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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
I can’t find fresh sage at my store. Can I use dried?
Hi Lindsay! Yes, that will be great! I would use 1 teaspoon dried sage. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
I’m making this on Sunday but I’m veganizing it. I’m gonna make my own Vegan croissants, use vegan butter and vegan cheese. I’ll let U know how it turns out.
I hope this turns out amazing for you! Thank you Deborah! xTieghan
This is a very good stuffing. There are a couple of things I am going to do differently the next time. First, I used spinach instead of kale and it worked fine. I also ended up throwing in more than the recipe calls for because of how much it cooks down. I am going to hold off on adding the broth until I see how much moisture I have from the vegetables. (I used more mushrooms than listed as well.) I only used one cup of the broth along with the liquid from the vegetables. My husband and I agreed that it was a little too moist. You can always add if you need more. I am also going to add more cheese. Maybe mix a little in with the stuffing as well as on top. What can I say, we love cheese. Overall, the flavor was excellent. I will be making it again this holiday season.
Hi Sandy! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! I hope this time it turns out even better! Thank you so much! xTieghan
This was a huge hit for Easter dinner. It was so good, my sister in law and I we’re eating it right out of the pan after dinner… very classy.
OH I love that and am so glad you are enjoying this Ally! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Made this last week…will make it again. It is very rich so it will be for special occasions, but it is very good. It had to be with all that butter in there!
Thank you!
Made this on Christmas, it was very well received.
I liked the flavor of the stuffing so much , last night I made just the mushroom/kale mixture (w/ celery, onions, etc) and served that with my pork tenderloin. And then used the left over mushroom mixture and put it on a grilled cheese tonight! Delicious.
I am so glad you loved this stuffing, India! Thank you so much!
This was the best thing I ate of all Thanksgiving! I come from a small family who brings a lot of food and my husband and I were grateful for the leftovers. This recipe made SO MUCH we were even able to share with friends who joined us after the holidays and the reviews were raving time and time again. Looks like this may be my new signature dish come future holidays. Great job, Teighan!
I am so glad everyone enjoyed this Brittany! Thank you so much!
My daughter made this for Thanksgiving and it was a hit. Now, making it for Christmas. YUM!!!!
So awesome! I hope you all loved it Aida! Thank you!
Anyone who has made this have an idea of how many ounces of croissants they used? Thank you!!!
So sorry, I have no idea what the ounce measurement is. Wish I could help! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
Hey! I have just started following your blog! I have made five of your recipes and they are now our family favorites!!! I’m getting your cookbook for Christmas too! Where do you get your inspiration from? If I love your food, is their other cooks or blogs I can follow as well that have similar style? Thank you so much for adding life back into my cooking! I hit a dry spell but now i am so excited to cook again because of your recipes ❤️
Hi Chrystal! Welcome to my blog! I am so glad you found it. My inspiration comes mostly from my family because they are always traveling to new countries and trying new dishes! I hope you love the cookbook and let me know when you try! Thank you!
I made this stuffing for Thanksgiving and it was everyone’s fav dish! I love your recipes and photography.
Thank you so much Susan!
I made this recipe for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! I usually stress out over making a dish for the holiday that will feed a lot of people, but this was super easy to make (& I personally do not consider cooking to be one of my strong suits), the overall cooking time was almost exactly as listed, and everyone enjoyed it. Especially delicious right out of the oven. I didn’t even follow the measurements 100% exactly and it still came out great. Thanks for this recipe!
Thank you so much Noelle! I am so glad you loved this stuffing and it turned out so well for you!
Made this today for our Friendsgiving and it was a success!!! Saw your IG pic of this stuffing and knew I had to try it. It was so yummy and easy to put together! ?
I am so glad everyone loved it Michelle! Thank you so much!
I made this for thanksgiving today and it was a huge hit. Thanks for sharing!
I am so happy to hear that Lea! Thank you!
This was delicious!! I cut down on the butter slightly, but other than that it was amazing.
Thank you Kate!