This sausage stuffing recipe combines toasted bread cubes, mild Italian sausage, sage, apples and dried cranberries for a classic holiday side dish. It’s baked in a 9×13″ pan, covered first to keep the center moist, then uncovered for a crispy golden brown top.
This is an easy homemade stuffing for your Thanksgiving menu or Christmas dinner. Assemble it a day ahead to make holiday cooking easier.
QUICK LOOK: Sausage Stuffing
Prep Time: 15–18 minutes
Bake Time: 40–45 minutes, plus 8–10 minutes to toast bread
Total Time: About 1 hour
Servings: 8
Cook Method: Stovetop and oven
Flavor & Texture: Savory Italian sausage, sage and buttery bread with bites of sweet apple and cranberry. Moist center, crispy golden top.
Difficulty: Easy
The holiday stuffing worth making room for.
Stuffing is the holiday side dish I look forward to every year. There’s nothing like aroma of onion, celery and butter simmering on the stovetop while the Thanksgiving Day parade is playing in the background.
My grandma’s turkey stuffing is my traditional go-to, but as our family grows I like to get creative with a few side dishes, too. This sausage stuffing with cranberries and apples is everything I love about stuffing with a little extra flavor. I love the pairing of a hint of sweet with the savory.
What makes sausage stuffing moist instead of soggy?
The secret to sausage stuffing that is moist and not mushy is using toasted bread and covering during baking for the first 25 minutes.
Toast the bread. In our homemade turkey stuffing, we dry out the bread cubes for several days. But to ensure there’s no mushy texture, toast the bread cubes for 8-10 minutes at 375ºF. You want them golden and crunchy.
Let the broth absorb. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes and mix. Then let it rest for 2-3 minutes before mixing again. There should be no broth sitting at the bottom of the bowl.
Bake covered, then uncovered. Cover the casserole for the first 25 minutes to keep the center moist. Then remove the foil and bake for the remaining time to get that crispy golden top (which is my favorite part).
What’s the best bread and sausage for stuffing?
Shop the day old rack and buy past date baguettes or French bread. And Italian sausage adds excellent flavor.
Sage and herbs: Rubbed sage gives this stuffing its familiar Thanksgiving flavor. Dried thyme, parsley, garlic, and a little nutmeg round out the seasoning. The chicken bouillon adds another layer of savory flavor.
Apples and cranberries: A sweet apple and dried cranberries balance the sausage and herbs without making the stuffing taste sweet. Dice the apple into small pieces so it blends into the sausage stuffing.
Sausage Stuffing (Moist Inside, Crispy Top)
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Make sausage stuffing with confidence! Learn which bread works best, how to prevent soggy stuffing, and the secret to a golden, crispy top.
Heat your oven to 375°F. Spread the cubed bread out on a baking sheet in an even layer. Toast for about 8-10 minutes until the bread is golden and crunchy but not burnt and not quite as hard as a crouton. 2 baguettes or 1 French loaf
While the bread is toasting, brown the sausage in a large skillet. Break it up and cook it fully. Then transfer the sausage to a large mixing bowl leaving the fat in the skillet. 1 pound mild Italian sausage
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Add the onion and celery and cook until beginning to soften. Add the garlic and the diced apple and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup finely diced yellow onion, ½ cup sliced celery, 2 cloves garlic, 1 medium sweet apple
Stir in the sage, dried parsley, thyme, chicken bouillon, salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook for an additional minute. 1 ½ teaspoons rubbed sage, 2 teaspoons dried parsley, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Add the toasted bread to the bowl with the sausage and then add the onion mixture and dried cranberries. Stir well until all the ingredients are combined. ½ cup dried cranberries
Crack the eggs into the chicken broth and whisk until combined. Pour the broth over the bread and mix, allowing it to absorb. Wait 2-3 minutes and mix again. 2 cups chicken stock, 2 large eggs
Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with the remaining butter. Spread the stuffing mixture evenly in the dish. Cover with aluminum foil tightly and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove the foil and continue to bake for 20-25 more minutes until the top is crispy and golden. The center of the stuffing should reach 165°F. Allow the stuffing to set for about 5 minutes. Garnish with some chopped fresh parsley and serve. Fresh parsley
Notes
I personally like to use day-old baguettes because it has a good crust to crumb ratio. You can use a sourdough or French loaf too. It can be fresh but day old will give it more crunch. If you cube it in advance and leave it to sit out, that will help with prep and also be good for the texture.
Try to keep the cubes as even as possible because it will make the dish more visually pleasing but also uniform in texture.
I used mild Italian sausage. You can use hot but I find the mild is seasoned well and doesn’t overpower the other flavors. You can use any type of sausage you prefer, like chicken or turkey.
Feel free to add nuts like chopped pecans or walnuts and whatever else you like in your stuffing.
If you like a really crispy top, you can broil for 2-3 minutes at the end.
Assemble the stuffing up to 24 hours in advance. Just cover tightly and refrigerate. Let it sit at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes before baking.
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 8, with 1 serving being ⅛ of the stuffing. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **
This sausage stuffing comes together by toasting the bread, browning the sausage, cooking the vegetables, and combining everything with broth before baking.
Toast the bread. Heat the oven to 375°F. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast for 8–10 minutes until golden and crunchy, but not as hard as croutons.
Brown the sausage. Cook the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces. Transfer the cooked sausage to a large bowl, leaving the fat in the skillet.
Cook the vegetables and apple. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Cook the onion and celery until they begin to soften, then add the garlic and diced apple. Cook for another 2–3 minutes.
Add the seasonings. Stir in the sage, parsley, thyme, chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook for 1 minute to bring out the aroma of the herbs.
Combine the stuffing. Add the toasted bread, cooked vegetable mixture, and dried cranberries to the bowl with the sausage. Stir to combine.
Add the broth. Whisk the eggs into the chicken broth. Pour over the bread mixture and stir. Wait 2–3 minutes, then stir again to help the bread absorb the liquid.
Bake covered. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add the sausage stuffing, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 25 minutes.
Finish uncovered. Remove the foil and bake for another 20–25 minutes, until the top is golden and crisp. Let rest for 5 minutes, then garnish with fresh parsley.
Julie’s Tip: For an extra-crispy top, broil the sausage stuffing for 2–3 minutes at the end. Keep a close eye on it because those golden bread cubes can brown quickly.
Can you make stuffing ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble this sausage stuffing recipe up to 24 hours before baking. That makes it a great side dish to prepare the day before Thanksgiving. Keep it refrigerated before baking.
Take the dish out of the fridge 30-60 minutes before baking, then bake as directed and make sure the internal temperature reads 165ºF.
How to store leftovers: Refrigerate leftover stuffing in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
How to reheat: Place the sausage stuffing in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and warm at 350°F until heated through. Remove the foil for the last few minutes to bring back the crispy top.
About Julie Clark
I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.
