That's Some Good Cookin

Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing (Original Version)

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Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing

Update 11/12/12: This post was referenced at HuffPost Taste. Check out other great dressing/stuffing recipes at their site.

This stuffing has become my family’s absolute, hands down favorite since 1994. I get threatening glares and postures from them days before each Thanksgiving as they ask, “You’re making that sourdough stuffing aren’t you?” It’s really not a question; it’s a command. How ridiculous, of course I am making the sourdough stuffing. What do they take me for? A free-thinking woman who just might change Thanksgiving dinner and risk banishment to the frozen arctic tundra? No, indeed, I am a mindless automaton when it comes to Thanksgiving.

I first found this Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing in the November 1994 Sunset Magazine. The recipe was developed by Leslie Jo Parsens of Sutter Creek, California. She even made her own sourdough bread to go in the dressing.

The pictures in the magazine were beautiful and the recipe sounded amazing. I am so glad that I tried it. It literally changed the course of my family’s Thanksgiving meals and we have the dressing every year without fail.

Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing {Original Version}

I still have the original  November 1994 edition of Sunset Magazine in which this recipe appeared. It is one of my treasures and I keep it tucked away in a special bookcase of favorites. Let this recipe become one of your favorites, too.

I won’t lie, making this stuffing/dressing is a labor of love, but very well worth your time! It is not difficult to make, but there is a lot chopping and cutting. The prep will take about 45 minutes – 1 hour, depending on how fast you are at cutting bread and chopping vegetables and herbs. I promise you, the flavor rewards are well worth your time and effort. Follow the directions and you will enjoy one of the best stuffings ever.

My best advice is to make this dish a day ahead. Do all of the assembly, put it in a baking dish, then cover and store in the refrigerator. The day of serving, bake it off in a 350-degree oven for one hour.

Tips and Tricks for This Recipe

Sourdough Bread. Use a nice quality, crusty sourdough bread for this recipe. The intensity of the sourdough means everything to this dressing. Day-old bread is fine, but you don’t want to let the bread get too dried out. The drier the bread, the harder it is to cut. The bread is cut into 3/4 – 1-inch cubes and then toasted crispy in the oven. I can tell you from experience that the dressing/stuffing does not turn out nearly as well if the bread cubes are too big. So, don’t get lazy with the cutting.

Mushrooms. Originally, I used regular white mushrooms and they were good. Now, however, I use crimini mushrooms. I find that I like their meatier texture and richer flavor. If white mushrooms are what you use, no problem. They will work just fine.

Marinated Artichoke Hearts. Be sure to use marinated artichoke hearts. They have a vinegary flavor which enhances the sourdough. There are often some tougher leaves or spikey parts on the hearts; cut those away. They are really unpleasant to eat. bleh! When you cut the artichoke hearts, be sure to keep them a bit chunky. It’s fun to eat them in dressing.

Parmesan Cheese. Go big on the Parmesan cheese and use the fresh stuff that you have to grate yourself. No shortcuts. This is not the time or recipe for using pre-grated or the stuff in the can. Because of the coating on pre-grated Parmesan, it does not behave as well in the stuffing as does fresh Parmesan that you grate yourself. And please, don’t even think about using the Parmesan the comes in the can or bottle that sits on the grocery store shelf. It is just not designed to be used in this fashion. Sprinkle it on your spaghetti, but don’t put it in this stuffing.

Garlic. There is a lot of chopping and cutting for this dressing, but I promise that it is entirely worth the effort. Use 12 cloves of fresh garlic that has to be hand cut. It has a definite taste advantage over the jarred minced garlic. I know that it is tempting to take advantage of the minced garlic short-cut, but don’t do it.

Rosemary. If you can get fresh rosemary, I would recommend using it. Again, fresh ingredients are better than…not fresh. Plus, and maybe its just me, but I think that dried rosemary is pokey. I mean, sometimes it doesn’t get soft in cooking and it sort of can poke your tongue or cheeks. Anyone agree?

Do Ahead. Prep the bread a day or two ahead of time. The toasted bread cubes will keep well in a plastic bag or tightly closed container. The vegetables can be prepped a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Heck, you could make the stuffing/dressing the day before, store it covered in the refrigerator, and then bake it off in the oven on the day of serving.

Note: This recipe can be easily halved.

Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing {Original Version}
Print Recipe

The Original Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing

Recipe by Leslie Jo Parsens as it appeared in the November 1994 edition of Sunset Magazine.
The name really does say it all. Get a good quality sourdough bread and an awesome Parmesan cheese and you've got a winner stuffing at hand. Use this as a dressing or a stuffing. Please note: The cook times vary by the method of use, ie whether baked separately as a dressing or used as stuffing.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 170kcal
Author: Terri @ that's some good cookin'

Ingredients

  • 2 (1 pound) loaves sourdough bread, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes
  • 3 tablespoon butter
  • 2 large onions, about 1 1/2 pounds total, chopped
  • 1 pound mushrooms, rinsed, ends trimmed and sliced (I used crimini mushrooms)
  • 2 cups chopped celery
  • 1/4 cups (about 12 cloves) minced garlic
  • 3 1/2 cups chicken broth, salted or unsalted, per personal preference
  • 4 (6 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped keep the pieces chunky
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used 2 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons crumbled dried rosemary
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 large eggs, beaten

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on four 12- x 15-inch baking sheets. Toast for about 25 minutes in oven until very crisp and golden brown; shake cubes after 15 minutes and switch pan positions. Make ahead idea: Bread cubes can be toasted, cooled and stored in an airtight container for up to two days.
  • In a 12-inch frying pan melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms,celery and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft and tinged golden brown, about 25 minutes. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup chicken broth.
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix together the toasted bread cubes, cooked vegetables, artichoke hearts, cheese, poultry seasoning, rosemary, and salt and pepper.
  • Whisk together remaining broth and eggs. Pour over bread-vegetable mixture, stirring until ingredients are well coated.
  • Use to stuff an 18-22 pound turkey. Roast according to current turkey roasting guidelines. A stuffed bird requires and additional 30-50 minutes roasting time than an unstuffed bird. Any remaining stuffing mixture can be baked in a 2-quart baking dish alongside turkey during the last 45 minutes of roasting time.

For baking dressing alone when not using for stuffing:

  • Bake stuffing in a 4 1/2- to 5-quart baking dish in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, covered, and 25 minutes more uncovered.

Notes

  • This set of instructions is from the current Sunset magazine website: For turkeys 10-13 pounds, oven/bbq temperature should be 350°; for turkeys 14 pounds and over, oven/bbq temperature should be 325°.
  • Make ahead: The stuffing may be made up to 1 day ahead. Put in casserole, cover, and chill. Allow about 1 hour to bake at 350-degrees F.
  • Dovetail. The most efficient use of time for this recipe is to dovetail, or overlap, the prep elements. Start with the bread. While it is toasting in the oven, prep the vegetables for sauteeing. While the vegetables saute, prep the artichoke hearts, herbs, and the beaten eggs.

Nutrition

Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 394mg | Potassium: 214mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 216IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 2mg

Tutorial in Pictures

Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan StuffingThis is such a beautiful loaf of sour dough bread.  There is an artisan bread bakery inside one of the local grocery stores not far from my house that produces all types of wonderful breads.

  Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan StuffingCut the bread into 3/4- 1 inch cubes. I had the bakery cut the loaf for me into slices, which made it so much easier to then cube the bread.

 Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan StuffingSpread the bread cubes in a single layer in a 12 x 15-inch baking pan (or half sheet pan). If you are making the full recipe, you will need two pans for this.
 Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan StuffingWhile the bread is toasting, get busy on the vegetable and mushroom prep. And yes, garlic is a vegetable. There are about 12 cloves of it in this recipe. You’d think that would too much, but it is not. As a side note, my daughter grows garlic in her garden. This past year she grew 4 different types and they turned out great! We will be using them all winter.
 
Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan StuffingBack in the day, white button mushrooms were pretty much all that was available in the average grocery store. Then came giant portabello mushrooms and shortly thereafter, we had baby portabellos. Those baby bellas are sold as crimini mushrooms and oh, wow, are they ever good. I like their substantial meatiness. Use whatever type of mushrooms you have available; the stuffing will be dynamic either way.
 
Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan StuffingLike I said, while the bread is toasting, prep the other ingredients. Slice the mushrooms a generous 1/8-inch thick. Do a small or medium dice on the celery and onions. It will take two large onions, about 1 1/2 pounds, and three or four stalks of celery, about two cups. Mince the garlic. Everything gets cooked down quite a bit prior to going into the stuffing. 
 
Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing
Put the vegetables into a frying pan along with the 3 tablespoons butter. This is going to require a big frying pan, 12-inches, or a braiser. I have to confess that I prefer to cook the vegetables in an ordinary cast iron pan because everything comes out a bit caramelized. It just doesn’t happen in an enameled cast iron pan like the one above. Heat your pan first, over medium heat, then add the 3 tablespoons butter, and finally the vegetables and mushrooms.
 
Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing
Stir periodically while the veggies are cooking. Be sure to cook them over medium or medium-low heat. There is going to be quite a bit of liquid released while they cook. This will cook off as the vegetables become more tender. You can see from the picture above that everything cooks down quite a bit. Check often and stir frequently as the liquid cooks off. Remove from heat source when the vegetables are tender and cooked down.
 
Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing
While the vegetables and  mushrooms are cooking, do a quick chop on the marinated artichoke hearts. I strongly encourage you to use marinated artichoke hearts and water-packed artichoke hearts. The marinated ones are so much more flavorful. When you chop these, keep them chunky.  You want to be able to enjoy when eating the stuffing. As a side note, make sure you take off any of the stiff leaves that may still be present.  These are very fibrous and are not fun to chew. Additionally, with some brands of artichoke hearts, the spikes (thorns?) are left on the ends of the leaves. Ouch! Cut those off.
 
Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing
 At some point in the cooking process, the bread cubes will be ready when they get golden brown. I let this pan stay in the oven a little longer than necessary, but the flavor is very rich. Don’t let your bread cubes get any darker than those pictured above.
 
Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing
Put the bread cubes in large mixing bowl. Add the cooked vegetables and mushrooms. 
 
Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing
 Add the artichoke hearts…
 
Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing
…and the glorious Parmesan cheese. Although the recipe calls for just one cup, I added 2 cups. This is freshly grated parm. For best results, use the Parmesan that you grate yourself. Don’t go the pre-grated route; the cheese has a coating on it to prevent it from clumping. I have found that the cheese melts much better if it is freshly grated.
 
Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing
 Add the spices, salt and pepper.
 
Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing
Toss everything together well.
 
Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan StuffingMix the broth and the beaten eggs together. Pour over the stuffing mixture and toss to distribute the liquid well.
 
Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing Put into a lightly greased large baking dish.  Cover with foil.  Bake at 350-degrees for 30 minutes, covered.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes.  The first 30 minutes gets everything nice and moist, the last 20 minutes without the foil will help the top to brown just little bit and give some lightly crispy parts.

Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan StuffingThe finished product – all perfect – puffy and moist where it should be with a touch of crispy in just the right places.

Side Note:  I have a funny picture to share with you.  I assembled this stuffing, but did not have time to bake it because it was my grandson’s birthday and hey, the dinosaur museum is a lot more important than making stuffing!  So, I put the stuffing outside on the back porch to keep it cold until I could bake it later in the evening. (I didn’t want to take the time to find refrigerator space.) I felt secure in the knowledge that it would be cold enough outside to store the dressing because it was getting ready to snow.  Anyway, we headed out for the celebration and sure enough it snowed–heavily.  When I got home, I went out to the porch to retrieve the stuffing.  Yep, it was cold alright.  (The picture is rather amusing, especially since there’s a couple inches of snow on top of the pan with the contrasting pineapple in the background.  Snow and fresh pineapple…why does that seem to work for me?)

 Sourdough Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. I cannot wait to try this recipe. It sounded so good, plus, I love artichokes and mushrooms so I think this would be perfect to make for my family. Thank you!

