I use this in mine. I add extra sage also. You can just add the individual spices, but I find this is easier (and it is what my grandmother used). Ours is an oyster dressing, so oysters were also used.

https://www.mccormick.com/spices-and-flavors/herbs-and-spices/spices/poultry-seasoning

Onion, sage, salt. Parsley is pretty key too, I think.

My grandmother made a wonderful sausage stuffing. Her key spice was thyme.

In New England we have Bell's Seasoning for stuffing. The ingredients are Rosemary, Oregano, Sage, Ginger, Marjoram, Thyme and Pepper.

https://www.bellsfoods.com/products/bells-seasoning/

Bell's seasoning is my favorite , I tried to do it myself with the same ingredients but I am unable get the right balance

I was going to say thyme as well. I use sage and thyme (but more sage than thyme). Mother also put oysters in hers and that gave it a different flavor and although I dislike cooked oysters -- the stuffing doesn't taste right without it.

I have a pretty good "taster" and never detected marjoram in what I identify as "pizza flavor"....but I do get a hint in stuffing flavor. For me the flavor of stuffing is celery, onion, sage, thyme and a hint of marjoram....and black pepper of course.

Yes - don't forget the celery - and butter!

And the flavor of the bread(s) is a factor as well. I like a slightly sweet 'homestyle' bread + cornbread.

Sweet marjoram makes almost everything taste better, IMPO.

Here is my Grandmother Lillian Huffman Fitch's Dressing Grand Bay, Alabama. (As close as I can come).

1 5" pan cornbread

4 slices stale bread

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

giblets from turkey

2-3 eggs

1 container oysters

poultry seasoning to taste (extra sage)

Simmer giblet in water until tender. Remove and let cool. Add chopped onion and celery to pan and add water if necessary. Cook until onion is clear and celery is tender. Drain oysters, check for shells, and coarsely chop.

Break cornbread and stale bread in large bowl. Add oysters, onion, celery (with cooking water), and eggs. Add poultry seasoning and sage to taste. Add neck, tail meat and gizzard (chopped). Save liver for gravy. Add up to half of turkey drippings. (The rest is for the gravy.) ( You can add the reserved juice from the oysters, just check for shells.) Bake at 350* until firm and lightly brown. We never stuffed the turkey, because she didn't think that was enough dressing. This will make a lasagna pan of dressing.

I keep and freeze the extra dripping from the previous turkey, so I can make ahead. This is very adjustable. I taste and add. Raw eggs have never made me sick in 65 years. If you just can't do that, taste before the eggs and add eggs last.

I have added (gasp) a can of Campbell's mushroom soup when I didn't have enough drippings.

My Mom taught me to always use poultry seasoning, as well as rubbed sage. She said to never use ground sage in dressing/stuffing, to always used rubbed sage. And that is what I do.

Thank-you all! You've given me a lot of clues to start my search with.

Linda, some friends and I were comparing mixtures of dried herbs. We had an "Italian" mix with oregano, etc., and the same herbs with marjoram. Everyone agreed that the one with marjoram tasted like pizza. Emphatically. "That's PIZZA!!" was exclaimed. Not scientific, but to me it also tastes like pizza. Like if you wanted pizza flavored bread and butter or sliced zucchini you could sprinkle the mixture on and it would taste like pizza. Not the bread, cheese, marinara sauce and toppings, but just the flavor we identify as "pizza". OTOH, that might be what pizza tastes like here, in our milieu. There are so many different ways to make pizza, that it might not taste like what you'd call pizza flavor.

That's what I'm looking for for the stuffing. I'm thinking about making a kind of croquette and I want the binder to taste like what most people identify as "stuffing" without having to make some kind of stuffing mix to get the flavor right.

Since a couple of you mentioned marjoram in stuffing, I wonder if it's also the secret for making sage, etc., taste like stuffing?? :D

I use Italian sausage in my stuffing, so fennel seed or maybe tarragon (unless you use sausage) along with parsley and other italian herbs and celery and onion would work for me. I hope you post your recipe here.

I'm an East Coast girl...living a long time in the midwest....no marjoram in pizza. Marjoram goes in bean dishes. Navy bean soup NEEDS marjoram!
The best pizza is just tomato, garlic, basil and cheese.
http://www.varasanos.com/pizzarecipe.htm

Very interesting article. Different flavor. I daresay it's very good, but definitely not "pizza flavor".

