Ina Garten Reveals the Surprising Shortcut She Swears By

The Barefoot Contessa has a clever way to use boxed stuffing mix beyond Thanksgiving.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 11:07pm

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A bold, abstract silkscreen print composed of a repeating grid of a single, iconic stuffing mix box, rendered in a vibrant neon color palette with heavy black outlines, conceptually representing the versatility of this everyday cooking ingredient.Ina Garten's clever use of boxed stuffing mix transforms a Thanksgiving staple into an elevated brunch dish.Boston Today

In a lightning round interview, celebrity chef Ina Garten shared that while she's generally against using many store-bought shortcuts, she's a big fan of turning boxed stuffing mix into a savory bread pudding. Garten explained that the pre-toasted, pre-seasoned cubes of bread in stuffing mix make it the perfect base for a rich, custard-like dish that's ideal for brunch.

Why it matters

Ina Garten has built her culinary empire on the philosophy of 'store-bought is fine,' but she's selective about which shortcuts she approves. Her embrace of boxed stuffing mix as a versatile ingredient beyond Thanksgiving shows how home cooks can sometimes find unexpected uses for common convenience foods.

The details

Garten skips using boxed stuffing mix for its intended purpose of Thanksgiving stuffing, and instead turns it into a savory bread pudding. She sautés mushrooms and leeks, then combines the stuffing cubes with a custard made from eggs, cream, and Gruyère cheese before baking it into a rich, brunch-worthy dish. Garten says the pre-toasted and seasoned bread in the stuffing mix makes it the perfect foundation, allowing home cooks to skip several steps in the traditional bread pudding preparation process.

  • In a recent interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Ina Garten revealed her surprising use for boxed stuffing mix.

The players

Ina Garten

The celebrity chef known as the 'Barefoot Contessa,' who has built an empire around the philosophy of 'store-bought is fine.'

Stephen Colbert

The host of The Late Show, who interviewed Garten about her views on grocery store shortcuts.

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What they’re saying

“Get the bagged stuff. It's already seasoned, it's already cubed, it's toasted. All that's done.”

— Ina Garten, Celebrity Chef

The takeaway

Ina Garten's embrace of boxed stuffing mix as a versatile ingredient shows how home cooks can sometimes find unexpected uses for common convenience foods, even if they generally prefer to make things from scratch. Her clever repurposing of this Thanksgiving staple into a savory bread pudding demonstrates how the right shortcuts can elevate a dish without sacrificing quality.