    Reply

  3. I still have the magazine! This recipe is my personal hands down favorite and some years I have to make a more traditional dressing for my family. Then I make some of each! We are having Thanksgiving in July for travelers from overseas, so I will do it again tomorrow. Incidently, I have cooked it in my crock pot for many years now. It’s perfect that way!

    Reply

  4. Funny, I have the 1994 magazine in full as well.
    My family (in-laws) require it exactly as you note. A few times I have suggested an alternative recipe to much chagrin.
    I have not tried the new version.
    Two words…”Top Notch”

    Reply

  5. hi! question: if I make this the day before and reheat it on Thanksgiving, would you recommend reheating it for an hour covered? or follow the same guidelines as when you cooked it: 30 covered, 20 uncovered? Thank you!

    Reply

    • I’d keep it covered for reheating so that it does not dry out. Also, it is important to bring the dressing up to the appropriate temperature, 165 degrees F, to protect against food born illness. Use a food thermometer and test the temperature in the center of the dressing.

      Reply

  6. Terri I also have the original magazine and have been making this artichoke sourdough stuffing for Thanksgiving AND Christmas since 1994! I have passed the original recipe (have never made the newer version) to many guests who have had it for the first time at my table. My kids grew up with this stuffing and won’t eat any other stuffing! LOL.

    Reply

  7. This recipe looks amazing! I was wondering if I could use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth to make it vegetarian?

    Reply

  8. I’m going to make the recipe this Thanksgiving!!! It calls for “regular strength” chicken broth. Should I use salted or unsalted chicken broth??? Thanks Terri!!!

    Reply

    • Hi Lisa. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family has enjoyed it over the years. The original recipe was written for salted chicken broth. However, unsalted chicken broth would be fine. People are more salt conscious than when this recipe was first written. There’s enough salt in the other ingredients. I hadn’t ever noticed the “regular-strength” reference previously – mostly because the recipe is old and I had gotten used to the way it is written. haha

      Reply

  9. And ANOTHER question!!! Do you have a suggestion as to what kind of sourdough bread to use??? Should it be a round loaf or a baguette, or does it matter? I live in the San Francisco Bay Area — we have a TON of sourdough bread to choose from, as well as Safeway!!! Thanks so much.

    Reply

    • I’m totally jealous of the you have access to such great sour dough. As for the shape of the loaf, you’ll probably want a loaf that is more bread than crust. I know that the woman who originally wrote this recipe used round loaves and the originator of this recipe used to make her own sourdough bread. The originator’s name is Leslie Jo Parsens and at the time the article was written, she lived in Sutter Creek, CA. I’ll bet that she never imaged that her recipe would become so popular. With you living in the San Francisco Bay Area, the recipe has come 360-degrees.

      Reply

  10. Terri, first, thank you so much for your prompt replies to my questions! You have been SO helpful. May I ask one more? Should the bread be fresh, or day-old, or dry/stale???

    Reply

    • Fresh or day old is just fine. It will be cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes and toasted in the oven until crisp and golden. I have found that if the bread is dry and stale, it is more difficult to cut (hack, saw, hammer) through the crust, but maybe that’s just me.

      Reply

      • Perfect!!! Thank you Terri! I actually have the original recipe from Sunset magazine — my cousin copied it for me in 2000 when I raved about her stuffing. Nineteen years later, it’s time to try It myself! I’ll report back and let you know how it came out. Meanwhile, Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours and I really appreciate your prompt replies. Helps with the anxiety and indecision, LOL!!!

        Reply

  11. Hi there…I plan on making my own sourdough for the croutons. I have read croutons can be used up to 2 weeks but this recipe suggests only 2 days ahead for the croutons. Should I freeze them instead….I’m making them about 10 ahead?

    Reply

  12. This is THE recipe I’ve been looking for! I had this stuffing decades ago and nothing has compared ever since. It is THE BEST. Thank you for sharing ♥️

    Reply

  13. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. Agreed, it’s a game changer. I too have been making it for decades, couldn’t find the recipe as it tucked away after a move.

    Reply

  14. Do you think using beef broth instead of chicken broth would be okay? I want to serve this as a side dish with prime rib. Also, do you think it is okay to cook it in a crockpot as I won’t have oven space. Thank you!😊

    Reply

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