The $2 Boxed Mix I Use to Make My Family’s Favorite Thanksgiving Side (Everyone Asks for the Recipe)

I come from a family of chefs, so major cooking events like Thanksgiving are basically our Super Bowl. We don’t just cook a turkey (an extravagant one, mind you); my dad also makes a plethora of other mains, like short ribs. There was even one year that he attempted a turducken (a turkey stuffed with a duck, which is then stuffed with a chicken). Attempt might not be the right word — he knocked it out of the park.

Thanksgiving is a spectacle for my family, and with all that’s going on in the kitchen, it isn’t always practical to make everything from scratch. So we take a store-bought shortcut here and there instead. For the past decade we’ve always picked up a box of Stove Top Traditional Sage Stuffing Mix because, quite frankly, it’s just easier (and tastier) that way.

While there are countless homemade stuffing recipes out there (including great ones on The Kitchn), their often-intricate techniques, lengthy cooking times, and long recipe lists mean that it’s not always realistic for our family to prioritize the beloved side among all of the mains. Besides, Stove Top’s mix is hard to beat. Plus, it can be made in just 30 minutes with a handful of ingredients. 

This boxed mix contains a medley of herbs (parsley, sage, and rosemary), dried bread, and dried onions, that really shine in each bite. It’s both soft and has a good crunch (something we value in a stuffing) and is impressively flavored on its own; there’s no need to add any extra salt or other seasonings. 

We’ve tried many boxed stuffing mixes over the years, and none have been as good as this one. In fact, each year, guests praise our stuffing and have even asked for the recipe. It’s pretty straightforward, actually.

The box calls for hot water and butter, and after that it’s completely customizable. We double up with two boxes and throw some cooked sausage, mushrooms, and garlic into ours, but the world (and stuffing) is yours; feel free to get creative!

Buy: Stove Top Traditional Sage Stuffing Mix, $1.98 for 6 ounces at Walmart

What are your go-to Thanksgiving shortcuts? Tell us about it in the comments below.