Delicious Bread Stuffing For Roast Turkey With Ketchup!

Put that box of stove top stuffing down. This old family recipe for bread stuffing at turkey time may sound peculiar, but we’ve been making it for years. This homemade stuffing recipe is requested repeatedly every holiday it’s that good. With struggle meals and Depression era food making a comeback you will love that this recipe doesn’t cost a lot with fancy ingredients. In fact, we are making it with just five simple ingredients, plus the herbs and spices. This family favorite is such a delicious recipe it’s usually all gone right away, and it’s the perfect accompaniment to your perfect roast turkey.

It’s the holiday season here in Canada, and we celebrate Thanksgiving in October when all the fall leaves are changing colors. What better way to enjoy the holiday than with this twist on a traditional stuffing recipe that hardly takes time to prepare? It’s a great Thanksgiving stuffing made in minutes and stuffed into the turkey for the added bonus of turkey flavor. Your entire family will love it so much that it will become one of your favorite sides, too.

If you are looking for more great Thanksgiving side dishes to serve with your stuffed turkeys, our parsnip and potato chunky mash, glazed ginger carrots, or honey-peppered beets may be what you’re looking for. They are all inexpensive and simple sides that taste phenomenal alongside roast turkey. 

Why You Will Love This Turkey Stuffing Recipe.

It’s convenient. With a few simple, inexpensive ingredients, the white bread stuffing comes together in minutes and beats a box of stuffing hands down. Being the person in the kitchen can be hectic on holidays, so it’s a great way to take some of the hard work out of the day for the cook.

Flavor. The moist bread stuffing has the perfect balance of fresh herbs and the infusion of roast turkey juices. It’s a delicious side dish that never fails to be eaten. A few fewer leftovers are always appreciated at holiday time. 

Super Simple: It’s got to be one of the easiest recipes to whip up. With just a little bit of time,  five simple ingredients, and a couple of spices, you’re off to the races. 

Let’s Start Making This Bread Stuffing With Ketchup. 

If you’re like most people in my life who’ve been skeptics, you may be wondering what place ketchup serves in a stuffing. First, it adds moisture to the bread, which is especially important if you use a loaf of stale bread. Second, it adds a sweet flavor to the savory bread mixture, a pleasant respite from all the traditional herbs like poultry seasoning. 

You will need a big mixing bowl because we are ripping up a whole loaf of bread. You can choose to use stale, as mentioned beforehand, or a loaf of fresh bread. The fresher the bread, the more moisture it will have when roasted in the turkey. Now, why not cube the bread? Honestly, I tried to get fancy one year by making bread cubes, but all it did was create a lot of bread crumbs and had no added effect as the stuffing will bake up the same in the turkey. We want to cut time here to put our feet up on Thanksgiving. Just rip ‘er up. 

Be sure to save one crust from the bread for later. Next, you will prepare the vegetables. Vegetables? Yup, we are adding in a few key ingredients: onion because of its delicious, savory nature; celery for added textural crunch in the stuffing; and red pepper for moisture and flavor as well as some added color. (My mom always used green pepper. If you’ve ever eaten green pepper cooked well, you may know why I prefer red.) 

Once the vegetables are chopped and measured, dump them into the mixing bowl with the bread. Next, we add the egg, which binds the ingredients together and makes them a bit richer. Then we add the ketchup, which adds flavor, moisture, and color to the stuffing. Lastly, we add the spices. It’s really important to be sure your poultry seasoning isn’t over six months old. It can really lose its flavor if it’s old and can affect the finished flavor of the stuffing. 

When you have everything measured into the bowl, mix it all together. Now you’re ready to stuff the turkey cavity. If you’ve heard that stuffing a turkey is no longer safe, don’t worry. This stuffing always gets up to temp (the internal temperature should reach 165°F (74°C), so there is no worry that it will be undercooked.) In fact, I warn you, when scooping it out of the bird, it will be super steamy. So be careful to not get steam burns. 

​To stuff the turkey, you need to rinse the cavity and remove any packaged giblets. This rinsing is important to rid the bird of any remaining ice or bits of blood that may have clotted during the butchery process. Yuck, I know. 

