A delicious and easy-to-make Sausage Meat Stuffing, perfect as a side or to stuff into a turkey. This classic recipe is a Thanksgiving staple, but it works just as well for Christmas or any celebration. Simple to prepare for your holiday dinner table, this stuffing isn’t stodgy or overbearing like many others out there.
Our stuffing recipe is soft and buttery on the inside, with crispy, golden edges and vibrant flavors. Onions, celery, garlic, and herbs are sautéed in butter, tossed with bread, and baked in a full-flavored stock.
Why This Sausage Meat Stuffing Recipe Works
This savory Sausage Meat Stuffing is the perfect side dish for any meal, complementing dishes like Crispy Turkey and Gravy, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, Apple Bacon Salad, Green Bean Casserole, Soft Dinner Rolls, and our Sweet Potato Casserole.
The sausage and optional cranberries create a perfect blend of salty and sweet. Feel free to customize with rosemary, thyme, and sage for an aromatic touch, or add nuts and diced apples for extra texture and flavor. Ideal for holiday gatherings and everyday dinners, this Sausage Meat Stuffing will be a crowd-pleaser.
Building Blocks Of The Perfect Sausage Meat Stuffing
This savory Sausage Meat Stuffing combines a medley of ingredients that perfectly balance flavors and textures, making it an irresistible addition to any meal.
- Bread: Day-old bread helps achieve the ideal consistency.
- Sausage: Sage pork or Italian adds rich, savory flavors and moisture.
- Fresh Herbs (Parsley, Sage, Rosemary): Add distinct flavors and aromas.
- Seasonings (Salt and Pepper): Enhance the dish’s flavors.
- White Wine (Optional): Use a wine you enjoy, like Sauvignon Blanc. It adds brightness and depth, just like in our Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi.
- Butter: Adds rich, creamy texture and enhances flavor.
- Chicken Stock: Adds moisture and flavor. Use low-sodium for better control.
- Egg: Binds ingredients and adds richness.
- Dried Cranberries (Optional): Add sweetness and color. Use leftovers for my best cranberry sauce.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions and Substitutions
Feel free to throw these in and swap them for your specific taste:
- Bread: Use sourdough, French, or cornbread for different textures and flavors. Brioche adds a slight sweetness.
- Sausage: Turkey or chicken sausage can replace Italian sausage for a lighter option. I also recommend this in my Slow Cooker Creamy Gnocchi Sausage Kale Soup. For a vegetarian version, use sautéed mushrooms.
- Dried Cranberries: Substitute with raisins, dried cherries, or chopped apricots. Add toasted walnuts or pecans for extra crunch.
- White Wine (Optional): Swap with apple cider or a splash of lemon juice for acidity if avoiding alcohol.
- Chicken Broth: Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian stuffing, or add a splash of mushroom broth for more umami flavor.
How To Make Sausage Meat Stuffing (Step By Step)
In just a few easy steps, you’ll have a delicious, savory Sausage Meat Stuffing ready to enjoy. This quick guide keeps things clear and simple so you can follow along without any hassle.
- 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 Meat 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 meat 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 Meat 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
- â…“ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ 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 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh sage chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup dry white wine optional — sub with ¼ cup of broth
- 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 egg lightly whisked
- ¾ 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.Â
- Choose whichever sausage flavour is your favourite.
Scott says
My picky son has requested this recipe 2 years running, it is a winner! Of note we make it gluten free, everyone is happy.
Emily Romero says
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!
Den M. says
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.
Denyel says
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!!
Karina says
Hi Denyel, thank you so much for sharing this! I’m so happy to hear that. Happy holidays to you and your family Xx
Sarah says
I’ve been making this recipe for years it is so good!
Kelly says
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?
Karina Carrel says
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!
Betty says
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.
Tom Mozgala says
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!
Esther says
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