Challah, Wild Mushroom & Herb Stuffing
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This stuffing crispy on top and loaded with an earthy, buttery mix of onions and vegetables.
There are as many versions of Thanksgiving stuffing as there are cooks who make it. The truth is, as long as you stick to the basic bread-to-liquid ratio, you can pretty much add any vegetables or seasonings that you like. This challah stuffing, modestly adapted from Mrs. Wheelbarrow on Food52, reminds me of the one my grandmother used to make. It’s golden and crispy on top and loaded with a flavorful and earthy mix of onions and wild mushrooms. A few tips: buy the “poultry blend” of fresh herbs if your supermarket carries it, as it contains all the herbs you’ll need, and buy your mushrooms pre-sliced to cut down on prep time.
What you’ll need to make Challah, Wild Mushroom & Herb Stuffing
How to make Challah, Wild Mushroom & Herb Stuffing
Cut the challah into 1-inch cubes and spread onto a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until dry and lightly toasted. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a large sauté pan. Cook the onions over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
Add the celery, herbs, mushrooms, salt and pepper.
Cook until celery is slightly softened, about 5 minutes more.
In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, onion/vegetable mixture, and chicken stock.
Toss well.
Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until golden, about 25 minutes more. Serve immediately.
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Challah, Wild Mushroom & Herb Stuffing
This stuffing crispy on top and loaded with an earthy, buttery mix of onions and vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1 large loaf challah (about 1 pound)
- 1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for buttering baking dishes
- 2 cups yellow onion, diced (from 2 medium onions)
- 2 cups celery, diced
- 2 cups wild mushrooms, diced
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (or ¼ teaspoon dried and crumbled)
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage (or ¼ teaspoon dried)
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Cut the challah into 1-inch cubes and spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until dry and lightly toasted. Set aside.
- Increase the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Melt the butter in a large sauté pan. Cook the onions over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Add the celery, mushrooms, herbs, salt, and pepper and cook until celery is slightly softened, about 5 minutes more.
- In a large bowl, combine the toasted bread cubes, onion/vegetable mixture, and chicken broth and toss well.
- Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish. Cover the dish with buttered foil and refrigerate until ready to bake (up to overnight).
- Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until golden, about 25 minutes more. Serve immediately.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: This dish can be prepared (but not baked) up to 1 day ahead of time. Cover the dish with buttered foil and refrigerate. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until golden, about 25 minutes more. Serve immediately.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: This dish can be frozen after baking, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight then reheat it, covered with foil, in a 325°F oven until hot.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 259
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Sodium: 448 mg
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Jenn- i am making the stuffing ahead on Wednesday for Thanksgiving on Thursday. Can i cut the celery up tonight – Tuesday? If so, do i need to put it in water in the frig or is it better to chop on Wednesday? Thanks!
Best stuffing ever – 2nd time making it!
Hi Amy, You can actually chop the celery, onions and mushrooms all a day ahead, if you’d like. Just store them separately in plastic bags in the fridge (no water necessary). Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks so much for the quick reply! Think i can toast the Challah tonight too (Tuesday) or is that pushing it?
Sure!
So should i toast and cool on the counter and then put in a plastic bag overnight? You are a god send! ❤️
That’ll work — hope you enjoy!
I can’t wait to try this! Unfortunately, I bought regular sliced mushrooms. Will it taste okay if they’re not “wild” mushrooms. I didn’t know what that meant and they weren’t labeled “wild” at the Whole Foods!
It will still be delicious, Lisa – just won’t have quite the same flavor. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hello Jenn, please include me to your long list of admirers who totally trusts you and your recipes to always make me shine with family and friends. Thank you. I plan to make your challah stuffing for Thanksgiving 2017 and am requesting your opinion on adding 2 cups of roasted pumpkin to your recipe. If I do add the pumpkin, should I keep or omit the mushrooms? Sincerely, Marcine Mu.
Hi Marcine, That is so sweet – thank you! I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes. I think you could add up to 2 cups of roasted pumpkin — and I’d keep the mushrooms since they add a lot of wonderful flavor.
Is it OK to prepare the challah/mushroom stuffing a day ahead? If so, should I bake it a day ahead also – or wait til Thanksgiving Day to bake it?
Hi Marilyn, It’s definitely fine to prepare the stuffing a day ahead (and regarding when to bake it, either way will work — Whatever is easiest for you. Enjoy!
Hi Jen,
I always make challah stuffing like my mom did. I add several eggs to recipe that she made. Can I do that with your recipe.
Sure, Evie – but you might reduce the broth a bit to make up for the added moisture. Please lmk how it turns out!
Hi. This looks like what I’m looking for. Two questions – we have dairy allergy – do you think will taste ok with dairy-free margarine. I know you said can be reheated day of, but how long?covered?how hot? I don’t want to ruin it. Could I bake it the first 20 mins day before and then finish off the 25 mins to get golden right before serving?
