My Grandma's 1-Ingredient Upgrade for Better Stuffing (It's So Good)

When I was little, my Grandma Rachel was the queen of Thanksgiving. With her background in catering and party planning, she was in her element, making the holiday special with a cozy crackling fire, adorable table decorations (think gourds posed as turkeys, with lentils strewn in front of them for their feed), and best of all, her amazing turkey and stuffing. 

My Grandma Rachel's Stuffing Upgrade

Everything my grandma cooked had some sort of gourmet twist: an unexpected extra layer of flavor or something special you couldn’t quite put your finger on. For her stuffing, it was pine nuts. With their rich, earthy flavor and delicate, buttery crunch, they melded in with the cubed bread and tender vegetables to make for a perfect bite. 

It’s worth splurging on a little baggie of pine nuts—about one-third cup is all you need for a nine by 13-inch casserole’s worth of stuffing. They elevate any basic recipe, even if you’re using a boxed mix. And since they’re so small, they distribute evenly throughout the stuffing, so you’ll taste them in every bite. 

How To Add Pine Nuts to Stuffing

To bring out their aroma and flavor, I always toast my pine nuts lightly before adding them to my stuffing. You don’t want to get them too roasty toasty, since they’ll brown a little further when baking in the stuffing. A light golden brown is perfect. Toast them in a skillet over low heat for a few minutes, tossing or stirring them often to ensure they get evenly browned. Watch them like a hawk—pine nuts are very high in oil, so they’ll end up scorched if you look away for even a minute. 

Sourdough is my favorite bread to use for stuffing. Its slight tanginess really complements the richness of the pine nuts. It also has a firm, chewy texture, so it doesn’t break down too much and can stand up to lots of moisture from butter, broth, and eggs without becoming mushy. Just cube up a loaf, spread the cubes on a sheet pan, then leave them out overnight to dry before you use them. Alternatively, you can dry them in a 200ºF oven for an hour or so. 

I’ve tweaked my own stuffing recipe over the years to get it as close to what I remember of my grandma’s version, and I’m happy to say that my family has unofficially crowned me the new queen of this particular side dish, pine nuts and all. I’m always sure to make more than we need, so there are lots of leftovers to enjoy over the weekend.