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Upgrade this year’s holiday stuffing with my Herby Mushroom Croissant Stuffing. Buttery croissants, cozy herbs, caramelized wild mushroom, kale, and Gruyère cheese take classic stuffing from bland and boring to flavorful and completely delicious. Even stuffing haters love this casserole. It’s just as good as a holiday side dish as it is a meal. Prep this stuffing in advance and then bake up just before you’re ready for dinner for super easy holiday entertaining.
Stuffing has never been a highly cherished Thanksgiving side dish for my family. I know that sounds crazy, since stuffing is one of the most classic Thanksgiving sides there is. But for whatever reason my family has just never been all that into it. In the last few years however, I’ve had to cook Thanksgiving for a lot of non family members. And because I love to please all, I knew that my Thanksgiving menu needed to include a good stuffing.
I’ve tried more classic recipes, but never found anything I absolutely loved.
Until this year. When I had the idea to swap out dry bread for buttery croissants, my views on stuffing changed immediately. Stuffing can be good, delicious actually. You just need to make it with croissants. Oh, and cheese…
Of course.
When I was thinking up this year’s Thanksgiving menu, and brainstorming stuffing concepts, I had just made a recipe that used croissants as the base. I had a ton of day old croissants left over, so I decided to do a quick stuffing test run with the ingredients I had on hand.
Pretty much immediately, I knew the recipe was going to be good. I mean? Croissant stuffing? With wild mushrooms and kale and Gruyère cheese?
It’s basically a meal on its own, and it’s all things delicious.
Like most stuffing recipes, you want to be using dry bread.
The key here is to toast your croissants up in the oven to dry them out a bit before adding any broth to them. This helps them hold up while baking, and gives them a nice crispness.
While that’s happening, caramelize the mushrooms with butter, fresh sage, thyme, and a good amount of kale. I love using a good mix of vegetables in my stuffing to give it color, flavor, and texture. The warming sage and thyme pair perfectly with the earthy mushrooms and kale. It’s one of my favorite fall combos and perfect for a Thanksgiving meal.
Once your croissants are toasted, toss them with the mushroom mixture, add cheese, and then bake.
Nothing too fancy, but the use of croissants is such an upgrade from the classic stuffing. And I have to say, everyone loved this dish. I ended up serving the leftovers to my family and they ate it multiple nights in a row. The verdict was two thumbs up all around, and everyone agreed that the croissants are a game changer.
Already excited to serve this pretty stuffing on Thanksgiving next week for the family we have coming into town.
FAQ:
Can I use store-bought croissants?
Yes—day-old is ideal. If they’re very fresh, tear and toast briefly so they dry out for better texture.
How do I know I’ve added enough stock?
When you squeeze a handful of the mixture it should hold together but not drip. In the pan, there shouldn’t be visible pooling.
How can I keep the top crispy when reheating?
Reheat covered until warm, then uncover to finish so the top re-crisps. A quick broil at the end helps—watch closely for color cues.
What mushrooms work best?
A mix (cremini + shiitake/oyster) brings savory depth. Slice thicker and brown in batches so they sear instead of steam.
PS. If you’re looking for a little different stuffing option, check out this oldie but goodie…Buffalo Cheddar Beer Bread Stuffing.
If you make this stuffing be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Herby Mushroom Croissant Stuffing
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 1050 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 12 cups roughly torn, day old croissants (about 12-16 croissants)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 3-4 cups mixed mushrooms, torn if large
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 cups roughly torn Tuscan kale
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
- 2-3 cups low sodium chicken, turkey, or veggie broth
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish.2. Arrange the torn croissants in the baking dish and lay 2 tablespoons of thinly sliced butter over the croissants. Transfer to the oven and bake 5-8 minutes, until the croissants are lightly toasted.3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil In a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onions and cook until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Add the celery and mushroom, and season with salt and pepper. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes or until golden, stir and continue cooking until the mushrooms have caramelized, 3-5 minutes. Add the butter, garlic, kale, sage, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally until the kale has wilted down, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.4. In a very large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups broth and the eggs. Add the toasted croissants and the mushroom/kale mixture + all the butter left in the skillet, gently toss to combine. If the mix seems dry, add additional broth, 1/4 cup at a time until all the bread is moist. Pour the mixture into the casserole dish. Top evenly with cheese. 5. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and check for dryness, if needed drizzle over extra broth, 1/4 cup at a time, to keep things moist, then continue baking for another 10-15 minutes or until the stuffing is golden on top. Serve warm.
