Shuck & Stuff- The Ultimate Oyster Stuffing Round Up

Stuffing is as essential to Thanksgiving as turkey on the table. This year, try something different by making a delicious oyster stuffing. We gathered some of the best recipes from Cajun style stuffing to a hearty Southern BLT dish. Check out the recipes below and don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show off your thanksgiving feasts!

Herbed Oyster Stuffing

Photo: Epicurious

Butter, herbs and oysters combine in this recipe from Epicurious to create a savory and filling oyster stuffing. Its’ perfect for the timid oyster eater and makes 8-10 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 loaves Italian or French bread (1 lb total), cut into 3/4-inch cubes (12 cups)
• 1/2 lb sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil (if needed)
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped (2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried thyme, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried sage, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2/3 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
• 18 oysters, shucked, drained, and chopped (3/4 cup)
• 2 1/4 cups turkey giblet stock or low-sodium chicken broth

Steps: 

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Spread bread cubes in 2 shallow baking pans and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until golden, 25 to 30 minutes total. Cool bread in pans on racks, then transfer to a large bowl.
3. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving fat in skillet.
4. If bacon renders less than 1/4 cup fat, add enough oil to skillet to total 1/4 cup fat. Cook onions, celery, thyme, sage, garlic, salt, and pepper in fat in skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread cubes, then stir in bacon, parsley, butter, and oysters. Drizzle with stock, then season with salt and pepper and toss well.
5. Transfer stuffing to a buttered 3- to 3 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. Bake, covered, in middle of oven 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until browned, about 30 minutes more.

BLT Oyster Stuffing

Photo: Bon Appetit

Buttery oysters and salty, smoky bacon might just be the perfect combination. We recommend thick cut, uncured bacon for even more southern flair in this recipe from Bon Appetit.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, divided, plus more
• 1 loaf white Pullman bread, torn into 1-inch pieces (about 10 cups), dried out overnight
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces bacon or pancetta, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• ½ cup dry Sherry
• 2 large eggs, beaten to blend
• 2 cups turkey or chicken stock (preferably homemade), plus more
• 12 ounces oysters, freshly shucked

 Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a shallow 3-qt. baking dish and a sheet of foil. Place bread in a very large bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking into small pieces with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, 7–10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread with a slotted spoon.
3. Add onions, celery, leek, and thyme to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until onions are golden brown and soft, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread.
4. Reduce heat to medium and cook Sherry in skillet, scraping up any browned bits, until almost all evaporated, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup butter; cook, stirring, until melted. Drizzle over bread mixture.
5. Whisk eggs and 2 cups stock in a medium bowl; pour over bread mixture. Season with salt and pepper, add oysters, and toss, adding more stock ¼-cupful at a time as needed (you may not use it all), until combined and bread is hydrated. Transfer to prepared baking dish and dot with remaining ¼ cup butter.
6. Cover with buttered foil; bake until a paring knife inserted into the center comes out hot, 30–35 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450°. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown and crisp, 20–25 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Oyster & Spinach Dressing

Photo: Food 52

This recipe from Food52 makes full use of the oyster’s natural liquor for a briny, fragrant and herbaceous stuffing. It can be prepared for inside your turkey or as a delicious side dish.

Ingredients:

• 9 cups stale 1-inch bread cubes (I used a French baguette)
• 7 tablespoons butter, divided (4 tablespoons and 3 tablespoons) plus more for buttering your baking dish
• 1 cup finely diced onion
• 1 cup finely diced celery
• 4 ounces brown or white mushrooms, rather finely diced
• 4 fresh sage leaves, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¹/₂ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 egg
• ¹/₂ pint shucked oysters, chopped (save the liquor)
• Chicken broth
• 2 cups loosely packed, chopped spinach leaves

Steps:

1. In a large sauté pan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter and add the onion, celery, mushrooms, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. Sauté until the onions and celery soften.
2. Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sautéed vegetables and stir in the chopped parsley.
3. Crack the egg into a 2-cup measuring cup and whisk in the reserved oyster liquor. Add enough chicken broth to reach 1 3/4 cups total liquid. Pour this over the bread mixture and then stir in the chopped oysters and spinach, making sure to thoroughly incorporate all the ingredients.
4. Preheat your oven to 325° F and then butter a 9- x 13-inch baking dish well. Spread the dressing into the dish and cover tightly with foil. Once your oven has come up to temp, place the dressing in the oven for 30 minutes.
5. After the 30 minutes, raise the oven temp to 375° F and remove the dressing from the oven. Uncover and dot the casserole with 3 tablespoons of butter. Return the dressing to the oven, uncovered, and bake for about 20 minutes more to crisp the top a bit.

Cajun Oyster Stuffing

Photo: Just a Pinch

Cajun seasoning gives this oyster stuffing enough kick to counteract the buttery flavor of our oysters. This recipe from Just a Pinch uses fresh vegetables and fresh oysters for a show-stopping oyster stuffing.

 Ingredients:

• skillet cornbread baked, cooled, and crumbled
• 1 pkg saltine crackers, crumbled
• ½ loaf day old French bread
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 2 c chicken broth
• 1 qt oysters, chopped with liquid reserved
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 c celery, chopped
• 1/2 c green onions, chopped
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp sage, dried
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• 2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 bell pepper, chopped

Steps:

1. Crumble cornbread, French bread and crackers in a large bowl.
2. Sautee garlic, onions, bell peppers, celery and green onions in stick of butter until soft.
3. Add to cornbread mixture.
4. Add seasonings to the mixture.
5. Mix in beaten eggs.
6. Stir in chicken stock.
7. Add oysters.
8. Add oyster liquor until the mixture is wet.
9. Pour into buttered baking dish.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

In the bird or on the side, these oyster stuffing recipes will keep all of your guests coming back for seconds. Combine with fresh sucked oysters as an appetizer and enjoy the flavors of the bay.