Hi Linda, I think it’s perfectly fine to use dairy-free margarine. And I think your plan to bake the first 20 minutes the day before and finish it off before serving is perfect; that way it won’t overcook.
Followed your recipe but added sausage. It was very good, but it was soggy and not at all crispy on top as you stated. Wonder why?
Hi Diane, The sausage probably added a lot of additional fat to make the mixture “wetter.”
tried this for the first time for christmas day dinner needless to say it was a winner and will definetly make this every time a stuffing is need I did not put mushrooms in it and cooked it uncovered for 25 minutes longer than it said
I made the challah bread since I cannot get it here where I live. I really wanted to eat this stuffing and after a whole day working on that bread it was sooo worth it. Why to even ever go back to regular stuffing! It is addicting!!!
I will even switch the challah for the bread cubes from your sausage stuffing which was also really good! I made both!
Thank you
Sara
Hi and Happy Holidays!
I mistakenly did not cook Challah and am now pre cooking 25 minutes with the entire ingredients… Major oops! I plan to entirely cook tomorrow when guests arrive. Any adjustments I might make?!
Hi Deanna, Absolutely no worries at all – it will be fine and no need to make any adjustments.
We prepared everything the day before (serving it tomorrow!) Is it better to bake now and reheat tomorrow? or keep in the refrigerator and bake tomorrow to serve tomorrow? THANK YOU
Hi Stacey, Honestly, it doesn’t matter either way. Whatever is easiest for you. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Jen, if I wanted to halve this recipe, approximately how many cups of bread would I need to use to get the ratio of bread to liquid right? Excited to try this for Thanksgiving!
Hi Julie, I’m not certain how many cups of bread the diced challah would be, but I would just use half the challah. If you’re using a different type of bread, I’d just use enough so that the diced pieces cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 dish. Hope that helps!
We have a small gathering this year. Only three of us. If I halved the recipe, would I want to use an 8×8 inch baking dish instead? Also, I only have baby bella mushrooms. I am assuming those will work in a pinch 🙂
Yes and yes – hope you enjoy!
Can this recipe be frozen? And if so when and how?
Hi Deborah, I haven’t frozen this, but I think you could. I would bake it first; it can be frozen for 2 – 3 months.
Have you since frozen and reheated? I cooked it yesterday and froze it and I’m really nervous about the reheating process…
It was very moist after cooking…a bit mushy maybe so I’m wondering if when I thaw and reheat, I need to let it dry out?
Yes, if you found it a bit mushy, I’d reheat it uncovered so that it can dry out a little in the oven. 🙂
I haven’t, Deanna – I’m sorry!
This looks so delish and easy, (like every recipe of yours that I’ve made)! Can I substitute homemade turkey stock instead of the chicken broth?
Absolutely!
Hi – This recipe looks amazing! I’m making a stuffed turkey breast for Friendsgiving, (day after Thanksgiving). I would like to add pork sausage to this and was wondering whether I should adjust any of the ingredients because it’s being stuffed in the turkey breast? Thanks!
Hi Donna, Italian sausage sounds like a great addition — refer to my easy sausage stuffing recipe for technique. And I’d probably reduce the broth by a little (about 1 cup) if you’ll be stuffing this into the turkey. Enjoy!
I love your stuffings and want to make both this year. For the challah one, I have some guests with mushroom allergies. What would be good as a substitute that would give a hearty flavor? Or is there another recipe that would work well with challah?
Thanks!
Hi Karen, Glad you like the stuffings! The one other vegetable that may work here is cauliflower, chopped into very small pieces, but I also think you could get away with just omitting the mushrooms. The onions and celery will provide plenty of flavor.
can this be made the day before?
Yep!
What kind of wild mushrooms do you use for this recipe?
Hi Norma, I use a mix of Shiitake, oyster and portobello mushrooms.
Did you buy all three kinds of mushrooms fresh? Oyster mushrooms, I’ve seen dried, but not fresh. If so, did you need to hydrate them. I made your stuffing this year without the mushrooms and it was delicious, only because both of my daughters don’t like mushrooms. But next Thanksgiving, I’ll make one of each.
I was able to find all of the mushrooms fresh, but if you can only find the dried version, rehydrating them would work just fine!
Can I use cornbread?
Hi Kimberly, Yes, I think that would work well. Happy Thanksgiving!
Made it with cornbread (Jiffy 3 boxes). I had to add a tad more broth, but boy was this good! So much flavor. The smell alone from making it was sensational. I will definitely make this for Christmas!
