Description
This sausage stuffing is loaded with savory herb flavor—featuring toasted bread cubes, seasoned sausage, aromatic vegetables and fresh herbs for a comforting side dish perfect for holidays or cozy dinners.
Ingredients
- 10 cups bread cubes (white, sourdough, or French), toasted or day‑old
- 1 lb ground sausage (chicken or turkey sausage works too)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1½ teaspoons dried sage (or 1 Tbsp fresh, chopped)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2 tsp fresh, chopped)
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 2 tsp fresh, chopped)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2½‑3 cups chicken broth
Optional add‑ins:
- 1 cup chopped apples
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (about 175 °C).
- Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast for 10‑15 minutes, or use day‑old cubes. Let them cool.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until browned. Transfer cooked sausage to a bowl and set aside.
- In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook about 5‑7 minutes, until softened.
- Stir in the sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute to let the herbs release their aroma.
- Add the browned sausage back into the skillet and stir to combine with the vegetables and herbs.
- Place the toasted bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the sausage‑vegetable‑herb mixture and stir to combine.
- Slowly add the chicken broth—start with 2½ cups and increase to 3 cups if needed—just until the bread is moist but not soggy.
- Transfer the mixture into a greased 9×13‑inch baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake an additional 15‑20 minutes uncovered, until the top is golden and slightly crisp.
- Let the stuffing rest about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- You can swap the ground sausage for turkey or chicken sausage for a lighter version.
- Mix in optional add‑ins like apples, cranberries, mushrooms or pecans for extra texture and flavor.
- For a Southern‑style twist, replace part of the bread with cornbread cubes.
- For a firmer texture, add two beaten eggs to the broth before baking for a more custard‑like finish.
- If prepping ahead, you can toast the bread and cook the sausage/vegetables ahead of time, then assemble and bake when ready.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (of 10)
- Calories: 330
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 710mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0.4g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 11g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
