Butter Herb Croissant Stuffing
This savory butter herb croissant stuffing is a perfect side dish for any festive gathering. Pillowy soft croissants combined with a broth and egg mixture makes for a custard like texture. Crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs and golden brown crispy tops will make this the star of the dinner!
Ingredients
- 12 large butter croissants* stale/ 2-day old, cut into about 1 ½ -2 inch pieces, about 10-12 cups
- 8-10 Tbsp. unsalted butter (divided, 6 Tbsp. to sauté, 2-4 Tbsp for topping)
- 4 celery stalks chopped
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 2 Tbsp fresh chopped sage more for garnish
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme more for garnish
- 2-3 cups chicken broth
- 2 large eggs
- pinch of nutmeg optional, but adds a level of balance to the dish
- pepper to taste
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
- *Before starting, make sure to cut and allow the croissants to sit out for about 2 days for best results. If you are not starting with stale/dried out croissants, preheat oven to 325°F and line one or 2 sheet pans with the croissant pieces. Toast for about 20-25 minutes, tossing once halfway.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and add the croissant pieces to a large bowl.
- In a large skillet, heat 6 Tbsp butter to melt over medium heat. Add in celery and onion and cook until softened (about 5-7 minutes). Add in fresh herbs and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer celery and onion mixture to the bowl with the croissants and fold into bread.
- In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, chicken broth, nutmeg and salt and pepper to your liking. Pour mixture into croissant mixture and stir to coat evenly. You can add extra broth if there doesn’t seem to be enough moisture. I start with 2 cups, and then add as needed.
- Pour into a greased casserole dish and evenly pour or dab 2-4 Tbsp remaining butter (melted) over top.
- Bake uncovered for about 30-40 minutes or until golden brown tops and liquid is absorbed into the croissants. Check in at the 20-minute mark and if seems to be browning a lot, loosely tent with foil. You can broil for a few minutes for extra crispy tops if desired.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Add freshly chopped herbs to garnish and serve!
Notes
To make this in advance: you can prep this one day in advance and then bake just before you are ready to eat. It allows the flavors to meld together better. Make sure to really dry out the croissants so that the stuffing doesn't become too soggy. Add the butter on top just before baking.