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    See More:   Comfort Food Holiday Meals Recipes for Beginners Side Dishes

    Last Modified: Aug 9, 2022 by Tara Ziegmont 13 Comments

    Homemade Old-Fashioned Chestnut Stuffing Recipe

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This old-fashioned stuffing or dressing recipe is made with cracker crumbs, garlic, butter, chestnuts, and lots of bread. It is perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner and pairs well with turkey, chicken, or even roast beef or lamb.

    a collage of old fashioned chestnut stuffing before and after bakingPin

    Stuffing?

    Dressing?

    Is there a difference? According to Alton Brown, there is. Stuffing is what's put inside the bird, and dressing is what's cooked separately. Soaking up raw meat juices with bread really creeps me out, so we have always cooked it separately.

    I don't care what it's supposed to be called; I still call my outside the bird bread dish stuffing.

    In years past, my father-in-law always made his beloved chestnut dressing to our annual Thanksgiving feast, and he brought it to our house a few times. The dressing had a nice flavor, and everyone liked it. I preferred to eat around the chestnuts, and Joe eagerly devoured mine, but otherwise, I really liked the side dish drizzled in turkey gravy.

    Last year, my in-laws made other plans for Thanksgiving (a buffet restaurant!?!), so Joe tried to put the chestnut dressing together on his own. There was no recipe, but his father told him approximately what to do.

    Fortunately for all of us, Joe figured it out, and the results were just as tasty. Joe's making it again this year, and I wanted to share his recipe with you. It is a simple recipe, and it is easy enough to put together on the morning of Thanksgiving - except you MUST peel the chestnuts ahead of time. See the note on that below.

    What is chestnut stuffing?

    Chestnut stuffing (or chestnut dressing) is a classic Thanksgiving side dish, but you can eat it for any holiday really. Most of the time, it is served with roast turkey.

    Traditional chestnut stuffing is made from dried, cubed bread, roasted chestnuts, onions, sometimes celery, and seasonings, and then drizzled with egg and milk to moisten it. It's baked until it's hot and has a crispy and golden brown crust on top.

    What you'll need to make chestnut stuffing

    Equipment

    There is no special equipment needed for this recipe. You will use standard kitchen tools including:

    • Garlic press
    • Bread knife
    • Rolling pin
    • Zippered plastic bag
    • Mixing bowls
    • Wooden spoon or spatula
    • Small skillet
    • 9x13 baking dish
    • Aluminum foil

    Ingredients

    • Medium onions, diced - These give the finished stuffing a sweet note, but if you really dislike onions, you can leave them out.
    • Celery - I really really really dislike celery, so we don't put it into our chestnut stuffing. However, if you do like it, it will give your stuffing a nice flavor. Use 2-3 stalks, and slice it into ¼ to ½ inch slices.
    • Garlic, pressed - This gives a nice bite to the stuffing. I would not leave it out.
    • Butter - You need this to sauté the onions and garlic. It gives the stuffing a rich sweetness. You could use olive oil but it will dramatically change the flavor of the stuffing.
    • 1 loaf stale bread, cut into cubes - This is the base of your stuffing. You could use any bread including gluten-free bread or keto bread.
    • 1 sleeve Saltine crackers, crushed - The easiest way to crush crackers is to place them in a zippered plastic bag and use a rolling pin to roll over them until they are crushed.
    • Eggs, whisked together - These bind the stuffing together. You can't make it without eggs.
    • 1 pound of chestnuts, peeled and halved - You need these as it is chestnut stuffing. I mean, you could leave them out, but then it wouldn't be chestnut stuffing anymore. See the note below about peeling chestnuts.
    • 1 cup* milk - You can use any dairy or non-dairy milk. You will likely not need a full cup, so use only as much as is necessary to make the stuffing moist.