Notes
To Make a Few Hours Ahead: This can be made assembled a few hours ahead of time and kept in the fridge. Allow the stuffing to come to room temperature before baking.
To Make a Few Days Ahead: complete the recipe through step 3. Toss the mushrooms, kale and croissants together. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to assemble, remove from the fridge. And continue on with step 4, tossing the croissants + mushrooms with the egg mix, then assemble in baking dish. This can be done up to 4 hours ahead of time. Bake as directed.
This post was originally published on November 14, 2018
Absolutely delicious and so simple! I loved that I could prep before hand and just bake on thanksgiving day. The whole family loved it, even my in-laws who generally prefer a very traditional thanking dinner menu
Hey there,
Awesome! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it turned out nicely for you!
Merry Christmas!🎄🎁
Hi there! I’m interested in trying this recipe for our xmas dinner this year. I’m curious if the croissants absolutely need to be in such large pieces or if they can be torn into smaller/bite-sized pieces?
Hi Robina,
You can make them smaller, that would be perfectly okay to do:) I hope you love this recipe!
Happy Holidays!🎁🎄
One of my favorites to make! Always a hit at Thanksgiving! I made a mistake and moved on to step 4 (instead of stopping at step3 before refrigerating-Woops). This is for a potluck tomorrow…hoping it comes out just as good! We shall see!!
Hey there,
Awesome!☃️ I am so glad to hear this recipe is always enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it each year!
Made this for Thanksgiving – it was very tasty. I subbed spinach for kale so that it did not have that “chewy greens” texture. I wish I had been cooking it in my oven…I added 2 1/2 c liquid and let someone else babysit it in their oven and it was a little too soggy for my taste. But the croissants were a nice switch in terms of bread, and the flavor was great .
Hey Julie,
Fantastic! I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it turned out well! Have a great weekend!
I only used six croissants and broke them up into bite-sized pieces. This was a delicious hit at the table!
Hey there,
Happy Holidays! Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it turned out well for you!
I made this a few years ago. My family has a long honored traditional stuffing from Hungary that uses all of the gizzards and bits. It is the crown jewel of thanksgiving for the family. I am a vegetarian and always default to the other sides for thanksgiving. I gave this a go one year, I absolutely loved it, and it was very well received by all. As a matter of fact the question of whether I am making it again came up the following year. So, when I care to take the time to make something for me….this is it! Thank you for sharing! Xo and Happy Thanksgiving.
Hey Christa,
Love to hear this! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment!
Happy Sunday!
Amazing! Thoughts on cauliflower instead of the mushrooms??
Thanks Lauren! Sure, I think that sounds yummy as well! I hope you love this recipe!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I usually make cornbread dressing but this recipe sounds amazing. I have tried a sourdough stuffing that has mushrooms and loved it!
Hey Karen,
So kind of you to try this recipe and leave feedback—glad it was a hit!
I’m very excited to make this recipe this year!!! Do you think I could swap the croissants for sourdough bread? Been practicing that and have LOTS of bread I’ve been getting creative with, but always love a new recipe!
Hey Karley,
Sure, I don’t see why that wouldn’t work for you!
I hope you love this recipe! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi!!
Super excited to try this year. My family is not a fan of kale – any other vegetable I can substitute – could I do celery and mushrooms?
Hey Jenna,
Totally, celery would be a great addition to the mushrooms in this recipe. You could also use spinach if you want to replace that for the kale.
I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!
V excited to make this!!! My friend is allergic to onions & leeks very tragically – is there anything I could do to make up a little bit of that lost flavor?
Hey Emma,
I think you will be okay without the onion, there is so much flavor going on in this dish! I hope you love the recipe!
This was my favorite recipe of Thanksgiving. So good! And everyone else seemed to love it, too!
Aww, love to hear this! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your feedback! So glad it was enjoyed! xx
I made this for Thanksgiving for a group of 20 family members. The word they used to describe it was “exceptional”. Thank you for the great recipe!
Hey Laura,
Amazing! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and your comment! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! xx
Ive made this recipe for years and absolutely love it. I’m wondering if the croissants can be substituted for a sourdough bread this year. Any thoughts on how to be successful with that substitution, or if I should avoid?
Hey Meg,
I’m so glad you have enjoyed this recipe each year:) I’ve never tried with sourdough, I think brioche might be a better option just because it’s more moist. I hope this helps! xT
Hi I would love to make this for Thanksgiving, but I am not a fan of Kale. Has anyone tried this with spinach instead? Thanks, Donna
Hi Donna,
Spinach would be a nice option for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx