Potato Lover’s Stuffing
Earn rave Thanksgiving reviews with this potato stuffing, the perfect combination of mashed potatoes, breadcrumbs, seasoning, onion & celery.
By Aimee Tucker|Nov 02 2020|
Potato Lovers' Stuffing
Photo Credit: Aimee SeaveyStuffing is a lot like meatloaf — no two recipes are the same, but each one is “the best.” In my own suburban Massachusetts upbringing, Thanksgiving meant traditional bread stuffing — golden brown in color, with firm cubes of seasoned bread moistened with chicken stock and flecked with celery and onion. I thought ours was the only kind of stuffing there was, until I started asking around and learned about Southern cornbread stuffing (or “dressing”), rice stuffing, meat stuffing (which is very meaty and very brown), and even potato stuffing, which takes another favorite Thanksgiving side dish (mashed potatoes) and morphs them into something even more delicious.
Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
Curious about New England stuffing history, I headed to the Yankee archives and was delighted to find Leslie Land’s 1996 article “The Right Stuffing.” After a thorough examination of the stuffing vs. dressing debate (you’ll have to read it yourself for the final verdict), Land conducted a poll to learn once and for all what Yankee readers called their stuffing/dressing, and how they made it. She also included a handful of recipes, so I decided to think outside the bird and make one that was totally unlike my own family recipe — a simple but intriguing dish titled Potato Lovers’ Stuffing. Its origins are muddled (Irish? German? French-Canadian? Pennsylvania-Dutch?), but Land notes that “it makes mashed potatoes redundant, which leaves more room for the candied sweet potatoes.” It’s hard to argue with that.
To start, boil and mash the potatoes. I didn’t have any high-starch Russets on hand (the best for mashed potatoes) so I used Yukon Gold instead. As a medium to low starch variety, they aren’t the best for mashed, but they’ll still get the job done.
Once mashed, the potatoes are mixed with milk and poultry seasoning, and here in New England, that means Bell’s Seasoning. The cheerful box is a staple in nearly every Yankee kitchen, where it’s prized for its fragrant combination of rosemary, oregano, sage, ginger, and marjoram (both salt-free and all-natural).
Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
Keeping the seasoned potatoes warm, you’ll next melt a generous amount of butter in a large skillet (the recipe called for 5 tablespoons but I just tossed in the whole stick — this is the “what calories?” holiday season, right?) and cook up some onions and celery. Mix it all together with breadcrumbs, season to taste, and voilà…potato stuffing.
Photo Credit : Aimee Seavey
Part mashed potatoes…part bread stuffing…what’s not to love?
Where do you stand on potato stuffing? Stuffing in general? Let us know in the comments!
This post was first published in 2014 and has been updated.
Get the recipe: Potato Lover’s Stuffing
Growing up in Somerville, MA, we often had Thanksgiving dinner at my grandmother’s house in Cambridge, MA. My grandmother, who had Irish heritage, made a version of potato stuffing for her family. The family called it “filling.” In addition to mashed potatoes, bread stuffing, seasonings,chopped celery, chopped onion and chicken broth, my grandmother added browned ground beef. I didn’t know there was any other way to make turkey “filling” until I was dating my now husband and had Thanksgiving at his house. His mom made the traditional New England bread stuffing. Don’t tell my family, but I prefer the traditional stuffing (with chopped walnuts, my touch) to gramma’s “filling!”
For those who need a gluten free stuffing, Gluten free waffles make a great stuffing and are not expensive at all. Just toast them and use them with whatever recipe you would like. Be careful with adding sausage or other meats that may have a filler to maintain the gluten free recipe.
We call this filling! I grew up in eastern Pennsylvania, and we make a dish very similar to this with the addition of freshly chopped parsley. I think it’s the best part of every holiday meal!
I’m from the Down East Sea Coast of Maine, and we always had potato dressing. Made pretty much like yours except no celery, a ton of onions, and some extra sage, salt and pepper to go with the Bells poultry seasoning. We also add the butter and bread crumbs to ours. This is the stuffing I make every Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Potato “Filling” was always a PA Dutch holiday staple for me. I grew up in Reading, PA. I’ve lived in other places where it wasn’t heard of.
