Friendsgiving 2017: Easiest Slow Cooker Stuffing.
This is how you make the easiest Thanksgiving side dish in the universe.
It’s no where near the prettiest stuffing, but oh my WORD. I loved it so much. Freaking slow cooker stuffing?!
And let’s just say that I’m kind of particular about stuffing. First off, it’s my all-time favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. Easily. And that is probably because we rarely (if ever) have it outside of the Thanksgiving meal. We never do!
My favorite way to eat stuffing is after it’s, well… stuffed… in the bird. I know this freaks a ton of people out but oh my gosh, it is just so, so flavorful. I adore it. I will always reach for that bowl first.
The only exception that I make is that when there is a big separate pan of stuffing (dressing?), and it has the crispy edges?
AH.
I try to steal them all for myself because they are so delicious. This texture freak loves that crunch, even if it’s already been drenched in gravy.
Which reminds me! Are you a gravy-all-over-the-plate kind of person? Or do you put it exclusively on mashed potatoes?
I unapologetically blanket my entire plate in that good stuff and live it up. I mean, I even LIKE when my canned cranberry sauce accidentally on purpose touches the gravy.
How grossed out are you right now?
Hmmm.
Also important to note: while I am of the camp that #celeryruinseverything, I will eat stuffing with celery in it! I didn’t add it here and used mushrooms instead, but if you’re into the celery, go for it.
But back to our stuffing. While this isn’t IN the bird, it stays super moist (no, there is no other word to use unless you’re okay with “wet stuffing”) and flavorful in the slow cooker AND the rounded edges get a bit of that crisp!
I can’t believe it but this year for Thanksgiving, I’m actually going to utilize my slow cooker for something. As much as I loved this stuffing, I might be using it for mashed potatoes because I still want to put stuffing in the bird. With this method, I find it’s best for a Friendsgiving meal, a meal where you are actually transporting the stuffing to the holiday gathering, or a non-holiday meal!
Heck, why can’t we just be eating stuffing like once a month for dinner? Should probably start making that happen.
Slow Cooker Stuffing
Ingredients
- 16 ounces toasted bread cubes
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 large sweet onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 16 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon chopped freshly thyme
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Begin by making sure your bread cubes are toasted! I like them being toasted over being stale. If you’re using fresh bread, cut it into cubes and heat your oven to 250 degrees F. Place the bread on the baking sheet (or two) and toast it until slightly golden and crunchy, about 1 hour.
- In a large pot (or your slow cooker, if it has the saute option), melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions start to soften. Add in the mushrooms and stir. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, as both the onions and mushrooms continue to soften and get juicy.
- Stir in the sage, rosemary and thyme. Toss in the bread crumbs and stir the mixture together. Remove the pot from the heat (or turn your slow cooker onto the low setting – if you’re using the slow cooker the whole time, wait a few extra minutes for it to cool down.).
- In a measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the chicken stock and the eggs. Whisk in the salt and the pepper. Pour it over the bread cube mixture while stirring to toss and coat. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Before serving, taste and season additionally if needed.
- Serve your stuffing with lots of gravy!
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Ohhh and if you need an idea for leftovers… you can totally make these or mashed potatoes into WAFFLES. Yep yep yep.
50 Comments on “Friendsgiving 2017: Easiest Slow Cooker Stuffing.”
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Oh my gosh, I love this idea!
thanks ashlyn!
I would totally eat stuffing alone!! AND if your plate isn’t swimming….there’s not enough gravy lol! It grosses out my hubby, but I don’t care.
hahaha AGREE so much!
This looks so good! What size slow cooker would you need to make this? :)
I think you’d be good with a 6qt! Mine is a 7qt!
What a fantastic idea! I love this, especially to give more oven room to everything else!
thanks emily! me too!
yum this sounds amazing!!
thanks katie!!
Yeeeees! I’m responsible for the turkey and stuffing this year at Friendsgiving (since my family lives on another coast) and I’m so going to use this recipe! So thanks for helping a girl out.
thanks jackie! let me know how it is!
SLOW COOKER?! This makes life so much easier. I am a sausage in my stuffing freak – do you think i can add fully cooked sausage to the mixture, toss it around, add it to the slow cooker, and it’ll be fine? Never put sausage in a slow cooker before – hmmm.
Yes you can cook the sausage with onions & celery then add to bread. Just cook sausage first. Don’t forget Chicken broth or Stock. Adds lots of flavor!!
Thank you!
yes you can definitely add stuffing! i would brown it first and add it in like you mentioned! also, the slow cooker i use actually can sear/brown meat for you, which is awesome! so it could all be done in one appliance.
