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.

overhead photo of Herby Mushroom Croissant Stuffing

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.

overhead photo of croissants

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.

mushrooms and kale in skillet

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.

overhead close up photo Herby Mushroom Croissant Stuffing

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.

overhead close up photo of Herby Mushroom Croissant Stuffing

Also, I’m not a stuff the stuffing inside the turkey kind of person. I much prefer to bake my stuffing separately.

One of the most delicious details of this recipe are the crisp, cheesy croissants on the top layer. They’re mouth-watering and so good, and my favorite part of the dish. For that reason, I’m not advocating placing this stuffing inside your bird.

Got it? OK. Cool.

Enjoy, enjoy!

overhead photo of Herby Mushroom Croissant Stuffing with spoon in casserole

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!

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4.51 from 169 votes

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

The Recipe

Herby Mushroom Croissant Stuffing

Buttery croissants, cozy herbs, caramelized wild mushroom, kale, and Gruyere cheese take classic stuffing from bland and boring to flavorful and completely delicious. Prep this stuffing in advance and then bake up just before you're ready for dinner for super easy holiday entertaining.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 376 kcal

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
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  1. 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.

Recipe 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. 

horizontal photo of Herby Mushroom Croissant Stuffing