Sausage Stuffing is a favorite holiday side dish . Whether you make it for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you’ll need to make a little extra so you can be sure to have some leftover. This homemade version is so much better than any box or bag version. Made with fresh ingredients and all the best bits of a festive, holiday meal.
A friend recently asked me for my Stuffing recipe. She mentioned that she’s never had good stuffing, but was hosting for the first time and felt it was a must have on the table. I assured her that this recipe will be one of the first things gone and she won’t need any other! It got me thinking of what other must haves should be on everyones table and I most definitely think my Apple Tart or Caramel Apple Cake should make an appearance. Easy Rolls is one of those you have to double the recipe because you’re going to want plenty of leftovers! Stuffed Pumpkins are something we’ve recently made in the last few years, but I can’t imagine our holiday dinners with it!
Thanksgiving Side Dish
Just the smell alone of this cooking in my house brings back every single Thanksgiving of my childhood. Watching the parade with my mom, helping out a little in the kitchen prepping the Banana Cream Pie and listening to Christmas music. Maybe that’s why I make this every year. Or maybe it’s because it is so incredibly tasty.
All growing up, I hated stuffing (or dressing) at Thanksgiving. Maybe it just got in the way of my favorite side, mashed potatoes and gravy. Or maybe it was just the way my mom made it. Sorry, mom, I love you!
But guess where this recipe comes from? My mom.
I know, I just said that I hated it.
The ingredients are all the same, with a few tweaks here and there in the prepping. They make all the difference, though!
How To Toast Bread Cubes
When it comes to the bread, I prefer to toast my own. You can certainly purchase plain bread cubes for stuffing at the grocery store around the holidays.
All you need to do to toast your own is tear simple white sandwich bread into bite size pieces. Place it all on a baking sheet and bake on a super low temperature for about 30-40 minutes.
You’ll want to toss the bread about every 10 minutes to help even browning. This can be done up to a week ahead. Make sure your bread crumbs are completely cooled and store them in an airtight container.
Homemade Stuffing
Lastly is the liquid you will need to help bring the moisture to this dish. I use simple chicken stock. I heat it up with a few teaspoons of poultry seasoning and diced celery for some aromatics.
The trick with celery is start with the inner stalks first when measuring it out. I’m not talking about the bitter yellow ones, but the super tender light green one. I even chop up the leaves and include them in my broth. You will be surprised of how much flavor this adds.
How To Make Sausage and Herb Stuffing for Thanksgiving
Of course since there is sausage in the title, there is sausage in the recipe. I truly love using Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage for this. I prefer using either the Country Mild or Regular sausage, but there is also a Sage variety that could be great if you like the strong taste of sage.
All you need to do to prepare it is crumble it up in a large saute pan and brown it over medium high heat. I also like to saute my onions along with the sausage so I cut down on the cooking time.
If you are looking for a recipe for quite possibly the best turkey of your life, you need to make my Perfect Roasted Turkey.
I also have you covered with it comes to other fabulous holiday recipes.
- Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
- Cheddar Ranch Cheeseball
- Thanksgiving Leftover Sliders
- Easy Rolls
- Hot Apple Pie recipe by Oh So Deliciouso
Sausage and Herb Stuffing Recipe
Sausage and Herb Stuffing
Ingredients
- 40 Slices White Sandwich Bread
- 48 oz Chicken Stock
- 2 Cups Celery, Diced Use the inside stalks first, including the leaves
- 1 1/2 TBSP Poultry Seasoning
- 4 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp Freshly Cracked Pepper
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, Diced
- 1 lb Breakfast Sausage
- Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Tear bread slices up into bite size pieces. Place onto two cookie sheets and toast in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. Check and turn bread every 10 minutes. You only want it slightly brown, but dry through out. Cool completely and transfer to a extra large bowl.
- In a large pot add chicken stock, diced celery, poultry seasoning, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and cook for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large pan break up sausage and brown over medium high heat. Drain onto a paper towel and add to bread. Using the same pan, melt butter over medium high heat and add in diced onions. Saute until translucent and slightly browned. Pour onions and butter over bread and toss together.
- Remove herb stems from chicken stock. Slowly ladle in seasoned chicken stock and celery over the bread mixture and stir to combine. Don't add in all the stock at once because you might not need it all. Just add enough till the bread is completely moist, but not drenched.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place stuffing mix into a 9×13 pan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for another 10 minutes.
- You can make this ahead. Once you’ve placed it in a 9×13, cover well with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. When you are ready to bake it, let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes and bake it for 40-50 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.
*Originally posted November 2014. Updated October 2023 and October 2024.
