We’re hauling right into November to start planning the biggest food holiday of the year! This is my tried-and-true favorite Thanksgiving dish, the only one that has a place on our table every single year. The rest of the menu is constantly changing and lately hasn’t even included a bird, but this oyster stuffing makes it properly Thanksgiving to me. We all want some buttery, savory, rich indulgence on our holiday table.
I’m going to stand by what I said about my favorite chili: if I’m sharing something this unphotogenic, it has to taste really good. Stuffing is never very pretty, but there’s a good reason it sticks around year after year! It fits the humble theme of the holiday. I love celebrations without gifts, without cards, without all the extra expensive stuff. Just sharing food with people you love, spending quality time together, and disconnecting from the world for an evening.
Canned oysters are stocked in most grocery stores near canned tuna. I prefer plain oysters for this recipe, not smoked, although I’ve mistakenly bought smoked before and it’s quite good too. You could also substitute cashew pieces for the pine nuts to cut down on cost; pine nuts have a beautifully unique nutty flavor, but those little things are expensive.
I’m also a big fan of crumbling lots of breakfast sausage on top and eating this for dinner… or topping it with an egg for breakfast… possibly in the same day. What can I say, I really like this stuffing!
Next week is all about Friendsgiving! Just like Oktoberfest, I’ll share a different recipe every day – everything from the bird to the pie – and then on Friday I’ll have the complete party guide for you, including your grocery list & stress-free cooking instructions. Mid-November is the perfect time to have everyone over, partly to celebrate the holidays with friends, partly because you get two Thanksgiving dinners. Win-win all around!
While this stuffing isn’t on the Friendsgiving list because I know not everyone will love the idea of oysters, give it a chance if you’re even a little bit intrigued. You might just have a new holiday favorite!
Photos & recipe updated from original November 2015 post.
Traditional Oyster Stuffing
Ingredients
- 4 T. butter
- 1 onion diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 4 cups stale bread diced
- 1 cup oysters chopped, liquor reserved
- 1/2 cup pine nuts toasted
- 2 T. fresh parsley minced
- 1 t. basil
- 1/2 t. paprika
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1 cup chicken or garlic broth
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Melt butter oven medium heat. Saute onion and celery until onion is translucent.
- Combine onion, celery, bread, oysters, pine nuts, parsley, and spices in a large bowl.
- Fold in oyster liquor, broth, and eggs just until moistened.
- Transfer to a greased 8x8 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 30 minutes.
- Uncover and continue baking for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.
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