The Best Sausage Stuffing Recipe
There is nothing we love more around here than a big holiday dinner and this ultimate Thanksgiving side dish is the perfect addition to any holiday meal! This spin on the classic stuffing adds some protein and lots of fresh flavors to the mix. The whole family is going to love this recipe and it is super easy to make!
Ever Made Stuffing in a Slow Cooker?
If you love stuffing as much as we do and want to keep it super easy, you definitely need to try our Crock Pot Stuffing!
What You Will Need
- apple – we used a honey crisp apple, but feel free to just grab your favorite apple.
- lemon juice – a little bit to help your apples from turning brown after being cut-up.
- ground seasoned pork sausage – feel free to grab your favorite kind of sausage or you can use ground pork and add the seasoning mixture noted in the recipe card.
- onion & celery – a classic combo in every stuffing recipe!
- olive oil – a little in the pot to help sauté the onion and celery.
- chicken stock – option to grab your favorite chicken broth from the local grocery stores or for even more flavor you can learn how to make chicken broth or substitute with turkey stock!
- orange juice – perfect for bringing a light, citrus flavor to the stuffing. You could also use apple juice.
- butter or ghee – either one will work!
- stale bread, cubed and dried – any type of bread will work! We love french bread, sourdough bread, or just a plain white bread.
- chopped walnuts – perfect for a little added crunch!
- dried cherries – these are really great for adding a touch of sweetness.
- fresh sage – always needed for all of that classic thanksgiving flavor!
How To Make Sausage Stuffing
The first steps to making this easy recipe is to use a sharp knife to cut up the apple and mix with lemon juice in a small bowl.
Bring a large pot to a medium-high heat, add the plain ground pork and spices. If using a seasoned regular Italian sausage, you would skip this step. Just use a wooden spoon to sauté the onion and celery. Then add the sweet Italian sausage and cook until brown.
Best Way to Dry Out Bread for Stuffing
Just grab your favorite fresh bread, cut into 1-inch cubes, place the cubes on a baking sheet to dry out over night, and just leave them on the counter, uncovered. It is best if they can sit for about 24 hours. If you don’t have the time, you can always buy them pre-dried and cubed at the store.
Add the broth, orange juice, and butter to the cooked sausage. Then add the rest of the stuffing ingredients. Give it all a good stir to fully combine everything in the dutch oven.
Transfer the sausage stuffing to a baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for about 35 minutes or until it has a nice, golden brown top. Let cool slightly and serve!
Prep Ahead of Time
You can, but the bread will become increasingly more soggy the longer it sits before baking. If you prefer a more mushy stuffing, then this might work for you. Option to get all the ingredients ready the night before baking, to make the process quicker. You can cut-up the bread to sit out overnight, prep the sausage (if you need to), and measure out the other ingredients, so that all you have to do is toss them in the pot.
Best Ways To Serve Sausage Stuffing
Our homemade sausage stuffing would be a great addition to any meal! Obviously, it is a fairly large amount, so we highly recommend making it for a family gathering or special occasion. We typically make it for Thanksgiving Day, alongside some Baked Turkey Wings, Extra Creamy Mashed Potatoes, and a Cheesy Green Bean Casserole. There are endless delicious options!
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- What sausage should I use for sausage stuffing? Any sausage mixture will work with this recipe – just grab your favorite! Plus, you always have the option to make a homemade sausage by starting with plain ground pork and add the spices listed out in the notes section of the recipe card. Super quick and easy!
- How can I make sausage stuffing gluten-free? This is really easy! All you have to do is grab gluten-free bread instead of regular bread (we love this gluten free bread) and you are ready to go. You can cube it and let it sit out overnight, before making the dish, so that it becomes dry and stale.
- Storage: Any leftover stuffing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or you can freeze it in a freezer-safe container for about 1 month.
Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Stuffed Onions + Sage and Gruyére
Gluten Free Thanksgiving Stuffing
Grilled Turkey
Juicy Roast Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 1 large apple, diced (recommend honey crisp)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 sweet yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 pound ground seasoned pork sausage*
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup butter, or ghee
- 14 ounces bread, cubed and dried (gluten-free works)
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- ½ cup dried cherries
- ¼ cup fresh sage, chopped
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Apples: In a mixing bowl, toss diced apples in 1 tablespoon lemon juice and set aside.
- Brown Sausage: Bring a large Dutch Oven (big enough to eventually fit all of the bread cubes) to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add diced onions and celery, sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add 1 pound ground seasoned pork sausage*, break apart, and move around the pan, allowing the sausage to cook.
- Bread Mixture: Add 2 cups chicken broth, ½ cup orange juice and melted butter to the hot pot. Then, stir in the dry bread cubes, ½ cup walnuts, ½ cup dried cherries, apples (mixed with lemon juice) and ¼ cup fresh sage.
- Bake: Transfer to greased 9×13 baking dish. Bake on middle rack for 25-35 minutes.
- Serve: Let cool slightly and enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Gluten-Free: feel free to use gluten-free bread.
- Dairy-Free: you can use plant-based butter instead of butter (you can also use ghee).
- *Pork Sausage: you can also use plain ground pork and then add in the following seasonings: 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1-2 teaspoon dried sage, 1 teaspoon onion powder and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Dried Bread Cubes: you can buy a bag of dried bread cubes OR you can cut up bread into cubes the night before making and set out on cookie sheets, uncovered on the counter. Let sit 24 hours or so and they will be good to go!
Nutrition
Melissa says
Can you make this ahead of time like the day before of earlier in the day and the bake later?
Erin says
I am sure you could – just reheat covered in foil at about 350 for 30-40 minutes or until it is heated through again.