes out.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tops are golden and crisp and the edges are set. Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before running a knife around the edges and lifting them out.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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