The best potato stuffing there is! 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, Fresh Green Bean and Potato Casserole, Crockpot Stuffing, Crockpot Mac and Cheese, Dinner Rolls and Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll.
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 goodies like discounted produce, meat, shoofly pie, and 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
- Potato Kale Stuffing
- Broccoli Cheese Stuffing Casserole
- Blueberry Bread Stuffing
- Beef Chorizo Stuffing
Pin for later:
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!
Sheri says
Nice! Looks good! Thanks for joining the To Grandma’s House We Go link party! Your post has been pinned!
Sherry MacDonald says
Many, many years ago my grandmother used to make something very similar to this but she made patties out of them and fried them. I have tried numerous times to duplicate her recipe (I never got it before she passed away) and was very unsuccessful. My aunt said it was her version of potato pancakes. I am definitely going to give this a shot.
Cindee Bethay says
I make a potato and sausage stuffing but I also add chicken broth to it so it is moister.
Joanne @ No Plate Like Home says
My mother-in-law makes potato stuffing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is a beloved dish in our family. We are from Pennsylvania. Your recipe looks delicious! It’d be great made with potato bread…another PA favorite.
Judith Graber says
I like to try new recipes for dressing/stuffing – I usually make the “traditional” and then often will make another one. This year I added a sausage, apple, cranberry dressing and I think it was the best. Mashed potatoes – how interesting. Maybe for next year – thanks for coming to the party and sharing with Fiesta Friday.
Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook says
I love the sound of this one – yummy! 😀 Thanks for sharing and happy Fiesta Friday!
Michele Morin says
I grew up in Northern Maine where everything is potato, and my family actually made this kind of stuffing. And now, the Amish are settling here in Maine as well.
frugal hausfrau says
Oh, I’ve never heard of potato stuffing but I can see why you like it so much! Thanks for sharing with us at Fiesta Friday!
Mollie
Leslie says
Mmmmm! I’ve never heard of potato stuffing before. Can’t wait to give it a try! Thanks so much for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!
Christine says
My dad is Pennsylvania Dutch and makes this EVERY year… However, he browns the celery, onion, fresh parsley and bread (toasted) in one pan. Once the potatoes are mashed he adds salt and pepper (LOTS) to taste.. once that is perfected, he adds the celery mix and again salt and pepper to taste.. then he adds an egg and browns it all in the oven. I never knew there was any other kind of stuffing until I went to a friend’s house.. after eating this, who would ever eat the dry stuff???
Pamela says
I agree Christine, I can’t get enough of Amish Potato Stuffing! Thanks for commenting and stopping by!
Jess says
Pinned! This looks so yummy!
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Cathy says
that was our family stuffing growing up I try to make it yearly.We add lots of Bell’s seasonings and I am aware that it is not sold everywhere.
Emily Frederick says
Up until I was in my late teens, I never tried bread stuffing. This is the only stuffing I ever had! I love it!
Pamela says
Hey Emily, thanks for commenting! I’m so happy you liked this stuffing so much!
Christine says
Me too!!!! After eating this, who would ever eat the dry stuff???