This Sausage Stuffing Recipe is a family favorite! Ground Italian sausage, crisp Granny Smith apples, dried cranberries, and a hint of sage make it burst with flavor.
Or give this original Thanksgiving Dressing or Cornbread Dressing a try!
Sausage Stuffing Recipe
While a flavorful, juicy turkey drizzled in gravy is exciting, for me, it’s all about the sides.
My favorites? Mashed Potatoes, a retro fluff salad (like Orange Fluff), Baked Sweet Potatoes, a big Thanksgiving Salad, and definitely some kind of stuffing or dressing.
I usually switch between my simple dressing and cornbread dressing, but this year, I decided to mix it up with sausage, cranberries, sage, and apples.
The result? A savory, sweet, textured dressing with the perfect softness—definitely worth at least a third of my Thanksgiving plate! After testing it multiple times (for science!), I can say it’s truly the best sausage stuffing ever!
Sausage Stuffing Ingredients
- Sausage: Pick mild or spicy sausage. Take off the casings before browning.
- Parsley: Go for flat-leaf Italian parsley for stronger flavor.
- Bread: Better bread means better flavor! A crusty sourdough loaf is perfect.
- Sage: Fresh sage is best, but if using dried, swap ½ teaspoon dried for 1 tablespoon fresh.
Quick Tip
Have leftover sausage from making this Italian Sausage Stuffing Recipe? Use leftovers in these Italian Hoagies!
How To Make Sausage Stuffing Recipe
- Dry Bread: Bake bread pieces at 250°F for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool.
- Cook Sausage: Brown sausage in a pot; remove and set aside.
- Sauté Veggies: Add butter, cook onions, celery, and apples until soft, then mix in parsley, sage, cranberries, and sausage.
- Combine: Whisk eggs and broth, pour into pot, and gently mix in bread pieces.
- Bake: Move to greased pan and bake until golden. Serve warm.
This recipe isn’t fast, but each step is easy. You can prep most parts ahead and just put it together before baking.
Prepare Sausage Stuffing Ahead Of Time
Here’s how to prep in advance:
- Dry bread cubes on a sheet pan (uncovered) up to a day before—they need to be fully dry.
- Cook sausage and veggies, then store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- When ready, mix eggs and broth with the sausage and veggies. Gently toss with bread cubes, put in a baking dish, and bake. Bake time may be a bit longer with cold ingredients.
Tips For Success
- Cut the bread into even pieces and bake for 45 minutes until completely dry—dry bread keeps the stuffing from getting soggy.
- Cook the onion, celery, and apple until very soft, since they won’t soften much more in the oven.
- Use unsalted butter to control the saltiness.
- Chop herbs finely so they mix evenly, avoiding any strong bites of a single herb.
Storage
Sausage stuffing is best enjoyed hot from the oven. It doesn’t freeze well or keep for more than a couple of days. You can reheat leftovers in the oven, but the texture will be softer, and the bread may become mushy after the first serving.
More Holiday Favorite Sides:
- Creamed Potatoes with paprika
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with the best topping
- Raspberry Jello Dessert with a graham cracker crust
- Sweet Potato Risotto made in the pressure cooker
- Funeral Potatoes with a potato chip topping
Sausage Stuffing Recipe
Equipment
- Baking dish 9 x 13-inch
- Sheet pan
- Large cast-iron pot
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 10 cups day-old white bread good-quality bread, cut into 1-inch by 1/2-inch thick cubes (I love sourdough best)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 pound Italian sausage 12 ounces, see note 1
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1-3/4 cups yellow onions finely diced, 2 medium
- 1 cup celery finely diced, 3 to 4 stalks
- 2 Granny Smith apples diced
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley finely diced, see note 2
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage finely diced, or 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- Salt and pepper see note 3
- 2-1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°F. Generously grease a rimmed 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Add cut bread cubes in one layer to an ungreased sheet pan. Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes, stirring bread cubes every 15 minutes or until completely dried out. Set aside to let bread cool. Increase oven temperature to 350°F.
- In a very large cast-iron pot, add 1 tablespoon oil and heat to high. Once hot, add sausage in a single layer and let sear about 1 minute per side before crumbling and breaking up with a wooden spoon. Season to taste (I add 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper) and cook until fully browned through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper-towel-lined bowl and set aside. Leave grease in the pot, but if there is more than 1 tablespoon, drain off excess.
- Reduce heat to medium high and add butter to the same pot the sausage was cooked in. Once melted, add diced onions, celery, and apples. Season to taste (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper). Stir often until just beginning to lightly brown and the ingredients have become tender—about 10 minutes (reduce heat if needed). Once tender, remove from heat and stir in parsley and sage. Allow pot to cool. Mix in cranberries. Return sausage to the pot (still no heat).
- In a separate bowl, add eggs and whisk with a fork. Stir in chicken broth, whisking until combined with eggs. Pour this mixture into the pot with the veggies and sausage. Make sure the pot is room temperature, not hot, or it will scramble the egg mixture. Stir everything to combine. Add toasted bread cubes in the pot and very gently mix until bread is coated and ingredients are evenly dispersed. Adjust seasoning as needed (see note 3).
- Gently transfer this mixture to the prepared 9×13-inch baking dish and press into an even layer. Bake for 50–60 minutes or until browned and crisp on top and sides. Remove and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
