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Looking for the perfect holiday side dish? This Sausage Stuffing is a game-changer! Soft, buttery insides paired with crispy, golden edges make this recipe a standout. It’s simple, delicious, and versatile enough for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any special gathering.
Packed with sautéed onions, celery, garlic, and herbs, this sausage stuffing bursts with vibrant flavors. Tossed with bread and baked in a savory stock, it’s as satisfying as our Roast Turkey Breast or Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Potatoes. Let’s get your holiday table ready to impress!
What Sets This Sausage Stuffing Apart?
What sets this Sausage Stuffing apart? It’s all about flavor, simplicity, and versatility. The savory sausage is perfectly balanced with optional sweet bursts of cranberries, creating a harmonious blend that’s far from ordinary. Unlike other stuffings, this sausage stuffing is buttery, soft on the inside, with crispy golden edges that everyone fights over!
You can easily customize your sausage stuffing to make it your own—add aromatic rosemary or sage for a festive touch, or toss in nuts and apples for extra texture. It pairs seamlessly with dishes like our Sweet Potato Casserole or Crispy Turkey and Gravy. This recipe isn’t just a side—it’s the highlight of any meal!
Building Blocks Of The Perfect Sausage Stuffing
The secret to this Sausage Stuffing lies in its ingredients. Savory sausage creates bold flavor, buttery bread adds softness, and herbs bring aromatic depth. Simple staples, extraordinary results!
- Bread: Choose sturdy, day-old bread like sourdough, ciabatta, or French bread for the best texture. Avoid overly soft or pre-sliced sandwich bread, as it can turn mushy. Cutting the bread into even cubes ensures it absorbs all the buttery flavors without falling apart.
- Sausage: Use high-quality sausage with a balance of fat and seasoning. Fresh sausage meat from the butcher often has the best flavor, and you can opt for pork, chicken, or even turkey sausage for variety. Removing the casing makes it easier to mix into the stuffing.
- Herbs: Fresh herbs like sage, rosemary, and thyme bring a vibrant, aromatic touch to the dish. If using dried herbs, reduce the amount since their flavor is more concentrated. Always chop fresh herbs finely to distribute their flavor evenly throughout the stuffing.
- White Wine (Optional): A splash of dry white wine adds a subtle tang and enhances the overall flavor profile of the stuffing, just like in our Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi. Choose a wine you’d enjoy drinking, like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, to ensure the best taste. Let the wine cook off slightly before mixing to avoid overpowering the dish.
*Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions and Substitutions
When it comes to Sausage Stuffing, bold flavors and simplicity are a winning duo. Missing an ingredient? Don’t stress—easy swaps and additions mean this sausage stuffing will still steal the show!
- Bread: Experiment with sourdough, French, or cornbread to achieve different textures and flavors. For a touch of sweetness, brioche is a great option that won’t overpower the dish.
- Sausage: Swap Italian sausage with turkey or chicken sausage for a lighter choice. For a vegetarian twist, sautéed mushrooms work beautifully, as I also recommend in my Slow Cooker Creamy Gnocchi Sausage Kale Soup.
- Dried Cranberries: Use raisins, dried cherries, or chopped apricots for a similar burst of sweetness. Adding toasted walnuts or pecans can take the stuffing’s texture to the next level.
How To Make Perfect Thanksgiving Sausage Stuffing: Step-By-Step
Let’s get started! With just a few simple steps, you’ll have the most flavorful and perfectly golden sausage stuffing ready to wow your guests. Let’s jump right in and make your meal unforgettable!
- Prepare and Toast the Bread Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 10–15 minutes until golden and crispy. Set aside to cool.
- Sauté the Sausage In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking into smaller pieces, until browned and cooked through. Transfer sausage to a mixing bowl, leaving fat in the skillet.
- Sauté Vegetables and Herbs Add more oil to the skillet if needed. Sauté onions, celery, and garlic over medium heat until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add herbs and cook for another 1–2 minutes. Transfer vegetables to the bowl with sausage.
- Mix in the Bread and Broth Add toasted bread cubes to the bowl with sausage and vegetables. Pour broth over the mixture, stirring lightly to moisten without making it too soggy. Adjust the amount of broth to your preferred texture.
- Add the Eggs and Season Whisk eggs in a small bowl and pour over the stuffing mixture. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bake Transfer the stuffing to a greased baking dish and spread it evenly. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes. Then, uncover and bake for an additional 15–20 minutes until the top is golden and crisp.
Pro Tip: Taste a small piece of the stuffing before baking to ensure it’s seasoned to your liking.
This Sausage Stuffing is the perfect addition to all your festive dishes. It screams Thanksgiving to me! And what’s more typically Thanksgiving than turkey? Look no further—you’re in luck! We’ve prepared some delicious turkey pairings and variations for you to choose from: Herb Butter Turkey Recipe, Crispy Beer Roast Turkey, Crispy Skin Slow Cooker Turkey, and the One Pan Juicy Herb Roasted Turkey & Potato. The choice is yours!
Recipe FAQ’s
Absolutely. Sourdough, French bread, or my Artisan Bread work great. Above all, whole wheat or rye adds an earthy flavor, while brioche or cornbread can make the stuffing a bit sweeter. Just make sure the bread is slightly stale or toasted so it holds up well in the broth.