Like Karen’s family, we called it “Filling.” I grew up in the beautiful Lehigh Valley, in PA, when it had sprawling fertile farms (now replaced with dense development). Filling was a fantastic dish, served at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Onions, celery, mashed potatoes, and browned cubes of bread. I can’t imagine it without celery! My grandmother would not use a packaged seasoning—she seasoned it herself. Lots of parsley, too. Our recipe dates to the 1700s (I have many very old recipes) and our lineage is German, French Huguenot, Swiss, and English. They all settled in the same area that for years was considered PA Dutch. My mother’s father was pure English, but could speak PA German like the best of them. For years, I took my culturally rich background for granted. Now I appreciate it more!
Our heritage stuffing was your recipe with scrambled ground beef and sometimes sausage and plenty of ‘Bells Seasoning ‘along with the mashed potatoes with croutons. Always stuffed in the turkey, extra in a baking dish too.
I grew up in SE North Carolina. My mother’s “dressing” was the best! The day before Thanksgiving and Christmas, there were pans of freshly baked cornbread just waiting to be broken up and made into Mama’s awesome dressing, the next morning. Also toasted bread that dried more overnight. Her dressing never went inside a turkey. Always in pans or Pyrex dishes. I married a “Yankee” and discovered just how different foods are cooked in New England vs the South….at least in his family. Bread croutons were used to make the “stuffing” and it was “stuffed ” into the bird! No cornbread! Overtime, I made up my own version, using half cornbread and half croutons (packaged kind is what his mom used). So my children grew up in New England, eating a variation of both worlds. Whether it’s “dressing” or “stuffing”, it rules, especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
I grew up in central NH. Parents came from 2 different backgrounds, therefore 2 “stuffings” – Mom’s French Canadian heritage – a bread stuffing (bread, onions, seasonings); Dad’s, more English, a meat stuffing (made with potatoes, ground meat, onions, seasonings).
As I became more skilled culinary-wise, I learned to modify each (combining the best of both worlds) and tweaking as I grew older. I prefer a bread stuffing/cranberries, onion, apple, celery, eggs, seasoning. The male factors in house, look forward to the traditional meat stuffing (served in honor of Dad, who is now long departed).
The comforting factor – Family heritage, which binds us together for the holidays with fond memories….
I’m also a Karen from Reading, PA. We always had potato filling at holidays. I thought everyone did. 🙂
Yes, I too am from eastern PA and we always referred to it as filling. I’ve always assumed it was part of our PA German culture,but I’m sure it has spread all over the land,since it is so simple and unbelievably delicious. We mostly save it for the big holidays, the smell of the onions and celery alone is part of our holiday traditions. Its kind of like when you smell the Chritmas tree the first night you put it up and your immediately reminded that the holidays are here. The filling prep smell means the same. We have friends in town who moved from just 25 miles to the south of us, who never heard of filling. So its not everywhere.
If you haven’t tried it,please,do yourself and your family a big favor and try it. You can’t mess it up.
I grew up in PA. It was always filling. Add 1cup of leftover mashed potatoes to your stuffing recipe with the usual ingredients and you have potatoe filling So good.
86 years eating Tourtiere French stuffing.One end bread stuffing the other the French stuffing..
Yes yummy. That is what my Memere and Mom did. Now I carry on the tradition!! French stuffing was made with the potatoes.
This is my families recipe for generations. I now live in NE PA but originally my Maternal side of the family was from New England. I was very pleased to see this recipe in the article. It is the best stuffing!
That the the best stuffing, the only one I make,but no celery. I’m from northern Maine, my mom would toast the bread in the oven, but it though a meat grinder with the onions and sage, salt and pepper, mix it with the potatoes,and butter. So good can’t wait to make for thanksgiving.
