45 Shares

Is it stuffing? Is it dressing? Does it even matter since we all just call it stuffing anyway? This cheesy sourdough stuffing filled with parmesan, leeks, and shallot heaven is technically dressing since it’s cooked outside the bird, but I feel like we’ll all just refer to it as stuffing. Cool? Cool.

I actually spent the first 27 years of my life hating stuffing at Thanksgiving with a passion, (it’s like…stinky bread mush?) until I made this. I knew if I finally made it myself and knew every ingredient going in I’d be able to give it an honest try. And thank god I did. I feel like this version’s large bread chunks kept it soft but crispy and far from the mushy bread goo of boxed stuffing. Maybe I added less liquid than I should, but it was crunchy and delicious, like how the best bite of a pan of brownies is the burnt corner. Also, parmesan, leeks, and shallots? Does it get any better? No, no it doesn’t. I am now a stuffing/dressing convert.

JUST LOOK AT THAT BUTTER/SHALLOT/LEEK MIXTURE. Do you even know how good my house smelled when I made this? Do you want to know?

Food blogger reality check:

From the outside looking in, I’m sure this is just a recipe to you. To me, it’s a reminder that I’m a total weirdo food nerd. It was mid-October and here I was spending the entire weekend making Thanksgiving for me, Taylor, and my future blog posts. I’m not a 27 year old who goes to the bars on the weekends, I’m a 27 year old that spends a Saturday night creating grocery lists and timing plans for an out-of-season Thanksgiving dinner. Were there errands to run Sunday? Laundry to do? Yes, but food comes first in my house.

I also couldn’t help myself from taking some candid behind-the-scenes pictures of this one. Sometimes I use my floor as a photo backdrop, and I always have a helper in the kitchen making sure the food stays safe. Do you think that photo above looks nice? Well in reality there’s a big furry paw an inch away. It’s a glamorous life here in my kitchen.

Cheesy Sourdough Stuffing with Leeks and Shallots

Save Print

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour 30 mins

Total time

1 hour 45 mins

This crispy and delicious cheesy sourdough stuffing/dressing is full of parmesan, garlic, leeks, and shallots. The perfect Thanksgiving side dish!

Author: Ally

Ingredients

1 loaf sourdough bread, cubed (about 10 oz.)
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 leeks cut in half, sliced, and rinsed thoroughly in a colander (white and pale green parts only)
3 shallots, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt & pepper
3 eggs, whisked
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2-3 cups chicken or turkey stock

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
Place the cubed sourdough bread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until the bread gets crispy. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool until ready to use.
Once you're ready to cook, your veggies are cut, and your leeks are cleaned, heat a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the butter and olive oil until the butter is melted, and then add the leeks and shallots to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally for about 7 minutes.
Add the garlic, stir, and let cook one more minute. Remove the skillet from the heat.
In a separate, large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, parmesan cheese, 2 cups stock, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Once combined, add the leek mixture and toasted bread and stir. Depending on how much bread you have, you may need to add a little more stock until the bread is moist.
Transfer everything to a large baking dish (about 12 x 8) and cover with aluminum foil.
Bake the stuffing for 30 minutes, remove the foil, and continue baking for another 30 minutes (1 hr. total). Remove from the oven and serve immediately or keep in the warming drawer until ready to serve.

Tools needed: