Turkey is THE centerpiece of any Thanksgiving spread. But for me, this indulgent fall vacation is all about the surprising sides: buttery mashed potatoes, rich gravy, baked mac and cheese and warm dinner rolls. It’s hard to choose a favorite when faced with so many tempting options, but if I had to choose, I’d choose stuffing in a heartbeat.

This flavorful combination of cubed bread, vegetables, broth and spices can be extremely delicious when executed well. And it turns out I’m far from the only one who feels this way. In 2023 investigation which asked respondents to share their favorite Thanksgiving side dishes, stuffing received the second highest number of votes behind mashed potatoes.

Luckily for anyone who won’t have the time or motivation to make stuffing from scratch this Thanksgiving, there are a wide range of easy boxed mixes that require just a few ingredients and a few minutes of your time to prepare . But which of these mixtures is the best? I recently decided to answer this question by trying all the brands I could find at several grocery stores near me: Stove Top, Pepperidge Farms, Trader Joe’s, Aleia’s, Bell’s, Great Value (Walmart’s house brand), and Chef’s Cupboard (Aldi’s). house brand).

Some of these brands offer several different flavors of stuffing, so I opted for the most basic versions of each that I could find. I prepared each stuffing on the stovetop according to the package directions and judged them on taste and texture. I’m happy to report that the majority of these blends were quite tasty and one clearly stood out as the best of the best.

Here’s what I thought of each option, ranked from my least favorite to the absolute best.

Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Stuffing Mix

Nutrition (per 1/2 cup serving):
Calories: 210
Fat: 11 g (Saturated fat: 3.5 g)
Sodium: 370mg
Crabs: 24 g (Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 4g

Although Trader Joe’s sells a Cornbread Stuffing Mixthe only somewhat traditional blend the retailer currently offers is a gluten free version. The preparation method requires only boiling water, butter and a seasoning packet included in the box before incorporating the gluten-free croutons and letting them steep for a few minutes. A 12.4 ounce can cost me $6.49.

The look: Much too mushy and unexpectedly green in color. The dry croutons that came in the Trader Joe’s package were also much darker in color than advertised on the box.

The taste: Completely rancid. The second I dumped the dry croutons into the mixture of water, butter, and spices, I was immediately hit with a sour chemical smell that quickly permeated my entire apartment. And when I finally worked up the courage to try a bite, the taste was even worse than I expected – soapy and so incredibly bitter that it almost stung my tongue. It was very clear to me that the package I purchased was well past its prime despite the fact that it had an expiration date set for March 2024. I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s most of the time, but it This is probably the worst experience I’ve ever had with a chain product.

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Aleia’s Cook Top Seasoned Poultry Stuffing Mix

Nutrition (per 1 oz serving):
Calories: 110
Fat: 2g
Sodium: 150mg
Crabs: 21 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 3 g)
Protein: 3g

Aleia’s Cook Top Seasoned Poultry Stuffing Mixthe second of two gluten-free varieties I tried, also calls for boiling a mixture of water, butter, and the contents of a seasoning packet before incorporating it into the croutons. A 5.5 ounce package cost me $4.99.

The look: The color is quite similar to the stuffing advertised on the bag, but the texture was much more pasty and gummy. The package of dry croutons had a ton of fine crumbs inside, which made me suspect that many of the larger pieces of bread had been crushed before I purchased it.

The taste: Much tastier than Trader Joe’s stuffing, but still not tasty enough for me to buy it again. The texture of the stuffing was inexplicably mushy on the outside but still slightly hard in the middle, even though I followed the instructions very well. The unpleasant texture wouldn’t bother me as much if at least the taste was good, but I was disappointed in that aspect as well. I detected a very slight chicken flavor, but it badly needed more salt and herb flavors.

Traditional Bell Prank

Nutrition (per 1/3 cup serving):
Calories: 100
Fat: 1.5g
Sodium: 540mg
Crabs: 19 g (Fiber: <1 g, Sugar: 1 g)
Protein: 3g

Traditional Bell Prank requires only water, butter and the optional addition of celery and onions. A 12 ounce package cost me $3.69.

The look: Quite dull overall. The color was very even and beige, and the pieces of bread were smaller and gummy than I typically like in a stuffing.

