This sausage stuffing is a savory blend of Italian sausage, bread, vegetables and herbs, all baked to golden brown perfection. The perfect hearty side dish for your holiday meal.
Stuffing is a must have on my holiday table, I typically make either a cornbread version or this sausage stuffing which always gets rave reviews. You can even make this stuffing in advance and then bake it when you’re ready to eat!
Turkey is great and all, but I really come to Thanksgiving for all of the fabulous side dishes. This sausage stuffing is one of my favorites – I have to admit, I always go back for seconds!
How do you make sausage stuffing?
The first step is to cook up your sausage until it’s browned. The celery and onions go into the pan along with some butter, and everything is cooked until tender. The sausage and veggies get tossed with bread cubes, chicken broth, eggs and herbs, then the stuffing goes into the oven to bake.
What is the best sausage to use for stuffing?
I like to use mild Italian sausage for this stuffing. You can use turkey or pork based sausage, I typically use turkey because it cooks up with less grease. If you like a little heat, feel free to use a spicy sausage. You can also use breakfast sausage if you prefer. Regardless of the type of sausage you use, you’ll want to remove it from the casings or buy bulk sausage.
Tips for Sausage Stuffing
- You can use pre-prepared unseasoned stuffing cubes, or make your own stuffing cubes by cutting your favorite variety of bread into pieces and leaving it out overnight to get stale.
- Sausage stuffing can be assembled up to 8 hours in advance, then covered and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it.
- If the top of the stuffing starts to brown too quickly in the oven, you can cover the dish with foil until the stuffing is completely cooked through.
Sausage Stuffing Variations
- Sausage Apple Stuffing: Add 2 diced apples when you cook the celery and onions.
- Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing: Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries to the recipe.
- Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing: Add 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms when you cook the celery and onions.
- Sourdough Sausage Stuffing: Use cubed sourdough bread.
Everyone always goes crazy for sausage stuffing, it’s one of the first dishes to disappear at Thanksgiving! That combination of crispy buttery bread, savory sausage and tender veggies just can’t be beat.
More amazing holiday recipes
Sausage Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage casings removed
- 1/2 cup butter divided use
- 1 cup onion finely diced
- 1 cup celery sliced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 8 cups stale bread cubes can use store bought unseasoned stuffing cubes, or bread you cut yourself
- 2 3/4 cups chicken broth
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves minced
- 1/4 cup parsley leaves minced, plus more for garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9" x 13" pan with cooking spray.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for 5-6 minutes or until done, breaking up the meat with a spatula.
- Add the remaining 7 tablespoons of butter, onion and celery to the pan. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Add the sausage mixture, chicken broth, eggs, sage, parsley and salt and pepper to the bowl.
- Gently stir until everything is well combined. Pour the stuffing into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 60 minutes. If the top starts to get overly browned before the cooking time is over, then cover the pan with foil.
- Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with additional parsley, then serve.
Definitely the best stuffing recipe I’ve ever made!
Can this be made in a crock pot?
This recipe has not been tested in a crock pot, you might want to use this one instead and add sausage to it: https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/crock-pot-stuffing/
When you make this for your family what bread do you use? Trying to figure out what to use.
Can I use sandwich bread and leave the garlic out
You can omit the garlic. It’s fine to use sandwich bread just remember to let it go stale first.
Duo you drain the sausage or just leave in pan when you add celery onions etc?
I leave the grease in the pan and use it as the fat to cook the veggies in!
How many servings? I have 15-20 people
It serves 12, you can adjust the number of servings in the recipe card and the ingredient amounts will automatically recalculate!
When making the stuffing in the Turkey , do I decrease the liquid amount?
Yes use 1 less cup of broth!
Made this yesterday for my family Christmas celebration and it was awesome. I didn’t have fresh sage or parsley so I just used poultry seasoning and it was great. I will keep this and use it again. Thanks so much for sharing!!!!
Sorry I’m trying to get the terminology right here. Obviously it’s going to be “Ground” sausage correct. I know a dumb question right. Whose going to chop it up. Just want to make sure it’s ground.
Can this be made without the eggs? We have a egg allergy
It can but the texture will be different without the eggs.
Made enough for 18 people and it was loved. My family either ate it for dinner or took it for left overs. Nothing left at end of Turkey Day.
Can you prepare it 24 hrs in advance before cooking. The recipe says up to 8-hrs in advance.
You can but the bread will continue to soak up the liquid as it sits, so it might be a little drier when baked, or you can try adding a little more broth right before you bake it.
I always make it like 24 or even 48 hours in advance. Make sure it sits at room temp for like an hour before reheating.
Hi Celeste! I hope you see this. When you make it up to 48 hours in advance, do you add more liquid to it or should I just leave as it is on the recipe. Thanks!
This is AMAZING! We made our own bead cubes with gluten free rosemary sourdough bread. My daughter and I were so impressed at the taste. This will be part of our Thanksgiving tradition.
Thank you for the recipe!
Where are the eggs used in this recipe!?!?!
Add the eggs in step 5.
Is this ok to use as stuffing in the turkey? Or does it need to bake in a dish?
You can stuff a turkey with it, just make sure the turkey and the stuffing come to the proper temperature!
Do you have to use Italian sausage?? Or can you use breakfast sausage?
That’s fine too!
I use sage sausage and lessen the seasons…. youm. Great recipe