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This savory sausage stuffing recipe can easily be made ahead of time for a must during the holidays!
A Savory Side to Love!
Stuffing is a long-time favorite dish at our house – especially for the holidays, and it’s a definite must on our table of Thanksgiving side dishes.
Although we typically make our classic Stuffing recipe for the holidays, we love to switch it up and make a variation of it like today’s Sausage Stuffing. Not only is it flavorful but it’s more hearty because of the addition of sausage – another great option for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Why we love it:
- More than turkey. Stuffing is typically served with a Roast Turkey, but this dish would go great with Slow Cooker Pork Chops or Best Roast Chicken!
- Crazy simple. This sausage stuffing has a quick prep time and can be made ahead of time making dinner prep a breeze!
- Unique twist. This offers a unique twist to traditional Homemade Stuffing and can be adjusted with different types of bread and flavors of sausage.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 60 minutes
- 8 cups unseasoned stuffing cubes – use store-bought or make your own using stale bread. Cut your favorite bread into cubes and leave it out overnight to dry out. Or put the bread cubes on a baking sheet and put it in a 250°F oven for about 20 minutes.
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup yellow onion
- 1 cup celery – about 3 stalks
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage – I used sweet but you can use mild or spicy Italian sausage.
- 2¾ cup chicken broth – or use chicken stock or vegetable broth
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon rosemary
- 1 tablespoon sage
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt (with parsley flakes)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- optional mix-ins – bacon bits, pears, dried cranberries, chopped veggies, mushrooms, chopped pecans, or walnuts. Be careful to keep the ingredient ratios balanced otherwise, you may end up with dry stuffing.
How to Make Sausage Stuffing
- PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F. Add 8 cups stuffing cubes stuffing cubes to a large bowl and set aside.
- SAUSAGE. Cook 1 pound sausage until browned and then add to the bowl with the stuffing cubes making sure to include the fat juices.
- VEGGIES. Scrape out frying pan and add ½ cup butter. Cook 1 cup diced onions and 1 cup diced celery on medium heat until the veggies are soft (about 5-10 minutes). Add 4 chopped garlic cloves and cook an additional 2 minutes.
- BAKE. Pour the veggies into the sausage and bread mixture. Add 2¾ cup chicken broth, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon rosemary, 1 tablespoon sage, ¼ cup parsley, ½ teaspoon garlic salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix until all the bread pieces are coated and soft.
- Pour this into a greased 9×13 baking dish and bake for 60-65 minutes until golden brown.
Pro Tip!
If your sausage stuffing is browning too quickly on top, place a piece of foil loosely over the top until it has finished baking.
Complete the Meal
- Main dishes: Roast Turkey, Slow Cooker Roast Chicken, Crockpot Ham
- Desserts: German Chocolate Cake, Easy Banana Cream Pie, Turtle Cheesecake
- More stuffing recipes: Cornbread Stuffing, Homemade Stuffing
More collections: Easy Side Dishes, Thanksgiving Side Dishes, Christmas Side Dishes
Sausage Stuffing Recipe
With a quick prep, this savory sausage stuffing recipe can easily be made ahead of time for a must during the holidays.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 cups stuffing cubes, unseasoned
- ½ cup butter, unsalted
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced (3 stalks)
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 pound Italian sausage, sweet
- 2¾ cup chicken broth, low sodium
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon rosemary
- 1 tablespoon sage
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt (with parsley flakes)
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Add 8 cups stuffing cubes stuffing cubes to a large bowl and set aside.
- Cook 1 pound sausage until browned and then add to the bowl with the stuffing cubes making sure to include the fat juices.
- Scrape out frying pan and add ½ cup butter. Cook 1 cup diced onions and 1 cup diced celery on medium heat until the veggies are soft (about 5-10 minutes). Add 4 chopped garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.
- Pour the veggies into the sausage and bread mixture. Add 2¾ cup chicken broth, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon rosemary, 1 tablespoon sage, ¼ cup parsley, ½ teaspoon garlic salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix until all the bread pieces are coated and soft.
- Pour this into a greased 9×13 baking dish and bake for 60-65 minutes until golden brown.
Notes
Make ahead of time. Make this best sausage stuffing the day before and store it covered in the fridge.
FREEZE. Cover it with plastic wrap and then wrap the entire pan with aluminum foil. Label and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw, if applicable, and bake according to directions.
Nutrition
Calories: 543kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 75mg, Sodium: 1548mg, Potassium: 354mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 986IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 87mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Can I make stuffing ahead of time?
- Assemble this best sausage stuffing the day before, and store it covered in the fridge. Or wrap it again with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw, if applicable, and bake according to directions
How to store sausage stuffing Recipe?
- Place leftover stuffing in airtight containers and store in the fridge for 3-4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Love this recipe for Thanksgiving stuffing. I added some chopped walnuts and dried cherries last year and plan to do the same again for this Thanksgiving!
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was so yummy! The sausage gives it that little extra something. So easy to put together the night before too. Definitely will be making this again!
This IS a very tasty stuffing however, if you’re going to use breakfast sausage and seasoned bread stuffing cubes, you WILL NOt need to add any SPICEs at all. The breakfast sausage and seasoned bread stuffing gubes are well seasoned with sage. Adding more spice may ruin the taste.
Thank you for trying it 🙂
I love the meat in the stuffing. It has a great flavor and makes for a heartier side dish.
I always appreciate the tips and tricks you provide in your recipes. They’re especially helpful when it’s a recipe I’ve never made before.
This. Was. So. Good!
This looks like a really great recipe. I love sausage in stuffing. I’m going to file this one away.
Absolutely delicious! I think I’ve found my “go to” stuffing recipe from now on!
This is soo DELICIOUS!! It’s our favorite dish at Thanksgiving! Thanks for sharing!
I love how simple this is to make & love the idea of sausage in it! I am a sausage fan! I am always looking for ways to change up stuffing & this was great!