Baked Stuffing

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 300°F. Spread the bread cubes on 2 large rimmed baking sheets and bake 20 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway, until dry and crisp but barely colored. Transfer them to a very large bowl.
2. While the bread dries, melt 8 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring now and then, 8 to 10 minutes, until soft but not browned.
3. Stir in the garlic, sage, thyme, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute. Scrape everything over the bread, add the parsley and toss well.
4. Raise the oven to 350°F and butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
5. Whisk the eggs with 3 cups of the broth, pour over the bread and toss until evenly moist. The cubes should feel soft and wet with no dry spots and no puddle in the bowl; add up to 1/2 cup more broth if needed.
6. Spoon the stuffing into the dish without packing it down. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle it over the top.
7. Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 to 25 minutes more, until the top is golden and crisp.
8. Check the center with an instant-read thermometer; it must reach 165°F. If it is not there yet, bake 5 minutes more and check again, then let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Good to know

• Make ahead: dry the bread cubes up to 3 days early and keep them in a paper bag. You can also assemble the dish, cover and refrigerate it up to 1 day, then bake straight from the fridge, adding about 15 minutes to the covered time and checking for 165°F.
• Bagged dried stuffing cubes (12 cups) can replace the homemade ones; they usually need the full 3 1/2 cups broth.
• Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or the freezer for 1 month. Reheat covered at 350°F with a splash of broth until hot in the center.
• Swap: use 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning in place of the fresh sage and thyme, or vegetable broth for a meatless stuffing.