The taste: Aside from Aleia’s and Trader Joe’s versions, Bell’s stuffing had the most disappointing texture. Pieces of bread WeLuckily they were soaked, but they were also quite mushy in a way that I didn’t like. The taste of the stuffing was also very salty, which, coming from me, is saying a lot since I have a very high sodium threshold. The stuffing would have been much better if Bell’s had replaced some of the salt with other flavor enhancers like herbs and spices.

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Stove Top Savory Herb Stuffing

Nutrition (per 1/2 cup serving):
Calories: 150
Fat: 5 g (Saturated fat: 1.5 g)
Sodium: 500 mg
Crabs: 21 g (Fiber: <1 g, Sugar: 2 g)
Protein: 3g

Stove Top Savory Herb Stuffing asks you to boil water with butter or margarine, then mix in the croutons and let them absorb the liquid. A six-ounce can cost me $2.99.

The look: From looks alone, I could tell that Stove Top Herb Stuffing would live up to its name. The mixture was heavily speckled with lots of aromatic green bits. While the croutons themselves absorbed liquid much better than the lowest three brands in this taste test, the whole mixture was a bit gooier than the higher-ranked fillings.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The taste: An absolute palooza herb. While it’s difficult to identify all the different flavors featured in this Stove Top option, I detected notes of thyme, parsley, and maybe even a little rosemary. These herbs balance beautifully with what seems like the perfect amount of salt. I would have ranked Stove Top even higher if the texture was less cakey, which wasn’t a problem with the three highest-ranked options on this list. However, it’s still a very tasty store-bought stuffing that’s easy to make and a cut above the bottom three options.

Chef’s Cupboard Chicken Stuffing Mix

Nutrition (per 1/6 carton serving):
Calories: 176
Fat: 9 g (Saturated fat: 5 g)
Sodium: 400 mg
Crabs: 21 g (Fiber: <1 g, Sugar: 2 g)
Protein: 3g

This Aldi brand Chef’s Cupboard Chicken Stuffing Mix requires a boiled combination of water and butter, into which you mix a bag of seasoned croutons. A six-ounce can cost me $0.99.

The look: Darker and more robust than the slightly gummy Stove Top version. This Aldi herb option seemed to absorb the water and butter perfectly without becoming too soft.

The taste: Salty, grassy and very chicken. This extremely affordable option really packs that super flavorful kick I crave in a great stuffing. Meanwhile, the bread itself was soft and chewy all the way through the middle without becoming too doughy. Although I thought the Chef’s Cupboard and Stove Top stuffing were pretty equal in taste, the superior texture of the Aldi version led me to rank it higher.

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Great Value Chicken Flavor Stuffing Mix

Nutrition (per 1/2 cup serving):
Calories: 180
Fat: 5 g (Saturated fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 480 mg
Crabs: 21 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 2 g)
Protein: 4g

Great Value Chicken Flavor Stuffing Mix instructs you to boil the water and butter together before mixing them with the dried bread. A six-ounce package cost me $0.88.

The look: Pretty indistinguishable from the Aldi stuffing. The croutons were studded with lots of green herbs and they held up pretty well during the baking process, so the doughiness was minimal.

The taste: The differences between the Great Value and Chef’s Cupboard stuffing weren’t that obvious. However, I ultimately decided to put Great Value just a step ahead of the others because the texture was just as good and it had a slightly stronger flavor punch. Overall, this stuffing was savory, salty, herby, and really flavorful.

Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Cubed Stuffing

Nutrition (per 1/2 cup serving):
Calories: 90
Fat: 1g
Sodium: 360 mg
Crabs: 18 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 2 g)
Protein: 3g

Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Cubed Stuffing instructs you to sauté chopped onions and celery in butter, mix with chicken broth and bring everything to a boil before adding the croutons and letting them steep for five minutes. A 12 ounce bag cost me $3.79.

The look: Pepperidge Farm’s stuffing option stood out in a good way. For starters, the bread cubes were the largest and most uniform of all the options I tried. Even after letting them steep in the hot broth, the shapes remained completely intact and did not become too soft.

The taste: Tasty, satisfying and a definite shoo-in for first place. The croutons were soft but not mushy, while the sautéed vegetables and broth gave the stuffing a fresh, nuanced taste that other options lacked. My only criticism of this option was that it was just a little too salty, but I could easily remedy that next time by using a low sodium broth and then adding more salt if needed. Overall, this stuffing from Pepperidge Farm was the longest and most labor-intensive option I tried. However, the superior taste proves that the extra effort is well worth it.

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