This has been my go-to stuffing recipe for 3 or 4 years so I’m overdue for a review. This stuffing is hands down, the best stuffing I have ever made. I ‘ve never found a reason to divert from it. I follow it to a T, and it is perfect. Very hearty, fluffy. The slight sweetness of the challah paired with all the savoriness going on, not to mention the little bit of crunch from the bits of celery, makes this fantastic. And it’s really simple to make and can be prepared ahead of time. I usually assemble the day before, store in fridge, bake the next day. Thank you for this recipe … it’s on it’s way to being a tradition 🙂
Hi Jenn,
Your thoughts on possibly adding cooked crumbled sausage? If so what would you recommend. Made your Italian sausage bread pudding was amazing. Have also noticed some recipes adding egg to the stuffing what would the reason for that be?
Looking forward to trying your recipe. Thanks
Hi Cindy, I love the idea of adding Italian sausage — see my easy sausage stuffing for technique. The egg moistens the stuffing and binds it together. I hope you enjoy the recipe, and please come back and let me know how it turns out 🙂
Can you give an approximate weight for a “large” loaf of challah?
Hi Janice, I’ll have to look next time I’m at the store but really just a typical size challah is fine.
Would it be a problem if I used defrosted Challah bread for this recipe? Does it have to be fresh from the bakery? It’s hard to come by in the city and I’d like to stock up in the freezer with a few loaves once I do get my hands on it.
Hi Anna, Frozen will work just fine. Enjoy!
One large loaf can you please specify approximate amount of cups and how moist the cubes should be? Thank you.
Hi Cindy, It’s about 8-10 cups. The bread should be moist but not soggy.
Made this for Thanksgiving dinner. Got rave reviews. Best stuffing I’ve ever made. Delicious!
Could this be made in a crock pot instead of baked? My oven is broken!!!!
Hi Karen, You could make it in a crock pot but you wouldn’t get the crispy crust on top. Would still be good, though 🙂
What if you want to stuff it in a turkey? Does the liquid amount need to change?
Hi James, I’d probably just keep the liquid the same or reduce it just a bit (maybe by 1 cup) if you prefer a dryer stuffing.
can this be made in a muffin tin for individual stuffing portions?
Hi Sharon, Absolutely, I love that idea. Just watch the cooking time…won’t take as long.
This is a Thanksgiving staple in my house (we eat vegetarian)! It’s good for the next day’s leftovers as well, but gets a bit dry after one day. Wonderful recipe!
Wow! I can’t believe all these years I had never thought of challah stuffing – can’t wait to try it! Always knew challah made the best french toast… but this sounds amazing!
Can you refrigerate overnight?
Hi Nicole, Yes it is fine to refrigerate overnight.
Thanksgiving is not complete without this amazing dish! It tastes even better the next day.
I love new stuffing recipes!! We don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving, do we?
Jenn,
My family like to use sausage in their stuffing. Do you think I’d be okay adding sausage to this recipe. It sounds delicious!
Thanks!
Hi Taryn, The only other vegetable that comes to mind is cauliflower, chopped into tiny pieces, but I think it would probably be fine to just omit the mushrooms. The onions and celery provide plenty of flavor. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn, My mother is allergic to mushrooms, can you recommend another vegetable I could substitute? Thanks!
I was just asking my brother-in-law for his Challah stuffing recipe and he refused to give it to me. This recipe looks so good and almost identical to his. Can’t wait to try it.
With the new 2011. Year! Congratulations.
I made this for Thanksgiving with some modifications (using leeks instead of onions and celery, butter flavored pam spray instead of butter, and low-sodium low-fat chicken broth) and it was delicious and easy to make the day of. I’m definitely keeping this recipe for next year.
I made this last year and I loved it!!!! However, I can’t remember what kinds of mushrooms I used. Any suggestions? Thanks!
did this last year and now I’d be dis-invited if I did not make the stuffing.
WOW
MsHymanroth – You are right, most stuffing recipes requre you to dry out the bread by leaving it out for a few days. The other method, which I prefer, is to toast the bread cubes in a low temperature oven…it’s much faster and works just as well 🙂
Just wondering, you don’t have to dry the bread first? I always see recipes where the bread must be dried! Thank you.
We made this for Thanksgiving and it was the best stuffing I have ever eaten! Full of flavor and the Challah is incredible, what a fantasic idea! Thanks for the beautiful recipe!
That is one tasty looking stuffing!
Using Challah bread for stuffing is such a great idea! I love the sweetness of Challah bread and we’re lucky enough to be able to get it from our local supermarket now.
OH! I just love this! MMMM! Great time to post it, too! I betcha everyone is thinking today… “hmmmm, I think I will do this on Thursday!” Great pics, too! 🙂
I love your version of this stuffing – it’s similar to the one my family ate, until I married a vegetarian! Thanks for the mention. Happy Thanksgiving!
Sounds delicious, I never thought to use Challah! 🙂
Nice!!!! I’ve been trying to find a great vegetarian option and now viola – I’ll just use a vegetable stock instead of the chicken stock. This sounds ‘licious!!!! Thanks and have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!