Sage Sausage Stuffing

This Sage Sausage Stuffing is a classic sausage stuffing recipe that’s a must have side dish on any Thanksgiving dinner table. Super easy, delicious and a total crowd pleaser!

If you’re not yet tired of Thanksgiving recipes, here I am again with a stuffing recipe. I’ll be the first to admit that growing up I hated stuffing, I was strictly a turkey leg and mashed potato kinda girl and skip all the other fluff.

If you’re like me, hear me out. If you use ingredients you like then stuffing isn’t all that bad, it actually tastes pretty good. So that’s what I did here. The main ingredients here are herb sausages, which I really love, a nice crusty bread all cubed and baked until crispy and dry and eggs, so if you look at it this way, it’s sort of like a bread pudding.

But that’s not all my friends, this stuffing was so freaking tasty that I couldn’t put it down. My favorite part was definitely the crispy bread, but what’s not to like about this, it’s like a yummy breakfast. I know I’m weird, but just trust me it was good.

STUFFING VS DRESSING

Technically the name of this recipe should be dressing because stuffing is actually used to stuff the bird with. This is really just sage sausage dressing.

I never stuff my turkey, and neither did my mom. I think I remember her stuffing a turkey once and nobody really liked it. There are a lot of real health hazards such as making sure the stuffing is completely cooked. Plus it makes your turkey cook slower.

TIPS FOR MAKING SAGE SAUSAGE STUFFING

Use a good bread like a sourdough or a French baguette. Toast the bread until it’s completely dry, this way it will absorb the stock better and hold its shape.

If you like a bit of crunch, add some toasted pecans or walnuts.

If you have fresh chicken or turkey broth, used those instead. Homemade broths are loaded with more flavor and will make your stuffing taste even better.

CAN THIS STUFFING BE MADE AHEAD

You can definitely make parts of this recipe ahead. If you make the croutons ahead, store them at room temperature then refrigerate the sausage mixture in an airtight container.

The day you want to serve, combine all the components together and bake as instructed. I do not recommend tossing everything together and then storing it in the fridge because the bread will get really soggy.

WHAT TO DO WITH STUFFING LEFTOVERS

If you end up with leftovers from this stuffing recipes, there are so many things you can do with it. You can turn it into a breakfast casserole or stuff an acorn squash with it and then bake it. A favorite of mine is to make bacon wrapped stuffing bites, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They’re to die for.

Other ideas include leftover stuffing muffins, perfect for grab-and-go for breakfast or lunch. Break out your ramekins and make baked stuffing and egg individual breakfast. Just add some stuffing to the ramekin and then crack an egg on it, bake it and voila!

CRAVING MORE THANKSGIVING RECIPES? TRY THESE:

• Port Infused Nut Stuffing
• How To Roast a Turkey
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Crockpot Honey Mustard Glazed Ham
• Brined Roast Turkey Breast

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Sage Sausage Stuffing

4.63 from 8 votes

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 2 hrs

Total: 2 hrs 20 mins

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Serves: 8

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This Sage Sausage Stuffing is a classic sausage stuffing recipe that's a must have side dish on any Thanksgiving dinner table. Super easy, delicious and a total crowd pleaser!

Ingredients

• 1 loaf bread cut into cubes, I used a French baguette
• 4 tbsp butter unsalted
• 1 lb pork sausage casings removed
• 1 onion chopped (white or red)
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 1/4 cup sage fresh, chopped
• 1/2 cup craisins
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup parsley fresh, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 3/4 cup chicken broth low sodium
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper or to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 275 F degrees. Spread bread cubes evenly over a baking sheet. Bake about 45 minutes or until bread is completely dried.
• Increase oven temperature to 350 F degrees. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
• In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add sausage and break with a wooden spoon or potato masher, into fine pieces. Cook until sausage is no longer pink.
• Add onion, celery, garlic, sage and craisins; cook for about 10 minutes, until vegetables have softened. Remove from heat.
• In a bowl whisk eggs, parsley, garlic and broth. Season egg mixture with salt and pepper. Add the sausage mixture to the eggs and gently fold in the bread cubes until evenly mixed. 
• Transfer stuffing to prepared baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until golden brown and the top is crispy, for another 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Video

Recipe Notes

1. I strongly recommend using a spicy Italian sausage with herbs if you can find because it really does give the dressing a nice flavor, but if you cannot find any or do not like spicy food, choose a garlic and herb sausage.
2. Note that I did not use a lot of salt and pepper because I find that the sausage is salty enough for my taste and it's really flavorful, but feel free to add as much as you want. 
3. Use a good quality loaf of bread like a French baguette. The bread is even better if it's a day old. When you toast the bread it should be nice and crispy so that when it's mixed in with the egg mixture it doesn't become soggy.
4. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days and frozen for up to 1 month.
5. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 513kcal (26%)Carbohydrates: 51g (17%)Protein: 20g (40%)Fat: 25g (38%)Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)Cholesterol: 117mg (39%)Sodium: 1111mg (48%)Potassium: 402mg (11%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 10g (11%)Vitamin A: 570IU (11%)Vitamin C: 6.5mg (8%)Calcium: 162mg (16%)Iron: 4.4mg (24%)

Course:Side Dish

Cuisine:American

Keyword:sage sausage stuffing, stuffing

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Originally published Nov 2014.