Here is a list of vegetables you can add to your stuffing or dressing recipe to make it really stand out this Thanksgiving. I will teach you how to prep each vegetable before you add it to a homemade recipe or store-bought stuffing mix.
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Are you tasked with making the stuffing or dressing this year for Thanksgiving? Need some new ideas for what veggies to include. Below you will find a list of different veggies that go great in stuffing and how to prepare them to use. You can add any of these veggies even if you plan to just fancy up a store bought stuffing mix.
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🚜 Best Vegetables to Add to Stuffing or Dressing
Here are some ideas for vegetables to include in your stuffing this year.
- Celery
- Brussels Sprouts
- Onions
- Garlic
- Shallots
- Carrots
- Parsnips
- Rutabagas
- Turnips
- Mushrooms
- Spinach
- Water Chestnuts
- Squash
- Sweet Potato
- Celery Root
Now let's look at how to add them.
🟢 Brussels Sprouts
🏆 Favorite option
I love Brussels sprouts at Thanksgiving. Did you know that Brussels Sprouts taste sweeter after a frost? If you can source your brussels from an area where it frosts you will be treated to the best tasting Brussels sprouts ever.
When it comes to using them in stuffing you have two options.
- You could quarter them with a knife.
- You could shred them in a food processor.
If you are going to cook your stuffing in the oven for a while, then go with the quarters. If you are doing it fast on the stovetop, then shredded works great.
🥬 Celery
🏆 Easiest option
I did a survey of my Instagram audience and celery was the most popular vegetable added to stuffing. It's a pretty easy one to add. You just need to chop it up. It's a pretty forgiving vegetable that even if it softs it won't be disgusting. If you overcook Brussels sprouts that's a different story!
💡 Tip - If your celery stalks have any leaves on them, remove them, and cut them up like you would a herb. Don't just toss them. Use them just like an herb, in reality that is what they are!
🧅 Onions or Garlic
It comes down to personal preference for onions. Some people like them more firm and others like me want them really caramelized. I always cook the onions first before I start the stuffing. But if you like them firm, just dice them up and add without cooking first. They will still soften a little bit.
As for garlic, I usually don't cook it first, because it's super easy to burn. No one wants black pieces of burned garlic in their food. If you like your garlic more mellow and sweet, cook it whole before hand. Most people do this in the oven, but if you got an air fryer that is so much better. You just need to wrap it in foil, cook at 380 degrees for about 25 minutes.
🥕 Root Vegetables (Carrots, Parsnips, Etc.)
I really like to add root vegetables to my stuffing. This is the time of year I go for the ones that I don't use during the warm months - parsnips, rutabaga, celery root, and turnips.
I have gotten into not peeling carrots when I cook with them, but for these vegetables I still peel them with a vegetable peeler. They have a tougher skin. And rutabagas are often coated with wax to keep them from drying out. For those I scrub any wax off as much as I can first, and then peel them.
These root vegetables work especially well when you are going to cook your stuffing in the oven. Roasting brings out a sweet flavor in them.
🦃 If you want to spatchcock a turkey for Thanksgiving, you can make a stuffing like dish, called a Panzanella. You cook the turkey directly on the oven rack and allow all the drippings to go underneath onto a sheet pan with root vegetables, brussels sprouts, and bread. This is what I do when I make Alton Brown's Dry Brined Spatchcock Turkey.
🍄 Mushrooms
Want to use mushrooms? You will need to prepare these first. You will want to chop them into small pieces and just cook them into a pan until softened. Then stir them into your stuffing. They will only take a few minutes to cook.
If you want to use dried mushrooms, you should re-constitute them first. You could do this in water but if you got enough chicken or vegetable stock hanging around, you can use that and the mushrooms will absorb some of the flavor.
Add dried mushrooms to a pot. Add in enough stock to cover them. Bring to a boil. Then simmer until they are fully re-constituted about 10 minutes. Then they are ready to go for your stuffing.
🌿 Spinach
Spinach is something that I just throw in at the last minute as it just needs to wilt for a couple minutes and then it's done. I don't see if called for in many stuffing recipes but you certainly could use it to add some green.
🥫 Water Chestnuts
Water chestnuts count as a vegetable, not a nut. They are actually a tuber from an aquatic plant. to use them, just drain them out of the can. You can put them right into your stuffing that you are cooking in the oven.
While they don't add any flavor of their own, they do add a contrasting texture and can soak up a little of that broth or stock you are using to make your stuffing.
🍠 Sweet Potato or Squash
Even thought they are very different plants, I am grouping sweet potato and squash together as they are prepared the same and both will add a sweet element to your stuffing.
To be sure they are cooked through and soft enough I would roast them first. You actually could do this the day before, put them in the fridge, and then incorporate them into your stuffing when you are making it. This is a smart idea to do ahead especially when you have a turkey in your oven on Thanksgiving.
Peel and cube the squash and/or sweet potatoes (yes you can use both!). Roast in a 425 degree oven until they are browned and tender.
If you enjoyed this post make sure you check out our entire series "What Vegetables Go Well In" to help you add more veggies to your favorite dishes.
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