Simple Focaccia Stuffing

Name: Simple Focaccia Stuffing
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 22-24 ounces Focaccia bread; 3/4 cup unsalted butter, divided; 3 cups diced celery; 2 cups diced onion; 1/4 cup minced fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, and sage; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 4 cups of stock or broth, divided; 2 eggs

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Stuffing is one of those dishes that everyone makes a little differently-but when you have a solid base recipe, you can build any version you want. This Simple Focaccia Stuffing starts with an undeniable foundation of flavor-focaccia-and builds on it with buttery sautéed vegetables and fresh herbs, making it a solid, standalone casserole. Or, pair it with my Roasted Butterball Turkey Breast for a full holiday meal

🕒 Ready in ~1 hour | 🍲 Serves 6-8 | 🍴 One-pan baked recipe
Main flavors: Buttery, herby, and savory with tender-crisp texture
Best for: Thanksgiving, Christmas, or smaller holiday gatherings
Recipe type: Side dish

Crispy stuffing casserole with herbs and celery in a glass baking dish.

It's delicious just as it is, but it also plays well with extras-try sausage, mushrooms, or a handful of toasted nuts. Think of it as your holiday starting point: simple, classic, and totally flexible.

Jump to:

Key Ingredients (and why they work)
Tools you'll need
How to make Simple Focaccia Stuffing
Add-ins
Serving suggestions
Ingredient swaps and Variations
Storage tips
FAQ
The best Thanksgiving dinner around!
Simple Focaccia Stuffing
💬 Comments

Key Ingredients (and why they work)

All the ingredients needed to make focaccia stuffing.

Focaccia - You can use a plain loaf, but an easy way to add a lot of flavor is to use pre-seasoned focaccia. Focaccia is an oily bread, so you'll need to toast or dry it out in the oven before assembling the casserole.

Butter - Use unsalted butter so you have control of the salt level.

No salt - If you haven't noticed yet, this recipe does not contain added salt. Focaccia is salty enough on its own. The final result will be perfect without any extra.

Broth - You'll get the best flavor with broth or stock rather than bouillon, which can be too salty.

See recipe card for quantities.

Tools you'll need

Measuring cups
Sharp knife (paid link) and cutting board
Sheet pan
Small nonstick skillet
Stirring utensil
Large mixing bowl (paid link)
13x9 or 3-quart casserole dish

Focaccia stuffing on a small plate with a fork and napkin.

How to make Simple Focaccia Stuffing

Dry out the Focaccia bread

Focaccia bread is usually very moist and slightly oily. To prevent the casserole from becoming soggy or collapsing, you'll need to dry out the bread slightly first.

Preheat the oven to 300°F and set out a large sheet pan.
Using a bread knife, cut the bread into 1-2" pieces.
Spread the bread out on the sheet pan and toast in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Set aside to cool while preparing the celery and broth mixture. The bread cubes will feel drier as they cool off.
Turn the oven temperature up to 375°F.

Two pieces of focaccia bread on a plate.

Real, fresh rosemary focaccia.

How to dice the focaccia.

Place on a sheet pan and bake on low heat to dry out.

Choosing the right kind of Focaccia bread: A cautionary tale

Finding the right focaccia proved to be more challenging than I expected. When I started testing this recipe, my go-to grocery store didn't carry it at all! Next, I tried a national store (Walmart), but they only sold a flat, dense, prepackaged version that looked like pizza dough and tasted mostly of preservatives. I'd pictured tall, airy, olive oil-rich bread with those signature dimples and flavorful toppings.

So, I went on a bread hunt. I finally found tall, fluffy focaccia at a few grocery stores known for their bakery departments and tested both versions. To my surprise, they both worked in the recipe, but the dense, prepackaged kind fell flat and had an odd flavor. Moral of the story: It's worth seeking out the good stuff!

Preparing the stuffing

Warm a small pot over medium heat with half a cup of butter. Once melted, add the celery, onions, and herbs. Sauté until the vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes.
Add the remaining butter as well as the broth, reserving 1 cup, and stir until warmed through.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk with a fork until fully combined.
Working one spoonful at a time, slowly add the hot broth mixture to the eggs while stirring constantly. Continue adding broth gradually until about half has been incorporated, then pour in the remaining broth mixture (tempering the egg so it doesn't cook).

Saute the vegetables.

Pouring broth into a pot with butter and vegetables.

Add more butter and broth to heat through.

A hand ladeling hot broth into a bowl of eggs.

Slowly add the warm broth to the cold eggs so they don't cook.

How to make sure you're using the right amount of broth

Add the cooled, dried focaccia cubes to the large bowl and toss to help the bread start absorbing the liquid. Helpful hint: Cover the bowl for a few minutes to retain the heat and allow the bread to soak up the broth.
Before transferring the mixture to the casserole dish, press it lightly with your hand to check for moisture and toss the mixture to evenly distribute the vegetables and liquids.
If it feels a bit dry, add some or all of the reserved broth.

