Quick Summary
Sausage Stuffing is a delicious homemade addition to all of your holiday meals! Make it from scratch and never go back to the boxed stuffing.
Sausage Stuffing Recipe
Stuffing is the ultimate Thanksgiving side dish. It is a CLASSIC! People wait all year for Thanksgiving so they can get their stuffing fix. Josh is one of those people, he LOVES stuffing and this Sausage Stuffing is his favorite!
Stuffing from a box is ok, but homemade is the BEST and it’s really easy to make. It just takes a little extra time to put it all together. Before you know it, you have a warm pan of sausage stuffing on the table that everyone is devouring.
This recipe is made with hearty bread and loaded with sausage, herbs, onion, celery, and finished with dried cranberries for a little sweetness. It is a Thanksgiving crowd pleaser!
What Sausage to Use
This depends on preference! You can use a spicy or sweet sausage. If you are going to serve the stuffing to children, you might want to use a mild sausage. Turkey or pork sausage work great! You will need one pound for this recipe. Make sure the casings are removed before you start cooking.
Best Bread for Stuffing
Day old or stale bread is best, but you can dry fresh bread in the oven! Cut your favorite bread into cubes (I like French, Italian, or Sourdough), then lay them out in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake 7-10 minutes, until dry and toasted. It works like a charm every time!
How to Make Sausage Stuffing
- Toast-If you aren’t using stale bread, toast your bread cubes in the oven.
- Cook the Sausage-While the bread is toasting, start cooking your sausage! Cook it over medium heat in a large skillet until browned and thoroughly cooked. This should take about 10 minutes. Break it up with a wooden spoon while it cooks, and drain grease by placing the cooked sausage on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Cook Onion & Celery-Don’t clean that pan! Melt the butter, then add onions and celery, cooking for about 5-7 minutes until everything is tender.
- Add Garlic & Herbs-Now add in garlic, parsley, sage, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3-5 more minutes. You want the garlic cooked but not browned.
- Mix in a bowl-Switch to a large bowl and combine the toasted bread, cooked sausage, and sautéed vegetables. Pour the chicken broth in and stir until the liquid has been absorbed. Mix in the dried cranberries.
- Bake-Pour everything into a greased 9×13 dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes. It will be browned on top and heated through. Serve it warm alongside your favorite holiday dishes!
Can Stuffing Be Made in Advance?
Yes! You can prepare stuffing up to eight hours in advance. If you’ve got a lot going on in the kitchen, prepare the stuffing up to the point where it’s in a 9×13 dish. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
How to Store
I hope you have leftover stuffing because leftovers are the best part of Thanksgiving, right? Ha! You might want to make extra just in case:) Store cooked stuffing in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
You can also freeze stuffing. Place completely cooled stuffing in a freezer container and freeze for up to three months.
How to Reheat Stuffing
You can reheat stuffing in the microwave or if you are heating up a large amount, you can use the oven. Let the stuffing come to room temperature and then heat in the oven (300 degrees F), covered, until heated through, about 30 minutes. Add a little butter or broth so the stuffing doesn’t dry out.
If you really want to bring the stuffing back to life, try heating it up in a pan on the stove. Melt a little butter in a pan and add the stuffing. You can also add a splash of broth. The broth will add moisture to the stuffing and the hot pan will crisp the stuffing up. It will taste just as good as the first day, maybe even better!
More Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Here are some of my very favorite side dishes to serve at holiday dinners:
- The Best Cranberry Sauce
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Green Beans
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Baked Mac and Cheese
- Parker House Rolls
Sausage Stuffing
Ingredients
- 10 cups 1-inch bread cubes (French, Italian or Sourdough)
- 1 lb sweet or spicy sausage, casings removed
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups diced yellow onion (2 small onions)
- 1 cup chopped celery (3 celery ribs)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Place the bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes, or until dried and toasted. Turn the oven up to 350 degrees F.
- While the bread is toasting, cook the sausage over medium heat in a large skillet until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Break up the sausage with a wooden spoon or spatula while cooking. Drain the excess grease off of the sausage and place the sausage on a plate that has been lined with paper towels.
- In the same pan, melt the butter and add the onions and celery and cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, parsley, sage, salt and pepper. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until garlic is cooked but not browned.
- In a large bowl, combine toasted bread cubes, cooked sausage, and the vegetables. Pour the chicken broth over the mixture and stir until well combined and the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the dried cranberries, if using.
- Pour the stuffing into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until browned on top and heated through. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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If I want to double the recipe do I double the time as well?
If you want to double, I would put it in two pans and bake for the same amount of time, switching the pans around in the oven.
Can I make this a day ahead and refrigerate?
Yes!
Does it matter if you use sweet cranberries or unsweetened?
Both work well!
Made this at Thanksgiving and everyone loved it!
Sounds yummy! I love stuffing. What brand sausage do you use? Do you prefer sweet or spicy sausage?
Could you bake this at 350 degrees? I what to put it in with make ahead potatoes.
This is our favorite stuffing recipe! Everyone loves it!
Oh good!
Regarding your answer to Diane about being able to make this a day ahead – does that mean you take it through ALL the steps, even baking it? Or do you take it to a certain step and finish it the next day?
You can bake and reheat. Reheat with it covered so it doesn’t dry out.