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Part stuffing, part mashed potatoes – this Maine Potato Stuffing is a must-make side dish for the holidays!
After years of recipe research and development, Jack and I were fairly certain that we had read about (or cooked ourselves) every possible variation of Thanksgiving stuffing recipe that exists. Then – happily – we learned about Maine Potato Stuffing, and we wondered how on earth we never knew about potato stuffing before?!
This Maine Potato Stuffing is part bread stuffing, part mashed potatoes, and 100% delicious! (We’re so excited to share this recipe with you today!)
How do you make Maine Potato Stuffing?
Tender russet potatoes are mashed and combined with coarse crumbs made from sourdough bread, then mixed with onions and celery sautéed in butter. You’ll also stir in some half-and-half, and the mixture is simply seasoned with Bell’s Seasoning, salt and pepper, plus some chopped fresh parsley too.
Served with even more butter on top, this super easy no-bake Maine Potato Stuffing is a great option when you are tight on oven space as you prep your Thanksgiving dinner menu. And – this delicious side dish can really take the place of serving both mashed potatoes and stuffing as separate sides.
What is the origin of Maine Potato Stuffing?
Reading around online, there seems to be a lot of debate about both the origin of potato stuffing, as well as the ingredients that should be put into it!
Some say potato stuffing recipes originated with the Pennsylvania Dutch, others say it’s a German recipe. Some Canadians claim this delicious side dish for their own, while others say it’s from Maine – which is known for their potato crops. Maybe they are all true – but being New Englanders ourselves and finding this recipe by Yankee Magazine, we’re sticking with calling it Maine Potato Stuffing! 😉
The second ‘great debate’ is over the ingredients: celery or no celery, milk or no milk; Bell’s Seasoning vs savory seasoning. (We included celery, half and half and Bell’s – so you know which side of the argument we stand!)
But no matter who invented it, or whose recipe you follow to prepare it, Maine Potato Stuffing is delicious!
Adapted from Yankee Magazine.
You may enjoy these other potato side dishes:
- Colcannon
- Perfect Mashed Potatoes
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Kale and Boursin Cheese
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Maine Potato Stuffing
Part stuffing, part mashed potatoes – this Maine Potato Stuffing is a must-make side dish for the holidays!
Ingredients
12 tablespoons butter, divided (1 1/2 sticks plus more for serving)
2 1/2 cups onion, diced small
1 cup celery, diced fine
1 16-ounce loaf sour dough bread (one-pound loaf), about 6-7 cups after processing into crumbs
2 teaspoons Bell’s Seasoning (or other poultry seasoning of your choice such as Savory)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
3 pounds russet potatoes
1 cup half & half
Instructions
Place one stick of butter in a medium skillet or sauté pan and heat over medium heat. Once melted, add onions and celery and sauté for ten minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the onions are starting to caramelize. Remove from heat and add the rest of the butter. It will just melt into the onions as you prepare the rest of the dish. Set aside.
Remove crust from the sour dough loaf and cut the remaining bread into cubes. Place in a food processor and process until the bread is coarsely chopped. Don’t over process.
Pour this into a large bowl and add the Bell’s (or other poultry seasoning of your choice), salt, pepper and parsley and toss.
While the onions are cooking, peel and cut the potatoes into one-inch pieces and place in a pot of salted water and boil until fork tender, about 5-10 minutes.
Heat the one cup of half & half to hot. OK to heat in microwave about one minute.
Drain the potatoes then place back in the pan with the hot half & half and coarsely mash leaving some chunks.
Toss the bowl of bread with the onion and butter mixture then add this to the mashed potatoes and stir with a wooden spoon.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then serve in a bowl with additional butter over the top.
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My mom made potato dressing always is and always will be my favorite, her recipe included potatoes saltines and onion put through a meat grinder with bell seasoning
Sounds delicious Ann!
Love this recipe, but was wondering if it can be frozen….
Hi Annette – We haven’t tried freezing it ourselves, but I think it would work!
My grandmother always made a stuffing with potatoes and, of course, the recipe was never written down anywhere!! You cannot imagine my delight at seeing this! I’m following it exactly for Thanksgiving 🥰
Hi Veronica – I hope our recipe is just as good as your grandmother’s!
Hi! I’ve searched for this recipe for a long time! My mother in law would make this bread stuffing. I think the only thing she added also was Jimmy Dean Sausage. It was cooked and added. We loved it with her home made gravy! Thanks for the recipe! We are from Massachusetts! She was German and English descent.
Great idea!
This is a Maine recipe. I can trace my family back to Maine to the revolutionary War and this recipe….well one very similar has been used for a very long time.
Thanks Christie!
Nothing “Maine” about this….
Same as whoopie pies.
Pa dutch
Thanks for your feedback Michael!
I was born and raised in Maine and this screams Maine!! As most of your replies confirm it. My mother- in-law always made it for Sunday dinner.
Thanks Debby!
My mother would grind raw potatoes to put in her stuffing. It was either put in the bird or baked in a pan. Best stuffing ever! She was born and raised in Maine. Mashed potatoes were served as a side dish.
How interesting Rhonda! (I’m curious to try it!) Thanks for writing to us today.
I’m a 70 yr old life long Mainer and I can say this is NOT a Maine recipe!
Thanks for letting us know Jane!
Raised In Maine, we grew up with potatoe bread stuffing. The only thing we did different was we dipped the bread into milk which kept the stuffing moist. Every thing else in your recipe is what many generations of our family have made. so good
Thanks Sherry! Great suggestion.
Is this something that can be made the day before?
Hi Andrea – Yes – I’d suggest reheating it in the microwave – adding a little more butter and half and half or milk if needed. Enjoy!
Ha! I’ve never seen a recipe for stuffing with potatoes. This is my mom’s recipe, minus the celery and my favourite way to make it. I’m originally from Nova Scotia and thought this was a “ down home” recipe. I assumed it was a way to stretch the dollar and accommodate a huge crowd. I can eat just the stuffing and skip the rest. 😀
LOL – We discovered that there were lots of places in the US and Canada that claimed this delicious recipe for their own! 🙂