Soft Pretzel Thanksgiving Stuffing

How to Make Pretzel Stuffing

Ingredients for the best stuffing ever:

• Pretzels or pretzel rolls – I highly recommend using homemade pretzels or pretzel rolls for the best flavor and texture. Though, you could also buy pre-made pretzel rolls from the store if you must.
• Unsalted butter – make sure to use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt used in this stuffing.
• White onion – diced. You could also use a yellow onion.
• Carrots – thinly sliced.
• Celery – diced.
• Mushrooms – don’t skip these, they’re so good in the stuffing!
• Fresh thyme – fresh is best here.
• Fresh rosemary – fresh is best here.
• Salt & pepper
• Low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock – to keep this recipe vegetarian, you could use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. Make sure to buy low sodium so that you can control the amount of salt used in this stuffing.
• Red wine vinegar – such a rich and savory dish needs a dose of acidity to bring out all those flavors.
• Worcestershire – make sure to purchase vegetarian Worcestershire if you need to keep this side dish veggie-friendly.
• An egg – this helps bind the stuffing together into a casserole.

How far in advance can I make the pretzels?

A couple days, but toasted and dried bread is actually better than simply stale bread. Bread that’s too stale will yield a more tough or rubbery stuffing texture. The same is true for pretzels. If you buy pretzels or make them too far in advance, just freeze them then defrost before toasting to use in the stuffing.

How do I prevent soggy Thanksgiving stuffing?

Going through the extra step of toasting the cubes to dry them out further is one of the best things you can do for stuffing. It’ll help ensure the perfect texture, not too soggy or too rubbery, with crisp bits on top and at the edges.

Be sure not to underbake the stuffing which can also create a soggy texture.

Lastly, don’t skip removing the foil for the last 15 minutes of baking!

Why is my stuffing dry?

If you don’t use enough liquid and fat in the form of stock, melted butter, and an egg, then your stuffing will dry out quickly. Truly the secret is in lots of butter!

Also avoid overcooking. This is easily done when you make the stuffing in advance and then heat it again for too long to serve later. See my advance prep tips below.

Covering the stuffing with foil for most of the cooking time as directed in the recipe will also prevent it from drying out.

How to make stuffing ahead of time:

If you’re bringing stuffing to a friend or family member’s house, cook it as directed but just shave off about 5 minutes from the cooking time. Then when it’s almost time to serve, just pop it back in a 350°F oven to finish it off.

Once the wet and dry ingredients mix, the stuffing should hit the oven soon after. You can complete steps 1-3 in advance by drying out the pretzel cubes and letting them sit uncovered at room temperature, and sautéing the veggies and refrigerating them a day in advance. Then just proceed with step 4 the day you plan to serve.

How to store stuffing leftovers:

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven or in the microwave until warmed.

Can I make this stuffing recipe with sausage?

Yes! I haven’t tested it specifically, but it would taste absolutely delicious with some ground sausage. I think pork sage sausage would be perfect, but feel free to use what you have.

To add sausage, I would omit 2 tablespoons of the butter. Cook the sausage, remove with a slotted spoon, then add the butter to the pan and sauté the veggies as the recipe directs. Add the sausage back in when you toss all the ingredients together.

What to make with Thanksgiving leftovers?

Got too much leftover stuffing? Use it up in these Leftover Stuffing Muffins.