Start by using dry or toasted bread and add the broth gradually. Toss as you go to control the consistency, aiming for lightly moistened bread that isn’t overly soaked. Adjust the amount of broth to your preference.
Sure! You can make this stuffing vegetarian. Simply replace the sausage with your favorite plant-based sausage or a medley of mushrooms for a rich, savory flavor. Additionally, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth to keep it fully vegetarian. The rest of the recipe remains the same, so you’ll still get that delicious stuffing goodness!
Covering the stuffing with foil during the first half of baking helps retain moisture. Then, remove the foil for the last 15–20 minutes to allow the top to crisp up. You can also brush a bit of melted butter on top before the final baking stage for added richness and a golden crust.
Mild or spicy Italian sausage works well and adds a lot of flavor. If you prefer a leaner option, try turkey or chicken sausage. You can also use a combination of different sausages to suit your taste.
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Sausage Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces bread cut into 1-inch pieces, day old bread if possible
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 pound sage pork sausage or sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups yellow onions finely chopped , from 1 large onion or 2 small onions
- 1 cup celery chopped from 2-3 stalks
- 5 large cloves garlic minced, or 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine optional — sub with 1/4 cup of broth
- 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 egg lightly whisked
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place the bread cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 7-10 minutes, or until dried and toasted. Transfer the bread cubes to a very large bowl.
- Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the sausages over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a fork while cooking. Add to the bread cubes.
- In the same pan, melt the butter and add the onions, celery, garlic, parsley, sage, rosemary or thyme, salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add the wine (if using) and allow the wine to reduce down to half (about 4 minutes).
- Take off the heat and mix in the stock to combine all of the flavours. Add the beaten egg and cranberries, and pour into the bread, mixing really well with a wooden spoon until all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Pour the bread stuffing into a 9×12-inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, until browned on top and hot in the middle. Serve warm.
Notes
- Don’t forget to dry out your bread before using it. Dry it out in the oven or toast it.
- Choose whichever sausage flavour is your favourite.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My picky son has requested this recipe 2 years running, it is a winner! Of note we make it gluten free, everyone is happy.
My dad’s favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner is stuffing, and I took on the challenge this year. He said this was the best he’s ever had and ate it with breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 3 days. Everyone else loved it too! And it was surprisingly easy to make. 12/10 recommend!
Hello, I’m new to your site, so glad I found it. I am making a delayed Thanksgiving dinner and my family requested bread stuffing with sausage. I read so many and yours is a stand out. It would be helpful if you could offer an approx volume that the 1 lb loaf yields. I may need to double. Even the the type of bread affects the volume as some crusts might need to be removed if a french loaves are used. Any input on this would be appreciated. Thank you.
I found this recipe about 5 years ago and I’ve been making it ever since. It is a must have in our home for the holidays!! I usually make a double batch for just 6 of us because we want lots left over for the week. I’ve shared this recipe with so many people. It’s just amazing!!
Hi Denyel, thank you so much for sharing this! I’m so happy to hear that. Happy holidays to you and your family Xx
I’ve been making this recipe for years it is so good!
What is the best way to make this the night before? Mix together and throw in the fridge? Or cook thoroughly and heat up the next day?
Hi Kelly,
My recommendation is to pre-make all the dry ingredients, including the sausage; just keep the wet ingredients (the wine, egg and broth) separate. On the day of serving, mix the wet and dry ingredients together, then follow steps 5 and 6. Hope this helps. Enjoy your cooking!
How do I measure .6egg, is this a half an egg? Also, .9 Tablespoon fresh sage and .45 teaspoon seal salt. .6 lb. sausage, is that 6 ozs? I adjusted the recipe for 6 people.. I wanted to try this but I’m a little confused.
Hi Betty,
Just spoken to Karina about this and she has advised the following: sometimes when you scale to a different quantity, the calculations can come out looking strange; however, please see her comments below
To recipe for six people, here’s how to handle the measurements you are confused about:
Egg Measurement:
0.6 of an egg means you need to use about two-thirds of a large egg. You can whisk the egg and then use about two-thirds of it, or just use a small bowl to mix and gauge visually.
Sage Measurement:
For 0.9 tablespoons of fresh sage, it’s almost a tablespoon. You can simply measure out 1 tablespoon and leave a small amount behind, or you can chop the leaves finely and measure a heaping tablespoon, which should be close enough.
Salt Measurement:
For 0.45 teaspoons of sea salt, this is slightly less than half a teaspoon. You can measure out a half teaspoon and use just a tiny bit less than that.
Sausage Measurement:
0.6 lb of sausage is indeed 9.6 ounces, which can be rounded to 10 ounces if necessary for simplicity. If you’re working in ounces, you can measure out 10 ounces by using a kitchen scale.
When scaling recipes down, it’s common to use fractions of ingredients, and often you can estimate a bit based on taste, especially for herbs and spices. Enjoy making the stuffing!
I made this both for my family as well as one for an event. Neither family or even had a crumb left! I got my dry reiling from whole foods. Harris Teeter had fresh baguette already cut in pieces witch I cut down, to toast
I used safe Neiceces sauge in both. Neises sausage is never frozen but delivered fresh