14 Savory Additions That Will Make Your Stuffing Even More Comforting

With Thanksgiving comes the stress of planning an entire menu of mains, sides, and desserts. While there are many quintessentially festive dishes that are sure to be found across most tables, stuffing is one you can't forget. Though if you find yourself reluctant to include this dish, it may be because you've grown tired of the same mixture each year. Not to worry, as there are many ways to upgrade your grandma's recipe with some twists that are sure to have everyone going back for seconds. 

You may choose to incorporate any number of ingredients, whether to give your stuffing a spicy touch, a tangy note, or to beef it up with meat and seafood. These ingredients will upgrade your stuffing regardless of whether you make the whole dish from scratch or use a boxed mix. Just make sure to avoid these 10 stuffing mistakes everyone makes when you cook the dish at home. 

There are a wide variety of recipes out there, so it's often useful to expect a bit of trial and error to see what works best for you — whether it's changing up the type of bread you use, skipping the gluten entirely, or browning your butter before blending. It's also worth experimenting with different ingredient combinations and cooking methods in order to adjust the recipe to best suit your palate. 

Instead of the classic beef or chicken stock you may be used to, consider swapping it for nutrient-rich, flavorful bone broth. You can use this liquid the same way you would a standard broth or stock, but its deeper flavor and thicker quality will upgrade your stuffing. You can make it at home, but be sure to ask your butcher for the best bones to make the hands-down best broth. Otherwise, if you don't have time to make it yourself, there are plenty of store bought bone broths you can use. 

There are many types of sausage that you could incorporate into your stuffing mixture for added flavor. Whether it's Italian sausage, chicken sausage, chorizo, or classic pork sausage, any variety would seamlessly blend with most stuffing bases. This addition will lead to a more substantial stuffing, adding depth and complementing other ingredients like fresh herbs, caramelized onions, apples, and leeks. Plus, the bread will absorb the tasty fats oozing out of the sausage as it cooks. 

Incorporate bacon into your next stuffing for smoky, salty, savory flavor and additional protein. This ingredient is commonly mixed with sage, onion, and cranberry for textural variety. You could also use the denser pancetta (salt-cured pork belly) instead of bacon if you want that pork flavor but without the smoky notes. Pancetta pairs well with leeks, mushrooms, hazelnut, and even orange. Whether you use bacon or pancetta, your stuffing will benefit from the additional meaty taste. 

For those who are used to classic stuffing, which tends not to include anything more radical than Italian sausage, oysters and shrimp might sound like quite the leap. Though, seafood stuffing is quite standard in coastal regions, and shrimp oyster stuffing is popular in the south as well. Pair the briny shrimp and oysters with other classic ingredients like celery and breadcrumbs, or make use of unexpected components like cornbread mix. Some recipes will even include crab meat for added texture and flavor. 

If you're looking to impart more savory flavor and a slightly sweet-tart bite in your stuffing, try incorporating Worcestershire sauce. It will give your stuffing a deep umami flavor and a slight fermented tanginess, which will cut through the rich, buttery flavors of the dish. Because this ingredient is rather pungent, you won't need very much to make a flavorful impact. You only need a few dashes depending on the amount of stuffing you are making and the intensity you want.

For those who love the nutty, savory influence of cheese, consider adding a grated variety into your stuffing mixture. This addition is very open ended; you could either add any number of individual cheeses or introduce a blend. Parmesan cheese, for example, is commonly used in many stuffing recipes. You could also go for white cheddar or smoked gouda. Incorporate the cheese by finely grating it and blending it with the stuffing mixture for more even taste. Or, you could dice your cheese into cubes for pockets of concentrated cheesy bites. 

If you feel your stuffing could benefit from some extra crunch, consider adding nuts into the mix. Make sure to toast the nuts before combining with your bread, veggies, and broth for better flavor and texture. Many nuts already lean into the rich savory flavor profile of most stuffings, so it won't be difficult to blend them in. Try toasted pine nuts alongside fresh herbs like sage, or slightly roasted walnuts with cranberry pieces. You may even go for pistachio combined with apricot, or just hazelnuts for an elevated take on plain ol' stuffing. 

Those who are gluten intolerant will appreciate a stuffing option that caters to them, in which case you can skip the bread and opt for rice instead. You could incorporate wild rice in this dish, which will add more texture and flavor than standard white or brown rice. Skip the oven in this case; instead, you'll cook the rice separately from your sautéed vegetables and mix once both components are finished cooking. You can even cook the rice ahead of time and assemble the stuffing later.

Instead of adding standard butter into your stuffing mixture, try incorporating brown butter instead. Browned butter adds a rich, nutty flavor that leans almost caramelized. This is a delicious way to seamlessly upgrade your stuffing with little added effort or ingredients, since you would've already been likely to use butter anyway. You can even brown the butter with some herb sprigs like rosemary or sage for additional nuance. You can emphasize these herbs further by finely chopping a few extra to add to the stuffing itself for a more powerful herbaceous flavor. 

Mushrooms are another way to elevate your stuffing that doesn't involve meats or cheese, making it a great option for vegetarians and vegans (just use a recipe that skips meat-based broth). This fibrous fungi adds both earthy, umami flavor and a meaty textural nuance that will shift the feel of the dish. Button mushrooms are a reliable addition, though you can go for more variety with mixed or wild mushrooms as well. Mushrooms can be easily combined alongside other vegetables, just make sure to finely chop them so that they seamlessly mix together. 

You can't go wrong with roasted garlic – this savory, pungent ingredient will add deeper flavor in your next stuffing mixture. Peel an entire garlic bulb, slice off the top, and roast the rest with oil and herbs. While some saute chopped garlic in the pan with the other ingredients, it's worth trying this oven-baked roasted method for a sweeter, milder flavor. After you've cooked it through, incorporate the softened roasted garlic into the stuffing mixture with the other ingredients and bake as usual. 

While onion is a common ingredient in most stuffing mixtures, some add it to the main mixture raw before baking off in the oven. Meanwhile, other recipes call for parboiling to reduce its bite. For more umami, sweet, and rich flavor, it's worth taking the time to caramelize your onions instead. You can add standard white onions, red onions, or even shallots this way for slight variations of flavor. Caramelized onions also go well with other savory suggestions like pancetta or bacon. 

Pepper jelly is another unexpected pairing in standard stuffing mixes, but this sweet-savory ingredient makes for a fantastic twist. The fruity spice that comes through with the incorporation of this component will make your stuffing standout. It also goes well with other hot and sweet additions like spicy sausage and corn. You can also take this in a more festive direction and use cranberry pepper jelly for a unique upgrade on this classic side.

Vinegar may not be the first ingredient that comes to mind when thinking of upgrading stuffing, but a few teaspoons of this ingredient does wonders for the side. This is because its sour, astringent flavor cuts through the meaty fats and butter that's common in most stuffings. You can use white vinegar, of course, or try apple cider vinegar for a little fruity flavor nuance. This component also does well alongside many of the aforementioned additions like sausage and roasted garlic.