Sausage Stuffing: a kitchen method

A baking dish of sausage stuffing made with Italian sausage, bread cubes and vegetables.

This sausage stuffing recipe is a savory blend of Italian sausage, bread, vegetables and herbs, all baked to golden brown perfection. The reliable hearty side dish for your holiday meal.

Stuffing is a must have on my holiday table, I typically make cornbread dressing, crock pot stuffing, classic turkey stuffing or this sausage stuffing which always gets rave reviews. You can even make this recipe in advance and then bake it when you’re ready to eat!

Roast turkey is great and all, but I really come to Thanksgiving for all of the fabulous side dish recipes as well as drinks like Thanksgiving punch. This sausage stuffing is one of my go-to Thanksgiving side dishes – I have to admit, I always go back for seconds!

Sausage Stuffing Ingredients

To make this recipe, you will need sausage, butter, yellow onion, celery, garlic, bread cubes, chicken broth, eggs, sage, parsley, salt and black pepper.

How Do You Make Sausage Stuffing?

Preheat the oven and coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Brown the sausage in a large skillet with butter, breaking it up with a spatula into small pieces. Add more butter to the pan, along with onions and celery. Cook until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Place the bread cubes in a very large bowl. Add the sausage and veggie mixture, chicken broth, eggs, sage parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything together, then pour it into the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown. Add some extra fresh parsley on top, then serve.

A pan of cooked sausage, celery and onions.

Tips For The Reliable Dish

You can use pre-prepared unseasoned stuffing cubes, or make your own stuffing cubes by cutting your go-to 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 it is completely cooked through.
Serve your stuffing alongside main course options such as Instant Pot turkey breast, rack of lamb, Easter ham, slow cooker turkey breast and Instant Pot ham.

Quick Tip

Leftovers will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze leftovers for 2 months.

Meat, sauteed vegetables and bread cubes in a mixing bowl.

Recipe FAQs

What is the finest 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.

What is sausage stuffing made of?

Sausage stuffing is made with sausage, bread, vegetables, butter, eggs, herbs and broth. It can also contain other ingredients such as fruit or nuts.

Is stuffing better with or without eggs?

Stuffing is finest when eggs are included. The eggs help to bind the stuffing together, and they also add flavor and moisture to the dish.

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The ingredients for stuffing assembled in a pan and ready to go into the oven.

Flavor Variations

This recipe is tasty as written, but you can easily customize the ingredients to suit your tastes.

Protein: Swap out the Italian sausage for bacon or smoked chicken apple sausage.
Bread: Try using half cornbread, half white bread. You can also use a loaf of sourdough bread or an herb focaccia with good results.
Fruit: Stir in some sauteed apples or pears, or add up to 1/4 cup of dried cranberries or apricots.
Vegetables: Feel free to add more veggies to your stuffing. Some great choices include water chestnuts, mushrooms, kale or carrots.
Flavorings: Try using different herbs such as thyme or rosemary. You can also stir in some chopped pecans.

A baking dish of sausage stuffing with a serving spoon in it.

Everyone always goes crazy for sausage stuffing, it’s one of the first dishes to disappear at Thanksgiving! That combination of crunchy buttery bread, savory sausage and tender veggies just can’t be beat.

More Great Holiday Recipes

Herb Roasted Turkey

4 hrs 20 mins

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

1 hr 20 mins

A crock pot ham on a serving plate with herbs and apples for garnish.

Crock Pot Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

3 hrs 5 mins

Butterflake Rolls

2 hrs 20 mins

Corn Pudding

50 mins

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Add as Google preferred source Authorthe Makdob kitchen A baking dish of sausage stuffing made with Italian sausage, bread cubes and vegetables.

This sausage stuffing is a savory blend of Italian sausage, bread, vegetables and herbs, all baked to golden brown perfection. The reliable hearty side dish for your holiday meal. Time Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes

Course Main
Cuisine American
Serves 12

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.

Notes

You can use pre-prepared unseasoned stuffing cubes, or make your own stuffing cubes by cutting your go-to 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 it is completely cooked through.