Lay the bird breast side up in the roasting pan, and then, using clean hands, pack it tightly with the stuffing mix. You may be unable to use all the stuffing inside the bird if you have a smaller turkey under 12kg (24lbs). Depending on how much is left, you can toss it if it’s a small amount or bake it in a separate baking dish. (To bake it separately in a casserole dish instead of in the bird, grease the dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for one hour or until the stuffing has reached the proper temperature.) Be sure to grease the dish and cover it with foil so the bread stuffing doesn’t stick. b. steams in the same way that it will in the turkey. The stuffing baked separately from the bird will not have the same depth of flavor as there are no meat juices cooking into it. So you can mix the two together after the bird has finished roasting to get a more homogenous flavor. 

To finish stuffing the bird, you will take the crust you reserved earlier and lay it over the bird’s stuffed cavity. This helps trap moisture, preventing the rest of the stuffing from drying out. Some lucky person is going to want that crust later, as it gets nice and crisp and flavorful from the roasting turkey. That’s all there is to this old family favorite, and it’s always the best stuffing recipe for every holiday season. 

Ingredients:

White bread: I use fresh white bread to make this stuffing; however, you can use stale bread if you have a loaf left that needs to be used up. 

Celery: The celery adds crunch, moisture, and flavor to the bread, which is a pleasant respite from plain bread. 

Red Pepper: The small pieces of pepper offer a slight textural component but also bring a subtle sweetness and a vibrancy that lifts the heavier bread and gives it more flare. 

Onion: The pungent addition imparts a deliciously aromatic and savory flavor that adds to the stuffing. I have successfully used red and regular yellow onions in the past. 

Poultry Seasoning: This fine powdered spice blends sage, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary. It creates a distinct flavor that enhances the stuffing and pairs well with the roast meat. 

Paprika: Regular paprika, while not overly flavorful on its own, brings warmth to the stuffing, adding another layer of complexity that makes this stuffing a delicious combination of flavors. 

Black Pepper: Complements the flavors found in the poultry seasoning while adding a little spice to the stuffing. 

Egg: This is primarily used to bind the other ingredients together. 

Ketchup: Brings a sweetness and tang to the stuffing that is hard to miss. It also adds more moisture to the stuffing.

Substitutions And Add-Ins For This Easy Stuffing Recipe

White Bread: If you prefer to try the stuffing with a loaf of brown bread, it will also work, as will cracked wheat. Drier bread, like sourdough or rye, will not be a good choice.

Celery: To maintain the anise flavor in the stuffing, you can switch the celery to fennel. It has a similar flavor and crunch, so it is a good choice.

Red Pepper: As I stated earlier my mom used green pepper. While green pepper work it’s bitter flavor may be off-putting to some. Alternatively you can easily use yellow or orange bell pepper in place of the red. 

Onion: Yellow cooking onions are the most cost-effective; white or red onions will also work. 

Poultry Seasoning: If you’re out of poultry seasoning, a homemade blend will work. Combine 2 tsp dried sage, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried marjoram, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1 tsp black pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp onion powder.

Paprika: Is best left in. 

Black Pepper: You can omit or use a white pepper instead of black. 

Egg: This needs to be in the stuffing to bind it together correctly.

Ketchup: Instead of store-bought ketchup, you can try homemade ketchup. I should note that the flavor will vastly differ as we only use store-bought. 

Expert Tips, Serving And Storing Suggestions For The Stuffing

Tip #1: Opt for Ripped Bread Instead of Cubed: Tear the bread into pieces rather than cubing it for a more efficient preparation. This method prevents excessive crumbs and ensures an even bake, allowing the stuffing to achieve the desired texture without fuss.

Tip #2: Check Your Spices: Always ensure your poultry seasoning is fresh and not over six months old, as stale spices can significantly diminish the flavor of your stuffing, impacting the final taste.

Tip #3: Cover the Stuffed Turkey Cavity. Use the reserved bread crust to trap moisture and keep the stuffing from drying out during roasting. This technique not only helps maintain the stuffing’s texture but also creates a deliciously crisp layer on top that enhances flavor.

The stuffing can be served at the table with a generous helping of dark or white meat on a platter or directly on plates with turkey with a little cranberry sauce. This classic stuffing recipe is a savory addition to any holiday meal. Why not try it for yourself this Thanksgiving or Christmas? 

After your Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday dinner, allow your leftover stuffing to cool thoroughly before placing it in an airtight container in the fridge. When you’re ready to enjoy the leftovers the next day, simply reheat them until warm and inviting, ready to delight your taste buds a second time with that savory goodness!

Did you get adventurous and try our family stuffing recipe? I would love to hear how your family enjoyed it and if you made any changes to the mix. Please rate and comment below as it helps others to know more about the recipe.