    How to make chestnut stuffing

    1. Preheat the oven to 350.
    2. Cut the bread into bite-sized cubes.
      ingredients for chestnut stuffingPin
    3. Crush the crackers. I recommend placing them in a sealed plastic bag and then use a rolling pin to crush them.
      saltine crumbsPin
    4. Melt butter in a medium skillet.
      melting butter in a skilletPin
      Add onion and celery (if using), sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Press the garlic into the skillet and sauté just a bit longer, just until the garlic is fragrant (typically less than a minute). Don't overcook the garlic.
      cooking onions in a skilletPin
    5. Toss bread cubes and crackers in a 9x13 baking dish and mix well.
      bread cubes in the casserole dishPin
    6. Pour eggs, chestnuts, and onion mixture over top. Mix well.
      stuffing partially made in a casserole dishPin
      sprinkle the stuffing with chestnutsPin
      bread covered in sautéed onionsPin
      mix the ingredients in the casserole dishPin
      Add just enough milk so that the bread is moisten but not wet. (*You may not need a full cup; do not use too much or your finished stuffing will be soggy.)
      add just enough milk to moisten the breadPin
    7. Cover with foil and bake for one hour or until golden brown on top. If the top doesn't get crispy, you can remove the foil and bake it for 10-15 minutes uncovered.
    cooked stuffing with chestnutsPin
    a casserole dish full of cooked chestnut stuffingPin
    stuffing on a stack of platesPin

    Can chestnut stuffing be made ahead?

    It definitely can be! We always make ours the night before, stick it in the refrigerator overnight, and bake in the morning. Doing it this way allows the flavors to blend really nicely and makes the best stuffing.

    When you prepare it in advance, you will want to cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and store it in the refrigerator. You may need to cook it 10-15 minutes longer because you are starting with chilled ingredients.

    A Warning - Cooking with Chestnuts

    Chestnuts are tricky, especially if you've never used them before. You must not wait until Thanksgiving morning to shell them. Do it a day or two before you need them; it takes a good bit of time. You'll throw your whole Thanksgiving cooking plan off if you wait til the last minute.

    Go check out Martha Stewart's video tutorial on peeling a chestnut if you've never done it before.

    How to store leftover chestnut dressing

    Chestnut dressing will keep for 3-4 days if you cover it tightly and keep it in the refrigerator. I would recommend an airtight container if possible.

    My favorite way to use up leftover stuffing is turkey and stuffing muffins. They're delicious!

    Can you freeze chestnut dressing?

    You sure can! You can freeze this chestnut stuffing cooked or uncooked.

    If you are freezing fully cooked stuffing, cut it into one-meal sized portions, and wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Stick the wrapped stuffing into a zippered freezer bag or airtight container if possible. That should keep it fresh in the freezer for up to a month.

    To reheat the frozen stuffing, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Place the thawed stuffing into a baking dish, and bake at 325ºF for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

    To freeze uncooked stuffing, wrap the dish tightly in plastic wrap then aluminum foil, and freeze. To bake, simply remove the plastic wrap, drizzle with a bit of chicken or turkey broth, recover with the foil, and bake at 400ºF for 70-90 minutes. Check it every 10 minutes starting at one hour, just to make sure it doesn't burn. But it will probably take longer because it started out frozen.

    The Rest of our Thanksgiving Menu

    We don't get creative with our Thanksgiving menu. We like routines. We like the comfort of the same old food.