This is similar to our family recipe from Nova Scotia…but we add sausage, mushrooms & eggs and bake in the oven for those crispy bits on top
I’m from northern Maine and my mom made this dressing (without celery) and used summer savory instead of Bell’s. Delish!
My Mom made stuffing the same way when we were young Sandy…with summer Savory! She called it Canadian Stuffing as her parents were from Halifax, Nova Scotia! I have since moved to South Texas and learned how to make cornbread “dressing” from my late mother in law. Everyone loved it, especially my late husband. I no longer make it as my family has scattered in different directions &’is a little time consuming to make. On a trip back to my home town in Ct. I brought back a box of Bells seasoning just to have it in my cupboard…it smells wonderful..just as I remember! Happy Thanksgiving to you & your family Sandy!
Sorry your family is scattered….I’ll come eat your stuffing!
I beg to differ with the person who says”you can’t mess it up”. Using a recipe can made a big improvement. Leave the milk out. Use eggs instead. The seasonings I use are sage and thyme. Parsley is a must. Glad to see a few others say the same. In Central Pennsylvania there seems to be a tradition of using saffron in potato ‘filling’, but that’s a whole other story.
I have never heard of it but it sounds real good and I am going to give it a try. I love mashed potatos so I am quite sure I will like it.
My mom and grandmother before her, always made 2 stuffings for the turkey. A traditional style bread stuffing for the cavity of the bird and a potato stuffing for the “back end”. For me, nothing beats the potato stuffing for the late in the /or next day turkey sandwiches. While her potato stuffing is very basic, just potato, butter, salt, pepper and bells seasoning, it got all of it’s flavor and moisture from the bird as it cooked. Mom and Grandma Mac (from Nova Scotia) have been gone a long time now, but for me, that stuffing always means home.
My mom and grandmother (Also from Nova Scotia) also did the two stuffings, in the same way. My favorite has always been the potato. Thank you for sharing Donna. It brought back happy memories.
My mom and grandma Mac (Grandma Mac was also from Nova Scotia) did the exact same thing! I also prefer it for the turkey sandwiches the next day. It’s nice to know so many share such fond memories and traditions.
Happy Thanksgiving to all…
I loved hearing from everyone about their family traditions it so ties all of us together a wonderful heartwarming feeling. My mom (Irish decent) made potato dressing went into the back end of turkey bread dressing went into the other end…. potatoes, celery, onion sausage meat (no bread) bells seasoning a definite tradition in both her dressings. Unfortunately my mom died quite young and I only make it from what I saw she used and kinda winged it on my own and I’ll be making the potato dressing this year as my daughter asked me to and it’s perfect for her as she cannot have gluten. It’s been helpful to me to hear different versions as I’m doing this from what I can recall mom using, as I was just a youngster at the time…God Bless all you folks!!!
Growing up in CT. my mom always made a sausage/bread stuffing for turkey but when she stuffed a chicken she made mashed potato stuffing for my Dad. He grew up around Boston and was of German heritage. The stuffing I remember was mashed potatoes (butter but no milk), sauteed onion and celery with so much Bell’s Seasoning it was gray/green in color. There was no bread or crumbs in it, just potatoes.
My Grandmother made Mashed Potato Stuffing! Thanks for reminding me about it.
November 2020
My husband & I used to visit the Lancaster, PA area back in the 1980’s, and we always went to Good & Plenty or other PA Dutch restaurants to eat. That is where we had our first potato stuffing
& I eventually started to make my own. I use salt, pepper & butter in mashed potatoes (red or baking potatoes , potato bread cubes, Sauteed onions & celery in butter, poultry season, parsley & I use some of the potato water with a chicken bouillion cube. I don’t measure I just know about how much of everything to use by tasting. I then butter a casserole
dish & bake it in the oven. I usually make it ahead of time & bake it when I am preparing the meal. I occasionally add a little fresh
garlic when I’m sauteeing the Onions & Celery. We love garlic.
This also is good with Pork, Beef, Chicken or Turkey.
