This is the only Sausage Stuffing Recipe you’ll ever need! It’s easy to assemble the day before Thanksgiving, which is a great time saver when you’re in the middle of your holiday cooking. Flavorful, moist, hearty and oh so simple – this stuffing recipe really has it all!
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What’s in this Sausage Stuffing Recipe?
The apple adds a wonderful sweetness to it and there’s tons of flavor from the sage, thyme and parsley. It’s a traditional recipe that will bring back memories of Thanksgivings past!
- Bread: You can use cornbread, challah, or whatever your favorite bread is.
- Butter: You’ll need butter for the stuffing and for preparing the baking dish.
- Breakfast Sausage: I like to use pork breakfast sausage, but turkey also works if preferred.
- Onion: A yellow onion creates the best natural sweetness.
- Fennel Bulb: It’ll need to be trimmed and diced.
- Celery: Make sure to always give your celery a little rinse prior to chopping.
- Carrots: These will need to be peeled and diced into small pieces.
- Apple: I like to use a granny smith apple for the touch of tart flavor it adds! It needs to be peeled, cored and diced.
- Salt and Pepper: Try to be pretty conservative with the amount of salt you add. It can be easy to make this stuffing too salty.
- Herbs: You’ll need a medley of parsley, sage, and thyme to create the very best herbaceous flavor.
- Eggs: I like to use organic free-range eggs when I can.
- Broth: You can use chicken or turkey broth for this stuffing recipe.
PRO TIP: You just want to dry the bread out in the oven, do not brown it.
What kind of bread should I use to make stuffing?
I like to use a hearty, sturdy kind of bread that will hold its shape well and not get mushy. Challah and cornbread are two options that both work very well with this Thanksgiving stuffing recipe! However, any other sturdy bakery bread that you prefer should also get the job done.
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Eggs act as a binder to help hold the stuffing together. They also add a good amount of moisture to the stuffing so it doesn’t dry out while baking.
Yes! Bake the stuffing with foil over the baking dish for the first 35-40 minutes of cook time. Then, uncover and bake for an additional 30-45 minutes.
The stuffing with sausage can be assembled 1 day ahead. Keep covered and refrigerate until ready to bake. Transfer from oven about 15 minutes before cooking and add 5-10 minutes to final bake time.
How to Store and Reheat
Once cooled to room temperature, you can store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until warmed through.
How to Freeze
Let fully cool to room temperature prior to freezing. Once cooled, wrap the dish tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge prior to reheating in the oven until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
Happy Thanksgiving! Serve this sausage stuffing with all the best accompaniments like sweet potato casserole, turkey gravy, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes.
5-Star Review
“I honestly only eat the stuffing and skip the turkey. And this one is great cause it has proteins/sausages and I love that I can make it ahead of time!” – Trang
Sausage Stuffing Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1½ pound loaf of bread torn into ½”- ¾” pieces about 10 cups; cornbread, challah or your favorite
- ¾ cup unsalted butter plus more for baking dish
- 1 pound breakfast sausage
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- ½ fennel bulb trimmed and diced
- 2 medium celery stalk diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled & diced
- 1 Granny Smith apple peeled, cored and diced
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped sage leaves
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 2 large eggs lightly whisked
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth
Instructions
- Heat oven to 275°F and adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Butter a 3-qt baking dish; set aside.
- Divide bread evenly between 2 rimmed baking sheets and place on the oven racks. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 40-45 minutes or until bread is dried out but not browned. Transfer bread to a large bowl to cool completely.
- Increase the oven temperature to 350°F and adjust oven rack to middle position.
- While the bread bakes, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the sausage. Break the sausage into bite-size pieces during cooking. Cook the sausage, stirring often, 6-8 minutes or until brown throughout.
- Transfer cooked sausage to a paper towel-lined plate, and discard all except 1 tablespoon rendered fat from the skillet.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and melt ¾ cup butter in the same skillet. Add diced onion, fennel, celery, carrots, and apple; mix well. Season with salt and pepper; stir well. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables and apple are tender, about 10-15 minutes. If the vegetables are browning, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until softened.
- Deglaze the pan with 1½ cups chicken stock and stir in parsley, sage and thyme.
- When the bread has cooled, transfer it to a large bowl. Add the cooked sausage and the vegetable/apple mixture; gently mix.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1½ cups broth and eggs. Pour the egg mixture over the bread mixture and fold gently until well combined.
- Let the mixture sit, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until bread absorbs all liquid.
- Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish. Butter (or spray with nonstick spray) one side of a sheet of foil and cover the dish with the foil, greased side down.
- Set the dish on the middle rack and bake, covered, 35-40 minutes or until very hot to the touch. The internal temperature (tested in the middle) should register 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the foil and bake an additional 30-45 minutes or until the stuffing is set in the middle and the top is golden brown.
- If the stuffing needs more browning after fully cooked, turn the broiler on and cook until the top has browned to your liking. Watch closely.
- Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
Nutrition Information
I don’t understand your “tip”. Can you take a look at it and explain? Thank you!
Of course! After step 11, you can cover and refrigerate the stuffing overnight. The next day, take the stuffing out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes before you plan to bake it, or add 5-10 minutes to the final baking time to make up for the cold start!
I honestly only eat the stuffing and skip the turkey. And this one is great cause it has proteins/sausages and I love that I can make it ahead of time!
Thank you, Trang! I’m so happy to hear you loved it!
Everyone loved this stuffing! It’s delicious!
Yay! SO glad to hear that everyone enjoyed it!
oh wow yum! This sausage stuffing recipe is amazing. Thanks so much for sharing, perfect for the holiday season. :)
You’re welcome, Matt! I’m glad to hear you loved it!
I have never had sausage in stuffing before, but I’m thinking I’ll try it this year!
My husband would love this! Definitely a new holiday must have dish.
Let me know what you think once you’ve tried it!