THANK YOU! And congrats on your new little turkey.
Can I double this? Do I need to put the bread crumbs in the oven if I have already do red them out till they are crispy? Happy Holidays
i think if you have a 7 or 8 qt slow cooker, you can definitely double it! if you have a 6qt or below, it might be too much?
In college, I maybe would kinda eat a box of Stove Top with melted Munster cheese on top for dinner. Like just for me. A whole box. With cheese. Nothing else.
you’re my hero.
Looks amazing! Can you please link the type of slow cooker you have? Thank you!
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Hi! This looks AMAZING! Do you think it will re-heat well? If I make it tonight and need to re-heat it tomorrow for a potluck?
i usually love stuffing that is reheated (we reheat it in the oven), so i want to say yes, but in reheated it, it might get slightly softer, just FYI! but it will probably be good. :)
Can this cook inside the turkey in slowcooker?
hi mary! i have never made a turkey in the slow cooker so i can’t say for sure – i think the issue is that it might not cook the stuffing the whole way through? i believe that stuffing needs to reach a temp of 165 degrees F, so you could always try it and check, but i’d hate for it to not cook and then you’d have to transfer it all to the oven!
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One of my biggest challenges on Thanksgiving is always how to get everything ready at the same time! THIS, should help solve that problem and it sounds amazing too!! Can’t wait to try this. Just one question….do you use packaged bread cubes??
hi sheri! i have made this twice in the last two weeks – once using fresh bread cubes and toasting them myself and then once using packaged bread cubes, and both turned out great! so i definitely think you can.
If I want to stuff this in the bird instead of in the slowcooker, do I need to do any additional cooking? Or can I take the sauteed veggies, mixed with the bread crumbs, herbs, stock and eggs, and put it in the bird? Also, I’ve never seen egg in stuffing – do you think it’s necessary if, again, going in the bird?
Thanks, and yum!
hi liz! i have always used eggs in stuffing (in and out of the bird!) because it helps as a binder, so i would leave them in! you shouldn’t have to do any additional cooking – this might be too much stuffing to fit in one bird though, so you might just have to put the overflow in a baking dish and bake it!
Thank you! So helpful, and I will absolutely be making this. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes (I have made many!) and positive cooking and life energy you put out into the world.
Can you make this the day before? Thanks!
Made this at Thanksgiving. it was so delicious!
Made this over the weekend! I was more generous with the salt, and the flavor was top-notch! (Do people even say that anymore?) Love the mushrooms! But it was a little soggy- not surprising b/c of the slow cooker, I guess. It didn’t let the crispy, buttery bread shine through, so I’m going to re-try it in the near future and bake it in a 9×13 at 350 for 45-60 minutes. Have you ever tried it in the oven??
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Sounds like the daughter in law was behind it. I’ve been making Slow-Cooker Stuffing for the past few years and it’s the best. You can add in anything you like to the basic recipe here. I sauté the mushrooms and onions and also add in diced celery, diced apples and craisins. Add more seasoning and broth if needed for increased crouton quantities.
The MOST important thing is to have ENOUGH left-over stuffing after Christmas (in South Africa we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving of course). This is absolutely imperative for the making of the Turkey, Stuffing and Cranberry Sauce Sandwiches. Our time-honoured family tradition. Will be making this recipe soon to test it before Christmas. I will probably add some sausage meat, dried cranberries, fresh apple and celery to the mixture.
Can you please add the brand of your slow cooker that also sautés? My mom used to add a bit of heaven cream to hers. I assume you cook on slow with the lid on. Thanks you.
I’m preparing this dish for dinner tomorrow and I baked the bread cubes as recommended. 16 oz (2 cups) of toasted bread cubes doesn’t seem like a lot to yield 6 serving. Does it yield 6 servings because of the other ingredients? I’m just trying to make sure I’m not missing something. Happy Thanksgiving!
hi christy! did you weigh your 16 oz of bread cubes? you want to measure this by weight, not by volume. 16 oz is more than 2 cups of bread in weight. for instance, a loaf of bread is usually around 12 oz!
Lol
No I didn’t but I have to tell you that you just saved me by responding tonight and helping me. Thank you so so much!!
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Made this for thanksgiving. I substituted celery for the mushrooms as my kids don’t eat them.(‘I love them). I started with some sausage browned in the pan. Came out yummy. When it came out the the crock pot I was worried as it was mushy, but after cooling a touch it formed up nicely.
Instead of mushroomr can u use cream of mushroom soup
Krisstina