From the minute that I saw this Herby Bread & Butter Stuffing for Two recipe on the New York Times page, I knew that it was something I was going to be cooking for sure. The stuffing is always my favorite part of any holiday meal.
Sometimes when a person lives in a smaller family, such as I do, you will be tempted to resort to using a packaged stuffing mix because you just don't think it is possible to make stuffing from scratch in a quantity sufficient to satisfy only one or two people. You may think you are not worth the effort, or you may be afraid of having a ton of stuffing to use up.
This delicious recipe addresses all of those problems. Not only is it very simple and quick to make, but it is perfectly sized for just two people to enjoy. It is also very VERY delicious!!! I kid you not!
I adore stuffing. I did make a few changes in line with the way that I like for my bread stuffing to be. I used onion instead of shallots. We are all for keeping things simple and using what we have. I also enjoy celery in my stuffing and so I added some of that.
I also changed the herbs slightly to use what I have and what I enjoy in a holiday stuffing. This is cooked outside the bird and can totally be made ahead of time and then just reheated before dinner.
Quick to make, buttery and delicious, with beautiful herby flavors, this is quite simply one very delicious dish of stuffing! I seriously could NOT leave it alone! Yes, it IS that good!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE HERBY BREAD & BUTTER STUFFING FOR TWO
Just a few very simple ingredients. There is nothing particularly out of the ordinary here. It is very traditional.
- 3 TBS butter, plus more to grease the baking dish
- 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 stick of celery, trimmed and finely chopped
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1/4 tsp dried sage leaves
- 1/4 tsp dried marjoram leaves
- 1/4 tsp summer savory
- 1/2 cup (120ml) chicken or turkey stock
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 TBS minced fresh parsley
- 2 TBS minced celery leaves
- 2 1/2 cups (3 ounces/85g) torn up stale bread (I used sour dough)
I just used ordinary salted butter. As I have said before, I do not keep both salted and unsalted in the house. I never have unsalted butter around unless it is absolutely integral to a recipe. I find most times you can simply cut back on the amount of salt used in a recipe to counteract that.
The original recipe called for a shallot. I didn't have shallots, so I just used onion. Simple. I also chose to add celery, which was not in the original recipe, but we like celery in our stuffing.
I used the herbs for this which I felt were integral to the type of stuffing that I like to eat. You can use any combination of dried herbs, thyme, marjoram, sage, savory etc. You know what you like and enjoy.
For the fresh herbs you can use parsley, tarragon, chives, milt, basil cilantro, dill or celery leaves. I kept things simple and used celery leaves and parsley. They worked beautifully with the other flavors.
I used torn sour dough bread that was a few days old. I cut off and gave the crusts to the birds. This was about 3 thick slices.
HOW TO MAKE HERBY BREAD & BUTTER STUFFING FOR TWO
This is really quite simple to make. It is the perfect size as well without you having lots of leftovers to contend with.
Butter a 3-cup casserole dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5.Melt 2 TBS of butter in a skillet. When it begins to foam add the onions and the celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the vegetables have softened, and the onions are just beginning to caramelize.
Stir in all of the dried herbs and some salt and pepper.
Crumble the bread into a bowl. Add the onion/celery mixture and give everything a good toss together. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed.Whisk the egg and stock together along with the minced fresh herbs. Pour this over top of the bread mixture and toss together. It will be quite moist. (If it is too dry you can add a bit more stock as needed.)Spoon into your prepared baking dish. Dot the remaining butter over top.Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
The stuffing has always been my favorite part of any holiday meal, or even a classic roast dinner. I could eat a whole plate of stuffing and nothing else. This smaller sized version is just enough for two people, but it is lacking in none of the flavors of its full-sized counterpart.
It is fabulously herby, buttery and moreish. So tasty I could not stop picking at it. I know. I am very naughty that way.
Here are a few other delicious side dishes that you might also enjoy with your holiday meal. I promise you both are incredibly tasty, easy to do and can be done ahead of time and simply reheated on the day.
OVEN ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH - I love roasting vegetables. It seems to bring out and enhance their natural sweetness. Usually when a vegetable has been roasted there is no need to add anything else into the mix. Their natural flavors shine! The roasting of the squash like this keeps it nice and sweet and dry. All you need to do is scoop it from the skin, season it and its delicious and ready to go. You can even do it the day before and just reheat it on the day.HONEY MUSTARD ROASTED CARROTS & PARSNIPS - Parboiled carrots and parsnips, tossed together with a mix of honey, mustard and butter and then roasted in a hot oven until they are glazed and caramelized. This is the perfect side dish for a holiday meal. You can also do this ahead of time and simply reheat on the day.
Yield: Two servingsAuthor: Marie Rayner
Herby Bread & Butter Stuffing for Two
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 MinThis is a pretty classic recipe, downsized to feed two people generously. It lacks none of the flavor of its full-sized counterpart. This is delicious, full stop.Ingredients
- 3 TBS butter, plus more to grease the baking dish
- 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 stick of celery, trimmed and finely chopped
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1/4 tsp dried sage leaves
- 1/4 tsp dried marjoram leaves
- 1/4 tsp summer savory
- 1/2 cup (120ml) chicken or turkey stock
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 TBS minced fresh parsley
- 2 TBS minced celery leaves
- 2 1/2 cups (3 ounces/85g) torn up stale bread (I used sour dough)
Instructions
- Butter a 3-cup casserole dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5.
- Melt 2 TBS of butter in a skillet. When it begins to foam add the onions and the celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the vegetables have softened, and the onions are just beginning to caramelize.
- Stir in all of the dried herbs and some salt and pepper.
- Crumble the bread into a bowl. Add the onion/celery mixture and give everything a good toss together. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Whisk the egg and stock together along with the minced fresh herbs. Pour this over top of the bread mixture and toss together. It will be quite moist. (If it is too dry you can add a bit more stock as needed.)
- Spoon into your prepared baking dish. Dot the remaining butter over top.
- Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
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