Pouring focaccia cubes into a large bowl with broth.

Pour the cubes into the bowl of warm broth & egg.

A hand pinching a piece of mushy focaccia over a bowl.

Check to see if the cubes absorbed broth.

A hand pinching a piece of dry focaccia over a bowl.

This cube is still firm, so that's the clue to add a little more broth.

Baking the stuffing

Pour the stuffing into a well-greased 9x13 casserole dish (or a 3-quart dish) and gently pat it down to evenly fill the dish. Cover the dish tightly with foil.
Bake for 40 minutes, then remove the foil. Stir the stuffing to mix the drier top pieces with the softer bottom layer, breaking up the bread slightly. When the bread starts to break apart, it creates crumbs that help to hold the entire dish together when it's served.
Return the Simple Focaccia Stuffing to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the top is crispy and golden.

A casserole dish filled with uncooked focaccia stuffing.

Uncooked stuffing ready for the oven.

A casserole dish filled with focaccia stuffing and a stir stick.

Stir the stuffing partway through to break up the bread and distribute the moisture.

A casserole dish filled with cooked focaccia stuffing.

Golden and toasty out of the oven!

Add-ins

Looking to zhuzh up your Simple Foccacia Stuffing? Add 2-3 cups of any of the following (or mix and match!): Cooked sausage, bacon, diced apples, sauteed mushrooms, cubes of roasted butternut squash, whole cloves of roasted garlic, dried fruit, nuts, chunks of cheese, waterchestnuts, or even chicken livers! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Stuffing + sausage + apples + pecans = Autumn Harvest Stuffing
A cozy, sweet-savory mix.

Stuffing + mushrooms + roasted garlic + walnuts = Savory Forest Stuffing
Earthy, rich, and full of umami!

Stuffing + dried cranberries + toasted almonds + chunks of cheese = Holiday Feast Stuffing
Salty-sweet with little pockets of melted cheese - festive and crowd-pleasing.
How to add in:
Whichever you choose, toss it with the stuffing after adding the warm broth mixture. Add an additional ½ cup of broth to the final mixture.
*Be sure to precook any raw meat or vegetables using additional butter or oil if needed.

Crispy stuffing casserole with herbs and celery in a cast iron baking dish.

Serving suggestions

Serve Simple Focaccia Stuffing alongside roast turkey, chicken, ham, or pork tenderloin.
Add a green side dish (like roasted Brussels sprouts or a fresh salad) to balance richness.
Reheat refrigerated leftovers in a buttered non-stick pan for a snack or side dish.
Top leftovers with gravy and a fried egg for a hearty brunch.

Ingredient swaps and Variations

Bread - Use Italian, sourdough, or brioche if focaccia isn't available.
Broth - In my opinion, vegetable broth tastes the best, but you can also use turkey or chicken broth. Fresh or boxed broth is the way to go, but bouillon can be used in a pinch. If you prepare broth with bouillon, taste the broth before using to make sure it's not too salty. I recommend diluting it a little with more water.
Fresh herbs - Use any combination of herbs you like. Some other great options are chives, dill, oregano, or rosemary. If you use rosemary, I recommend mincing it as finely as possible and using no more than 1 teaspoon overall.

Crispy stuffing casserole with herbs and celery in a cast iron baking dish and a small plate.

Storage tips

Refrigerate: Cool completely, then cover tightly. I prefer to use plastic wrap or a plastic zip-top bag for freshness. Keeps up to 4 days.
Reheat: Bake covered at 350°F until warmed through. Sprinkle with a little water or broth to help retain moisture.
Freeze: Stuffing freezes surprisingly well. Wrap portions tightly, then reheat straight from frozen at 350°F until hot.

FAQ

Can I add more ingredients?

Absolutely - this recipe is designed as a minimalist base. Add diced apples, mushrooms, sausage, or nuts for a more elaborate dish. See the section above about Add-Ins.

Is it vegetarian?

Yes, as long as you use vegetable broth.

What kind of broth works best?

Unsalted vegetable or chicken broth lets you control seasoning, but bouillon can be used in a pinch.

Can I make focaccia stuffing ahead of time?

You can cube the focaccia, dry it out in the oven, and then store it in a zip-top bag for up to a week. You can also precook the celery and onions up to a day ahead. Alternatively, you can prepare the entire casserole 24 hours in advance of baking.

Do I need to toast the focaccia?

Yes. Focaccia is brushed with oil before baking, which makes it very soft. Toasting or drying it out in the oven gives it structure, helping you avoid soggy stuffing!

The best Thanksgiving dinner around!

Pair the Simple Focaccia Stuffing with these recipes for the homiest holiday dinner!