We all love the holidays, don’t we? Spending time with loved ones and feasting on food fit for kings is a wonderful way to celebrate. But one of the best parts of any holiday meal is the stuffing. And what better way to make a tasty stuffing than with French bread?
Let’s find out how to make the perfect French bread stuffing for your holiday meals.
French bread is an iconic food in many countries around the world. From France to New York and everywhere in between, it can be found in bakeries, restaurants, and home kitchens. It is light, crunchy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside, making it perfect for a wide variety of dishes ranging from crostini to sandwiches and even pudding.
So why not use it for your holiday stuffing as well?
Benefits of Using French Bread For Stuffing
Using French bread for stuffing has a few great benefits that you just can’t get with regular white or wheat bread. First, because of its slightly sweet flavor, it adds a unique taste to your dish that you won’t get with plain old sandwich bread.
Additionally, its texture makes it ideal for soaking up all those delicious gravy juices without becoming soggy or crumbling apart. Finally, French bread can hold up to heavy ingredients like sausage and vegetables while still maintaining its delightful flavor and texture.
Preparation and Cooking Process
Now that we know all about using French bread for stuffing let’s get into how to actually make it!
Start by gathering all the ingredients needed including 4-6 cups cubed French bread (day old is best!), butter or oil for sautéing vegetables (optional), about 1 cup diced onion, 1 cup diced celery, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 ½ cups broth (vegetable or chicken stock), salt & pepper to taste, ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, sage) and any other add-ins like cheese or meats such as sausage.
Once you have all your ingredients gathered up it’s time to start cooking!
Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F then lightly grease an 8×8 baking dish with butter or oil and set aside. Next heat 1 tablespoon of butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat then add the diced onion and celery until they are softened and fragrant (about 2-3 minutes).
Once they are done add in the garlic powder then season with salt & pepper before transferring them into a large bowl along with the chopped herbs. Now take your cubed French bread and add it into the bowl as well before pouring over enough broth until everything is moistened but not soggy (you may not need all of it).
Lastly, spoon the mixture into your prepared dish then cover with foil before baking for about 30 minutes until golden brown before serving.
Variations And Serving Suggestions
If you want some extra flavor in your French bread stuffing there are plenty of ways to do so! Feel free to mix up different herbs such as rosemary or oregano. If you don’t have parsley on hand; add spices like cumin or smoked paprika.
You can also toss in some roasted chestnuts for texture or finely chop some apples for sweetness.
Heck, you can even turn it into breakfast stuffings by adding crispy bacon or sausage and then top it off with shredded cheese like Parmesan.
Are you a vegetarian? Sneak some vegetables like carrots or mushrooms into the mix, mix up different types of nuts, add dried fruit such as raisins or cranberries, or incorporate cooked grains like quinoa into your mixture
You can really let your creativity shine!
Ideas For Serving The Stuffing
Now that you’ve perfected this fantastic French Bread Stuffing recipe you may be wondering what else you could do with it besides putting it in a dish alongside roasted poultry or ham. Well, there are lots of ideas!
Try using it as an omelet filling; serve as a side dish topped with gravy; stuff mushrooms with it before baking them; turn into a savory tart topped off with cheese & herbs; use in place of regular sandwich buns when making burgers; build fun crostini towers by layering cubes atop slices of baguette then topping off with different sauces & condiments – again let those creative juices flow!
Conclusion
There you have it – now you possess all the knowledge necessary to make a wonderfully flavorful Holiday French Bread Stuffing that will wow everyone who digs in!
So next time you’re watching parades on tv while snacking on pumpkin-flavored everything give this recipe a try! Your trusty day-old loaf won’t disappoint!