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Classic Sausage Stuffing is made with savory Italian sausage, bread, vegetables, herbs and spices. It’s the perfect side dish for all of your holiday meals.

white casserole dish with sausage stuffing

Sausage Stuffing is a must-make this holiday season! It brings a ton of flavor to the table, and goes perfectly with your Thanksgiving Turkey, Roast Chicken, or Baked Ham.

This recipe is super easy to make and has all those classic Thanksgiving flavors, like onions, garlic, and sage. I like to use French bread for my sausage stuffing so there are bigger hunks of bread and it feels more rustic. Just let your bread sit out for a day or two on the counter to get a little stale and you’re ready to get started!

Sausage Stuffing fits right in with all of your favorite holiday side dishes, like Fluffy Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole, and Homemade Orange Cranberry Sauce. Or any one of these 101+ Thanksgiving Side Dishes.

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Ingredients For Sausage Stuffing

  • Italian Sausage – I use mild but you could opt for spicy.
  • Butter
  • Veggies – Celery, onion, and garlic
  • Bread – You need 12 cups, which is about a loaf and a half of french bread, cut into chunks.
  • Chicken broth – opt for low sodium. The sausage is salty enough.
  • Eggs – to help bind the casserole together.
  • Herbs – Fresh sage and fresh parsley.
  • Salt and pepper
stuffing in a white casserole dish

How To Make It

  • Cut or tear french bread into large chunks and add to a large bowl.
  • Cook the sausage and set it aside.
  • Cook the vegetables and add them to the bread, along with the broth, eggs, herbs, and spices. Mix everything together gently until the bread has soaked in the broth. Stir in the sausage.
  • Transfer everything to a large baking dish and dot the top with butter. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes.

Best Sausage for Stuffing

I like regular ground Italian Sausage for its sweet and savory flavor. You can use turkey or pork sausage, even breakfast sausage would work. You just want to make sure you remove any casing if necessary.

Also make sure you cook it thoroughly before adding the sausage to your stuffing.

Expert Tips

  • For a real-time saver, use an unseasoned stuffing mix and just discard the seasoning packet.
  • Use fresh herbs for the best flavor. You can also add some thyme or rosemary if you like. If you need to use dried herbs, use about a third of the amount called for. Dried herbs are more concentrated and stronger in flavor than fresh.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days and reheat in the microwave.
  • You can prepare up to 8 hours in advance. Cover and store in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
  • The stuffing bakes uncovered, however if it begins to brown too quickly cover it with foil.

Don’t forget the turkey!

Get the best roast turkey recipe, plus TONS of tips!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you put eggs in stuffing?

The eggs act as a binder, holding the casserole together. This way when you scoop out a serving, it doesn’t all fall apart. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have an eggy flavor.

What is the difference between stuffing and dressing?

Stuffing and dressing are often used synonymously, but they really refer to two different methods. It used to be very common to stuff the bread and herb mixture inside the cavity of the turkey, hence the term “stuffing.” Dressing refers to a bread and herb casserole that is baked separately and simply “dresses” the plate. The traditional of stuffing the turkey is used much less often, but the name stuck.

sausage stuffing on a white plate

More Thanksgiving Side Dishes To Try

And here are some more Thanksgiving side dishes to try:


Recipe

Classic Sausage Stuffing

5 from 2 votes
Sausage Stuffing has savory Italian sausage, bread, vegetables, herbs and spices. It's the perfect side dish for all of your holiday meals.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 10 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds Italian sausage
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 4 ribs celery diced
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 pounds french bread cut into 1-inch pieces (about 12 cups)
  • 28 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage finely chopped (2-3 teaspoons dried)
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley finely chopped (2 tablespoons dried)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the Italian sausage until browned and no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl and set aside. Leave the grease in the skillet.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet. Once the butter has melted, add the celery and onions. Stir to coat the veggies in the fats and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are softened. Add garlic, stir and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • Place the bread in a very large mixing bowl. Pour the celery mixture over the bread. Add the chicken broth, eggs, salt, pepper, sage, and parsley to the bowl. Mix gently until combined. Add the sausage and mix once more.
  • Coat a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Transfer the stuffing to the baking dish and spread into an even layer. Dot the top of the stuffing with the remaining butter.
  • Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the top is crisp and golden. Carefully remove from the oven. Serve immediately (it’ll be HOT!) or let sit for 5 to 10 minutes for serving.

Notes

  • Buy your french bread ahead of time and leave it on the counter for 1 to 2 days to get a bit hard. This will help give the stuffing more texture. Or you can cut the bread and toast it in a 300  degrees oven on a baking sheet for 8-10 minutes.
  • For a real time saver, use and unseasoned stuffing mix and just discard the seasoning packet.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days and reheat in the microwave.
  • You can prepare up to 8 hours in advance. Cover and store in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
  • The stuffing bakes uncovered, however if it begins to brown too quickly cover it with foil.

Nutrition

Calories: 625kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 24gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 126mgSodium: 1401mgPotassium: 441mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 462IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 4mg
Keyword sausage stuffing

Julie Espy

Food nerd. Cocktail enthusiast. Carboholic. Bacon addict. Basset nuzzler. Boy mom. Come eat something delicious with me at Bread Booze Bacon!

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Comments

  1. Hi Kristin,
    I want to try this classic sausage stuffing recipe but I don’t really like the taste of sage. Will you recommend something else to use?

    1. Hi Linda, you can leave out the sage. My mom doesn’t like it either so I always leave it out for her. Use thyme instead, or just add extra parsley.

  2. All your recipes look amazing!!! Do you have a savory sweet potato recipe for Thanksgiving and a Green bean/mushroom recipe?