Make your Thanksgiving dinner extra comforting with this Amish Potato Stuffing Recipe. The savory bites of mashed potatoes, breadcrumbs, sauteed veggies, and sage make this side dish a must-have at holiday meals.
Mashed potato stuffing for Thanksgiving
Prepare to be hit with a surge of nostalgia because this potato stuffing has everything you love about a classic stuffing recipe but with an authentic Amish twist!
Layers of sage, celery, mashed potatoes, and breadcrumbs bake together to create this savory Amish Potato Stuffing Recipe. Layered with gravy on top, this stuffing recipe is a must-have when serving a loaded Thanksgiving or holiday dinner to family and friends. Don’t forget the Juicy Turkey, Green Bean Casserole, Cheese Brussels Sprouts and Pumpkin Dinner Rolls on the side!
I first discovered Amish stuffing as I was exploring the many weekend markets in Pennsylvania growing up. There are always Amish stands outside of these markets, usually selling irresistible goodies like discounted produce, meat, and delectable chicken breasts stuffed with potato stuffing. This quickly became my new favorite meal and I knew I had to recreate it at home!
My #1 tip when making this recipe is: don’t skip the sage! Yes, the mashed potatoes, whole wheat breadcrumbs, and sauteed veggies are delicious together but dried sage takes the mixture to an entirely different level. It’s super important for flavor and balance, plus it will fill your whole house with the savory smells of Thanksgiving.
Potato stuffing vs. traditional Thanksgiving stuffing
This recipe varies slightly from a traditional Thanksgiving stuffing recipe. You’ll usually only find breadcrumbs seasoned with chicken stock, eggs, celery, and herbs in the traditional version.
The alternative is a popular choice in Pennsylvania Dutch country that adds creamy mashed potatoes into what would have been traditional stuffing. Potato stuffing doesn’t need to be made with eggs or broth because it’s already moist and holds together really well. The finished result is creamy and savory, and pairs so well with gravy!
How to make Amish potato stuffing from scratch
This quick and easy stuffing recipe is a great make ahead meal and a must-have for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s ready to eat after a few simple steps:
Saute the onions and celery in a large frying pan over medium high heat until they’re soft.
Take the pan off of the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs, mashed potatoes, sage, parsley, and salt and pepper.
Transfer the stuffing mixture to a prepared casserole dish.
Bake the stuffing until the top is slightly browned and crispy. Serve it next to your favorite Thanksgiving sides and enjoy!
Make ahead potato stuffing
Not only can you put this whole recipe together ahead of time, but you can even prepare some of the individual elements in advance so you never have to rush! It’s a great Thanksgiving side dish that will save you loads of time:
- Mashed potatoes – Make your mashed potatoes up to 3 days ahead. Keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to add them to the stuffing mixture.
- Breadcrumbs – Tear the bread into chunks and let them sit out, uncovered, in a bowl the night before making the stuffing.
- Potato stuffing – Because this vegetarian stuffing isn’t made with eggs or meat, it stores and freezes really well days before serving. Assemble the stuffing in the casserole dish, cover it well, and store it in the fridge for 1 or 2 days or freeze it for later.
How long does leftover stuffing last?
The leftover stuffing stores well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat them for a few minutes in the microwave or in the oven until warmed through. You can also use it in Leftover Thanksgiving Casserole.
You can also freeze the baked and cooled potato stuffing in a freezer-safe container or bag. Warm it from frozen in a 350ºF oven until heated through. Don’t let it thaw or else the bread will become soggy.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I bake it covered or uncovered? Bake the dressing uncovered so the top can turn slightly brown and crispy.
- What’s the best bread for stuffing? Fluffy day-old white or whole wheat bread is best in stuffing because it soaks up all of the flavors easily and won’t become soggy in the oven. White sandwich bread, potato bread, challah, or French bread are a few great options.
- What else can I add to stuffing? You can add sauteed mushrooms, spinach, kale, sausage, leftover Thanksgiving turkey, mashed sweet potatoes, leeks, or corn to this potato and breadcrumb stuffing recipe!
- Can I stuff it into a turkey? I prefer to bake the stuffing separately from the Thanksgiving turkey or chicken because they two require very different temperatures and cooking times in the oven. Baking the stuffing inside of turkey or chicken means the poultry can often turn out overcooked as you wait for the stuffing to finish.
More Thanksgiving stuffing recipes
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Amish Potato Stuffing Recipe
PrintIngredients
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 pieces celery chopped
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 4 slices whole wheat bread torn into pieces
- 3 cups cooked mashed potatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large frying pan, saute the onion and celery in butter over medium high heat until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in bread, mashed potatoes, sage, parsley and salt + pepper. Mix completely.
- Spray a 9×9 baking dish with nonstick spray, and then pour the stuffing mixture into it.
- Bake, uncovered for 50-60 minutes or until the top is slightly browned and crispy.
- Serve and enjoy!
Diane says
I am going to try this. Never heard of it.
Will bake a chicken.
Pam Laurent says
I liked this recipe but it seemed like it was missing something. My mom made this recipe every Christmas but I can’t seem to find her recipe. She passed away and I thought I would try and make this – this year. Her stuffing was a golden color like she used chicken broth or an egg. Hers got fluffier and had more sage spice. I’m wondering if she used poultry spice as well.
Kate says
Could you assemble this the day before and then cook it the day you need it? Do you think it would turn out ok, or do you think the bread would get too mushy?
Ivan says
Toast that bread first!
Trish says
My boyfriend and I had two HUGE helpings of potato stuffing at Miller’s Smorgasbord in Lancaster, PA (of course!) over the weekend, and agreed that it was the best item we tried (and this is saying A LOT!) . I hope this recipe comes out even a smidge close to theirs! Thank you for giving us this recipe! Fingers crossed! Trish (the crazy bird lady!)
Julia Melatis says
You don’t have an important ingredient, raw egg. Mix in a couple eggs into the potatoes before adding in the veggies and bread cubes. It gives the filling its signature puffiness. Also sauteing the bread cubes in butter at the end with the veggies until golden browned adds a level of flavor and texture. That’s how we always did it where I grew up in PA. I’m glad to see you using sage. A lot of recipes just have S&P. My mom uses poultry seasoning.
Ruth says
Sounds like how I make homemade stuffing (dressing), that my mom taught me to make. I don’t use mashed potatoes, but I add eggs to mine. She would have to make a double batch because my brother and I preferred to eat it before it was baked. That was before we knew it was bad to eat uncooked food with eggs in it, but we never got sick.
Lisa says
Thank you Pamela. I always come back to this recipe every holiday dinner. Can’t wait to make again this week.
Pamela says
Glad you like this stuffing recipe! Thanks for commenting Lisa!
jaeneey says
is this something that I can fry?? will it hold together??
Pamela says
Hey Jaenney, I’ve never fried it, always baked. I don’t see why you couldn’t though, if you give it a shot I’d love to hear how it turns out.
Janet says
Great recipe. Thank you.
Janet says
Jaenney, YES!!! I fry it in butter. Even better.
Carol Snell says
I love, love ,LOVE potato stuffing, with a little gravy on top, yum.
Pamela says
It’s my favorite too Carol! 🙂
Marilyn says
Instead of casserole, could I put this scrumptious concoction into a bundt pan and just make nice slices for people to grab and pour gravy over??
Pamela says
Hey Marilyn, you could but it might not hold a “pie slice” shape perfectly since it’s stuffing. With that said, it’s DELICIOUS so I don’t think anyone would mine if its a little crumbly. 🙂
Sandie Vizard says
Can you stuff it in the tyrkey