I forgot to mention the importance of onions and celery for stuffing flavor. I have a sweet potato soup recipe that's seasoned only with onions, celery, thyme, and a bay leaf and it tastes like thanksgiving in a bowl if the chicken broth is strong enough.

Besides sage and thyme, rosemary (and the mirepoix) is key. The marjoram is not that critical after you have those three. I love the fresh herb "poultry packs" they stock during the holidays.

My flavoring comes from using stale hot dog and hamburger buns. Lots of sage, onion, celery, broth and salt.

First test, sage and thyme. Yes, they belong in stuffing but aren't the "it" flavor. Tried them with marjoram. Good, but I think it's part of what it ought to be rather than the key. I thought I had some poultry seasoning, but it must have been used up. I use blends for a lot of things, but not that one.

Spice Islands: Sage, Coriander, Marjoram, Black Pepper Extract, Celery Seed, Allspice.

McCormick: THYME, SAGE, MARJORAM, ROSEMARY, BLACK PEPPER, AND NUTMEG.

Penzey's: sage, white pepper, bell peppers, lemon peel, savory, rosemary, dill weed, allspice, thyme, marjoram and ginger

Spice House Poultry Stuffing Seasoning: Dalmatian sage, Muntok white pepper, minced red and green bell peppers, minced lemon peel, savory, powdered rosemary, dill weed, allspice, thyme, marjoram and ginger.

Spicely (stuffing seasoning): organic thyme, organic sage, organic marjoram, organic rosemary, organic onion, and organic black pepper

Spice Hunter: onion, garlic, basil, rosemary, coriander, sage, thyme, paprika, black pepper, marjoram

Simply Organic: Organic Sage, Organic Thyme, Organic Onion, Organic Black Pepper, Organic Marjoram, Organic Celery Seed, Organic Cayenne.

Frontier: Sage, thyme, onion, marjoram, black pepper, celery seed, and cayenne (may contain silicon dioxide)

Bell's: Rosemary, Oregano, Sage, Ginger, Marjoram, Thyme and Pepper

I tried to find out what was in stuffing mixes but the ones I looked at don't say, just "spices".

Sage, thyme and marjoram do seem to be the standard for poultry seasoning. And pepper.

Rosemary seems to be in most of the blends.

writersblock - would you share your sweet potato soup recipe? TIA

Sure, Lou.

1 cup chopped celery

1 medium onion, chopped

Oil for sautéing.

1 lb peeled, cubed sweet potato (I usually use one of the monster sweet potatoes that Publix carries)

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried basil (can use 1/2 tsp of either one instead of both)

Salt to taste (optional)

Saute the onions and celery till tender. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer till the potatoes are tender. Puree with an immersion blender. Remember to remove the bay leaf before you blend.

It's a pretty thick soup and gets thicker with standing so you may want to add more stock. It can be served either hot or cold, but I prefer it hot.

Makes 4 servings

I am so glad you posted that recipe, writersblock. It sound wonderful. I am hoping to try it sometime this week.

It's very easy, but it's awfully good, especially in chilly weather, WalnutCreek. I haven't made this all summer and I wish the temp would go below 90º so I'd feel like making it again.

I don't like dressing because I don't like the flavor of sage. So I would say that is pretty key. Most pre-packaged stuff has a lot of onion and garlic and salt flavor. Celery too, I know because my dad won't eat celery so our dressing was never very traditional. Mom used celery seed for the flavor, which is OK. I make my dressing with celery now but will have to be experimenting because SO said that after a couple of years of my inventive dressings, (my favorite was the wild rice feta cheese one) he wants a traditional one, that's what he likes on a traditional day.

I agree with I pinkmountain. My mother made cornbread dressing with onion, celery, salt and pepper, milk and egg. That's it, no sage. I have had some traditional dressings with sage that were OK, but if there is too much, I can't eat it.

Same with me; I've tasted waaaay too many stuffings where the sage knocks you down and slaps you in the face. I use Aldi's version of herb seasoned stuffing mix---tastes the same as the Pepperidge Farm that I used to buy before we got an Aldi. There isn't too much sage in it...if there is any sage in it? IOW's, if I can taste sage, there's too much in the dish. The seasonings are out of balance.