My Grandma’s Depression-Era Trick for the Best Turkey Stuffing Is Pure Genius

If your family is like mine, Thanksgiving happens at Grandma’s house—and no one quite makes the recipes we love like our grandmothers. 

My grandma, Kathleen Larson, passed away at 96, and during her long life, she accumulated more than a few fantastic recipes that I treasure and make to this day. I love her four-ingredient apple crumble, which is a lifesaver if you don’t want to make a pie. Her vintage Jell-O salad is a retro dessert salad perfect all fall long, and her thumbprint cookies are a delicious nod to her Swedish heritage. 

At Thanksgiving, my grandma not only ruled the day—a true matriarch and long widowed, she sat at the head of the table—but also ruled the menu. And many of those holiday classics came from her experience growing up on a farm during the Great Depression, including a side dish that has become one of my very favorites: her Thanksgiving stuffing. 

Grandma Larson’s Turkey Stuffing

The recipe, a classic turkey stuffing that relies on an old-fashioned method, is an example of the ingenuity everyone needed during the Depression. And with fewer than 10 humble ingredients, the recipe is a cinch to put together and easy on the budget.

I admit that the first time I tried my grandma’s turkey stuffing as a kid, I was still a picky eater who would grab another dinner roll instead of trying a new flavor or texture. Over time, though, I began to appreciate the light texture and rich flavor of her classic recipe, which never seemed to dry out during the long oven time her Thanksgiving turkey demanded. 

The secret was in her technique: an old-fashioned method that relied on stale bread and lots of moisture (some even call this a wet-bread stuffing). To ensure her stuffing stayed moist, my grandmother soaked an entire loaf of bread at the beginning of the process rather than combining dry bread crumbs with cooking liquid later. The result? A lighter stuffing that doesn’t dry out and maintains its flavor more than other methods. It’s not only smart and practical cooking, but it’s a connection to my amazing Grandma’s early life during challenging times. 

How to Make Grandma Larson’s Turkey Stuffing

If you are using a fresh loaf of bread, as my grandmother often would, she would first toast the loaf. If your bread is stale or firm, you can skip the toasting step. The eggs in this recipe add a little richness to the stuffing, and the poultry seasoning adds a classic, nostalgic flavor. 

Once the bread is soaked in water, remove the loaf and squeeze as much water from it as possible. Then, break it apart as you would any other stuffing and follow the remaining steps. 

Ingredients

• 8 ounces butter
• 2 cups onions, sliced
• 2 cups celery, sliced
• 1 pound bread, stale or toasted
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup parsley
• 3 eggs

Directions

1. Submerge the stale or toasted bread loaf in water. Remove from the water once the bread is soaked through and squeeze or press the water from the bread until it is fluffy.
2. Melt butter in a medium-sized pan and add celery and onions. Cook until softened and translucent.
3. Break apart the bread into small pieces and add to a large mixing bowl. Transfer butter, onions, and celery into the bowl.
4. Add salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, parsley, and eggs to the bowl.
5. Mix together until everything is combined, then stuff your turkey as desired.