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Stuffing Croutons

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You can make homemade stuffing croutons using prepared bakery bread or from-scratch homemade bread machine bread in just minutes. These croutons give your favorite dressing recipe a much better texture and flavor.

A baking sheet filled with cubed bread for baking into croutons to make stuffing.

The secret ingredient to my mom's amazing Italian sausage stuffing recipe has always been that she made homemade stuffing croutons instead of buying the prepared croutons from the grocery store.

Fresh bread turned into crispy stuffing croutons bakes up in your favorite dressing recipe with a MUCH better texture and lots more flavor than bagged croutons.

Why This is the Best Recipe

As the author of The Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook, I'm always looking for ways to use up leftover ends of bread. I think this is the best stuffing croutons recipe because:

  1. Mix and Match Bread Flavors: You could bake a loaf special just to turn into stuffing or you can save a few bread loaf ends in the freezer to mix and match the stuffing flavor. A mix of Italian bread pieces and Steakhouse brown bread pieces would make an amazing and unique stuffing, for example.
  2. Prep Ahead: You can prep these croutons in advance and keep them in an airtight container or freezer to make your holiday cooking go easier.
  3. Seasoned Just How YOU Want: Want a poultry seasoning? Fresh herbs? Simple salt and pepper? A kick of cayenne? Or classic Italian herb? The spice rack is open for business! You're not stuck with the options at the store.

Ingredients

Truly, there's just one ingredient you need for stuffing croutons: The bread!

The loaf of bread has been sliced in 1-inch thick pieces.

I personally prefer to use a specially seasoned stuffing bread if I want to amp up the flavor a bit, but most of my herbs and seasonings show up in the stuffing recipe itself.

So you can grab a loaf of bread from the bakery department of the grocery store or break your own. You'll just want to be sure to pick one that has a soft interior and a not-too-crusty crust. Avoid breads like a baguette, which would be too hard to soak up the liquid from the dressing recipe.

Best Bread to Use

If you're buying a bread from the store, I suggest looking for a large Italian loaf with a crust that gives when you gently squeeze it. Avoid super crusty baguette-style breads.

If you plan to make a special loaf with your bread machine, I would recommend my Italian bread as an excellent option. You could also use a stuffing bread pre-seasoned with herbs or a cornmeal stuffing bread if you want to make a corn bread dressing.

My oniony celery seed bread would definitely add a unique flavor to the stuffing and could be a really fun choice if you want something new.

Prepare the Croutons

To make the croutons, you'll start by deciding whether you want nice, even cubed croutons like what comes in the bag from the store OR whether you prefer a more rustic stuffing with hand-torn pieces of bread.

We've enjoyed our dressing both ways. My mom prefers the rustic method, but there's something satisfying about those neat little cubes, too.

Either way, slice your loaf of bread into 1/2-inch thick slices. Then either hand rip the bread into smaller pieces or slice them into cubes:

The loaf of bread has been sliced and stacked, the individual slices are cubed on the cutting board.

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Baking Instructions

Spread the bread pieces out evenly onto large baking sheets. You want the bread to have a little room to breathe in a mostly-single layer.

Here's what my hand-ripped cornmeal bread looked like when I baked it for corn bread dressing:

The bread has been ripped into small pieces and spread on two baking sheets.

Preheat the oven to 300ยฐF. Bake the bread pans for 10 minutes.

Use a spatula to gently toss the bread a little bit and then put it back into the oven for another 10 minutes.

The final croutons will look the same but feel very dry and crispy to the touch. You'll find some of the larger pieces still have a chewy bounce when you squeeze them, they won't be completely dry like store bought croutons are.

If you need them FULLY dried out, you can continue to bake them. Just check on them every 5 minutes or so to prevent burning.

Seasoning for Croutons

If you really want to season your croutons before using them in a stuffing, you could use a drizzle of olive oil or melted butter to coat the bread pieces before baking and then sprinkle your seasoning of choice over the top and bake as directed.