Joanne from Berwick, PA 18603
Hello From Montreal, My mom was french Canadian and we always had mashed potato stuffing in the front and back of the Turkey. Here are the ingredients, Whitewashed potatoes, Spanish or sweet red onions cut fine, butter according to the amount of potatoes used and the spices, salt & pepper, savory, sage, chervil.
After stuffed, cover turkey with oil and paprika and preheat oven at 350 F, place piece of aluminum foil to cover the turkey until the last hour of cooking. During the last hour, cook at 325F and cover the turkey with juices every once in a while. Finished bird will be nice and juicy!!
Cheers Mark
My great grandma made this, as did all generations after, including me, with a wee bit of a variation. But it is a Pennsylvania-Dutch food. We call it ‘filling’ in PA. I also make ‘filling balls’ my paternal grandma always made. Similar but omit potatoes and add eggs and form into baseball-sized balls. It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving or Christmas without both! My favorite meals
of the year!
Yes happy Thanksgiving everyone,
Growing up in Massachusetts, my mom made this potato stuffing, along side with regular mashed potatoes every Thanksgiving, my sister Debbie who now lives in Florida with me as our mom and dad have passed, still makes this for us. It was a challenge to find the bell stuffing in Florida, looked in every store finally Winn-Dixie was the winner, if any of you Floridians are looking for that wonderful bell seasoning, I use it in my soups and many other dishes,Thank you for sharing may God bless us all and All be safe in our upcoming holidays !!
Our family makes a unique version of potato bread stuffing. I learned from my grandmother who learned from her irish relative. I was taught “more potato than bread” Ingrediants include potatoes boiled, stale bread, celery, onion, giblets, bells seasoning, salt and pepper. The unique part is that all ingrediants are put through a meat grinder and combined before being cooked in the turkey. This is truly a delicious treat enjoyed by our family each year.
We were Irish and the potato stuffing was something my grandmother made every year! The potato was cooked till just short of fork tender (yes that made them a real challenge to mash!) along with finely chopped onion and both ground and whole thyme! We often referred to them as dirty potatoes! The only other seasonings used were salt and pepper. The only other thing I recall adding was a couple beaten eggs, no bread of any kind!
Despite there being four boys in the family, my mother and I were the only women in the family who kept the tradition alive! I remember traveling back east to visit my uncle after his heart attack and it was Thanksgiving. I convinced my aunt to allow me to stuff part of the bird. When the table was set I placed it in a bowl and placed it at his end of the table and when he spotted it he grabbed the bowl and wouldn’t let go of it and he cried! He had not had it in decades! All day he kept saying that something smelt different but he could not put his finger on it! Now he knew what it was!
My father and I always looked forward to leftover sandwiches on rye bread with turkey and thin slices of cranberry sauce! Yum!
Thanks for the walk down memory lane!
Our potato dressing came from my grandmother, who grew up in Ayer, Massachusetts, and a true New Englander through and through. We start with a large chunk of salt pork – the one with the most fat and rendering all the fat out of it – takes about an hour and a half. From there, the recipe is much the same – cook the chopped onions in the pork fat with a stick of butter until the onions are translucent. In a large pot the russets (either 5 or 10 pounds depending on the dinner crowd) are cooking. When both are done – combine the onion/butter/pork fat into the mashed russets with milk, a sleeve of Saltines, and the Bell’s Seasoning (it has to be Bell’s!) and then salt to taste – usually not a lot needed at that point. I make it a day ahead of time to allow the Bell’s to do it’s magic. It is a recipe handed down to my mom and then me. My uncle claimed he could tell who made the dressing each Thanksgiving or Christmas – his mom or one of his two sisters. It is the best and one the family looked forward to each holiday!
My Irish grandmother made this every year. As an adult I was trying to figure out the origin. I always thought of it as Irish stuffing. My Aunt thought thought that it was yankee stuffing. Stuffing bread, potatoes, onion, celery, bells seasoning, and salt and pepper. My mother and I loved to find the stuffing that ‘accidentally’ fell out of the bird into the Turkey grease. I can make it now and I do, but it will never be as good as my mother’s stuffing.