Description
Sausage stuffing is a savory, comforting holiday side dish made with toasted bread cubes, seasoned sausage, aromatic vegetables, herbs, and broth. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or family dinners, it blends hearty textures and rich flavors in every bite. This versatile recipe adapts easily to dietary needs, including gluten-free, low-carb, or vegan variations, while still delivering indulgent, homemade comfort.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread & Base
- 12 cups cubed bread, toasted until firm (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 lb ground breakfast sausage or sweet Italian sausage
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 celery ribs, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Binders
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 3 cups chicken broth (room temperature)
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, divided
Seasonings
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional Add-ins
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 2 diced Gala apples
- Pecans, mushrooms, fresh herbs (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- Spread bread cubes on a large baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Toss and bake another 10 minutes until firm like croutons. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Add sausage, onions, and celery. Cook and crumble for ~10 minutes until sausage is cooked through.
- Transfer sausage mixture (with drippings) to the toasted bread cubes and toss.
- In the same skillet, melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter over medium heat.
- Add garlic and all seasonings; cook 2 minutes, scraping up browned bits.
- Drizzle seasoned butter over the bread mixture and toss to coat.
- Transfer mixture to prepared casserole dish.
- Whisk eggs and room-temperature broth together.
- Pour half of the mixture over stuffing and toss. Gradually add more broth until stuffing is moist but not soggy.
- Cover and bake 20 minutes.
- Uncover and bake 35 minutes more, or until golden brown and firm.
- Let rest 10–15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- Use sturdy bread such as Italian, sourdough, or French bread to prevent sogginess.
- Avoid adding hot broth to eggs to prevent scrambling.
- Letting the stuffing rest improves texture and flavor.
- Customize with apples, cranberries, pecans, mushrooms, or fresh herbs.
- Low-carb option: replace bread with cauliflower rice or crushed pork rinds.
- Vegan option: use plant-based sausage, vegetable broth, plant butter, and flax eggs.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 recipe
- Calories: ~320
- Sugar: ~5 g
- Sodium: ~720 mg
- Fat: ~18 g
- Saturated Fat: ~8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ~9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: ~28 g
- Fiber: ~2 g
- Protein: ~12 g
- Cholesterol: ~75 mg