Here are some seasoning suggestions I'd recommend:

  • Italian Herb Blend
  • Poultry Seasoning
  • Rosemary, Thyme, and Garlic Salt
  • Dried Sage

Make Ahead Tips

You can prep ahead the stuffing croutons and keep them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days.

You can also seal them in a freezer bag and keep them in the freezer for up to 6 months. You may want to toast them in the oven for 5 minutes to restore the crispy texture after thawing them in the fridge overnight.

Stuffing Recipes

Once you've prepped your stuffing croutons, all you need is a homemade stuffing recipe to go with it. Here are some of my very favorites:

Air Fryer Stuffing
Golden brown air fryer stuffing is an easy make ahead side dish for the holiday. This basic stuffing recipe uses fresh celery and onions with simple spices that pairs so well with a roasted turkey or even a weeknight chicken.
Please Rate this Recipe
GET THE RECIPE
The pan of stuffing is coming out of the air fryer.
Crock Pot Stuffing
Make ahead Crock Pot stuffing can be prepped up to 24 hours in advance and then just cooked before serving to save space in your oven during busy holiday dinner prep. Serve the golden brown, crispy stuffing straight from the slowcooker on the buffet table to keep it warm for hours.
5 from 5 votes
GET THE RECIPE
A scoop of golden brown Crock Pot stuffing is served on a small white plate. The slowcooker power knob is seen in the back.
Italian Sausage Stuffing
This classic Italian sausage stuffing is the perfect Thanksgiving side dish but tastes great with any special dinner all winter long. Make it up to one day ahead for an easy addition to your menu.
5 from 43 votes
GET THE RECIPE
A baking dish filled with homemade sausage stuffing sits next to a striped towel.
Corn Bread Dressing
This classic corn bread dressing uses homemade cornbread croutons, fresh sage, and plenty of buttery onions and celery to make a delicious prep-ahead side dish for the holiday.
Please Rate this Recipe
GET THE RECIPE
A baking dish with cornbread dressing in it has a serving scooped out. Fresh sage leaves are on top.

๐Ÿ“– Recipe

A baking sheet filled with cubed bread for baking into croutons to make stuffing.

Stuffing Croutons

Please Rate this Recipe
Make easy homemade stuffing croutons to replace that dried out bag of store bought croutons. This budget-friendly trick gives your dressing the best flavor and texture ever!
TOTAL TIME 30 minutes
PREP TIME 10 minutes
COOK TIME 20 minutes
YIELD 1 batch of croutons for 1 stuffing

Ingredients
  

  • 1 2-pound loaf of fresh bread Italian bread or your favorite homemade bread machine bread

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300ยฐF and set out 1 - 2 large baking sheets.
  • Slice the bread loaf into 1/2-inch thick slices.
  • For a rustic stuffing, hand rip the slices into rough 1/2-inch pieces. For a classic cubed stuffing, use your bread knife to neatly cut the slices into small cubes.
  • Spread the croutons on the baking sheets. They should be in a mostly single layer to give the bread room to breathe in the oven.
  • Bake the croutons for 10 minutes. Use a spatula to gently toss the croutons and then bake for an additional 10 minutes. Your croutons will likely still have chewy centers and dried out edges. If you want them fully crispy throughout, continue to bake in 5 minute intervals and check on them so they don't burn.

Recipe Notes

How to Make Seasoned Croutons:

If you prefer to season your croutons themselves before adding them to a stuffing recipe, you can enjoy playing with several flavor varieties.
First, use either a drizzle of olive oil or melted butter (about 2 - 3 tablespoons) to coat the bread cubes. Toss gently with a spatula so you don't break apart the bread too much.
Spread the croutons out and then sprinkle your seasoning of choice over the top. Some delicious options include:
  • Italian Herb Blend
  • Poultry Seasoning
  • Dried Rosemary and Thyme with Garlic Salt
  • Dried Sage
  • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (for kick)
COURSESide Dishes
CUISINEAmerican

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The photo collage shows the cubed bread being baked for croutons.

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