    • Roast Turkey
    • Creamy Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
    • Candied Sweet Potatoes
    • Roasted Vegetable & Cornbread Stuffing
    • Old-Fashioned Chestnut Stuffing Recipe
    • Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
    • Traditional Green Bean Casserole
    • Fluffy Cranberry Fruit Salad with Pineapple
    • Homemade Orange Cranberry Sauce
    • Praline Pumpkin Pecan Pie
    • The Worlds' Best Pecan Pie
    • Couldn't Be Easier Cherry Pie
    • No Church Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

    And for the leftovers, try one of these delights:

    • Turkey & Stuffing Muffins
    • Turkey Enchilada Casserole
    • Turkey Salad
    • Turkey Quesadillas

    You can read more about my easy and traditional Thanksgiving menu.

    collage of stages of chestnut stuffing

    Homemade Old-Fashioned Chestnut Stuffing

    This old-fashioned stuffing or dressing recipe is made with cracker crumbs, garlic, butter, chestnuts, and lots of bread. It is perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner and pairs well with turkey, chicken, or even roast beef or lamb.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hr
    Cook Time 1 hr
    Total Time 2 hrs
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 241 kcal

    Equipment

    • Garlic press
    • Bread knife
    • Rolling Pin

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 medium onions diced
    • 2-3 stalks celery optional
    • 1-2 cloves garlic pressed
    • 1 cups butter
    • 1 loaf stale bread cubed
    • 1 sleeve Saltine crackers crushed
    • 2 eggs whisked together
    • 1 pounds chestnuts peeled and halved
    • 1 cups milk

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350.
    • Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add onion, sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Press the garlic into the skillet and sauté just a bit longer, just until the garlic is fragrant (typically less than a minute). Don't overcook the garlic.
    • Toss bread cubes and crackers in a large bowl and mix well.
    • Pour eggs, chestnuts, and onion mixture over top. Mix well. Add just enough milk so that the bread is moisten but not wet. (*You may not need a full cup; do not use too much or your finished stuffing will be soggy.)
    • Cover with foil and bake for one hour or until golden brown on top. If the top doesn't get crispy, you can remove the foil and bake it for 10-15 minutes uncovered.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 157mg | Potassium: 250mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 554IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? Pin it for later!Follow @FeelsLikeHome or tag #FeelsLikeHomeBlog!
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      Recipe Rating




    1. jennelsonlane says

      November 23, 2009 at 7:31 pm

      Raw meat juices--GAG! We never stuffed our stuffing in a bird for just that reason. My mom is a fanatic about food safety. 🙂
      This looks great! I grew up eating cornbread based dressing (of course I did in the south!), but came to like bread-based ones while I lived in NY. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

      Reply
    2. FeelsLikeHomeBlog says

      November 24, 2009 at 3:33 am

      You know, I've never had cornbread dressing. We should try it one of these years. 🙂

      Reply
    3. Ann Marie @ Household6Diva says

      November 24, 2009 at 4:10 am

      OOOOooooo I'll have to write this one down! 🙂
      Thank you for explaining the stuffing vs filling terms - I never knew!

      Reply
    4. susieshomemade says

      November 24, 2009 at 9:12 am

      What a yummy tackle:-)

      Reply
    5. Alexandra says

      November 24, 2009 at 12:02 pm

      yum! I'm so ready for our big Thanksgiving dinner!!!

      Reply
    6. Angela says

      November 24, 2009 at 3:57 pm

      Yum! I'm not cooking for Thanksgiving, but if I was I would love to make that!

      If you have a moment, stop by and check out my tackle! 🙂

      Reply
    7. FeelsLikeHomeBlog says

      November 24, 2009 at 4:57 pm

      I only just learned. Like two weeks ago. 🙂

      Reply
    8. Cole says

      November 24, 2009 at 8:37 pm

      I love chestnut dressing! Yummy!

      Reply
    9. Angela says

      November 24, 2009 at 11:57 pm

      Yum! I'm not cooking for Thanksgiving, but if I was I would love to make that!

      If you have a moment, stop by and check out my tackle! 🙂

      Reply
    10. FeelsLikeHomeBlog says

      November 25, 2009 at 12:57 am

      I only just learned. Like two weeks ago. 🙂

      Reply
    11. Cole says

      November 25, 2009 at 4:37 am

      I love chestnut dressing! Yummy!

      Reply
    12. Jillyrh says

      November 30, 2010 at 9:33 am

      Yumm!

      Reply

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