Easy Sausage & Herb Stuffing
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A family favorite for the holidays, this easy sausage and herb stuffing uses store-bought stuffing cubes, eliminating the step of slicing and drying out the bread.
I used to host elaborate Thanksgiving celebrations, where I’d cook for days on end, only to be completely exhausted by the time my guests arrived on Thanksgiving day. After one glass of wine, I’d be nodding off at the table and dreaming of my pillow. I finally wised up by simplifying my side dishes and desserts. This rich sausage and herb stuffing relies on store-bought stuffing cubes, which eliminates the step of slicing and drying out the bread. Believe me, when you’re using a pound of sausage and an entire stick of butter, and pairing the dish with turkey gravy and cranberry sauce, the type of bread does not matter!
What you’ll need to make Sausage Stuffing
I’ve made this recipe using stuffing cubes from the supermarket (usually made by Arnold or Pepperidge Farm) and “fresh” dried stuffing cubes from Whole Foods — both work well, but if you can get the ones from Whole Foods, they add a bit more texture (they are sold in a plastic bag labeled “stuffing cubes”).
As for the sausage, try to find bulk Italian sausage, which is simply sausage without the casings. If you can’t find it, just buy regular Italian sausage and remove the casings; the best way is to cut straight through the sausages with kitchen shears and then peel the casings off (this is much more efficient than trying to squeeze the meat out).
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by melting a stick of butter in a large sauté pan. Add the chopped onions and celery.
Cook until soft, about 8 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more.
Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl. In the same pan, cook the sausage until browned.
As it cooks, use a metal spatula to break it apart into small pieces.
Add the sausage to the stuffing cubes and veggies. Then add the broth, egg, herbs, salt and pepper.
Mix well.
Transfer the contents to a buttered 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Bake for 65-75 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crisp.
Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
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Easy Sausage & Herb Stuffing
A family favorite for the holidays, this easy sausage and herb stuffing uses store-bought stuffing cubes, eliminating the step of slicing and drying out the bread.
Ingredients
- 8 cups (400g) store-bought unseasoned stuffing cubes
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 1½ cups diced yellow onion (from 1 large or 2 small onions)
- 1 cup diced celery (from 3 large celery stalks)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage (i.e., sausage with the casings removed) -- see note below
- 2¾ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Place the stuffing cubes in a large mixing bowl.
- In a large sauté pan, melt the butter. Add the onions and celery and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add the vegetables to the stuffing cubes. (Don't wash the pan but scrape out every last bit of vegetables, otherwise they will burn in the next step.)
- In the same pan, cook the sausage over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a metal spatula while cooking (the largest pieces should be no greater than ¼-inch). Add the browned sausage and fat to the bread cubes and vegetables.
- Add the chicken broth, egg, rosemary, sage, parsley, salt and pepper to the bread cube mixture and mix until the bread is soft and moistened. Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish and bake for 65-75 minutes, uncovered, until deeply golden and crisp on top.
- Note: If you can't find bulk sausage, simply buy regular sausage and remove the casings.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The stuffing can be assembled up to a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake; follow the baking instructions in the recipe. It can also can be frozen after baking, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve it, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Reheat it, covered with foil, in a 325°F oven until hot.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 467
- Fat: 28 grams
- Saturated fat: 10 grams
- Carbohydrates: 40 grams
- Sugar: 5 grams
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Protein: 15 grams
- Sodium: 1,063 mg
- Cholesterol: 57 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I hate stuffing and always just make it for others so don’t put any effort into it. This year I decided to try something different so we didn’t have to throw away all of it. I am not a stuffing eater at all but I had to try it and I actually ended up going back for seconds. Everyone loved it! They didn’t have sweet italian sausage at Earthfare so I used Japaleno cheddar sausage and it really had a great taste. This will become a standard staple at my Thanksgiving table every year.
Can you use the non cubed pepperidge farms stuffing?
Sure Sharon, that will work. But if it’s seasoned, you’ll need to cut the added seasoning and salt in half and then add more to taste if needed. Enjoy!
absolutely delicious. I Usually put my stuffing in the bird. This is the first time that I’ve ever cooked it this way, The only thing I added was just a little bit of poultry seasoning. And I did use the sage and onion flavored Pepperidge farm bread cubes.
However I did put half of it into my bird, with A tribute to my mother which is to put butter and garlic powder mixed together inside the bird and then stuff it.
Both ways came out fantastic!
This was really an excellent recipe
This stuffing recipe is the best! My husband and I are typically not huge stuffing fans, but we really enjoyed this and will be making it part of our Thanksgiving tradition. I made it vegetarian using Beyond Meat Italian Sausage and Better Than Bullion No Chicken Broth. Thanks for a great recipe!
When our Thanksgiving host got sick and we divided up dinner the night before, I got stuffing and was a bit nervous. I never made stuffing before. This was so easy and so delicious. The house smelled fantastic. Made this along with your cornbread stuffing and our additions were a hit!
So, so, so delicious! I toasted it the day before and baked day-of. It was the best stuffing we’ve ever had at Thanksgiving and it was my first time making it. That only shows it’s a perfect recipe!
Loved this RECIPE when I made it last year, I cooked it in muffin tins to speed up the cooking time. My tip to share though: the next morning I wanted it crispy again, I broke out my waffle maker! I added a raw egg and made stuffing waffles and they were FANTASTIC! We had dinner for breakfast and threw leftover turkey and gravy on top. The left over waffles (later that day and next) just popped them in the toaster. We were so bummed when the stuffing was gone as it was our favorite part of our Thanksgiving meal. This recipe is SUPERB and I don’t even bother trying another one. THANKS FOR A GREAT STUFFING RECIPE!
I purchased soft cubed stuffing. Should I let them dry out overnight before using
yep 🙂
I just made this today. It is awesome!
Added some red pepper flakes. Used 12 cups of stuffing bread from the bakery.
Wonderful flavor! Yum!
What is a good sub for the unseasoned stuffing cubes, can’t find them!
Hi Pieri, You can make your own; here’s a recipe.
Thank you! If I use 1 loaf of french bread are the measurements for the rest of the ingredients the same?
Hi Pieri, It depends on how many cups of cubed bread that comes out to (the recipe calls for 8 cups). If the bread generates about 8 cups, then you won’t need to make any changes.
Can you use this to stuff your turkey?
Yep, just reduce the broth by 1/2 cup. Enjoy!
Thank you Jenn for your quick response. Two more questions. I’m baking spiral ham at 275 degrees. Can I simultaneously bake the stuffing at this lower temperature? If so how much longer does the stuffing need to bake? Also the bag of store broth bread cubes is only 340g. How much broth should I use? Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for taking the time for answering all our questions. I can’t wait to taste this recipe. I also made your Creamy Make-Ahead Mash Potatoes last night.
If you have to cook them in the same oven, I think it’s doable, but not sure how much longer the stuffig will take at that temperature. I’d give it at least 10 extra minutes and check it then. And I’d guesstimate that you’d need just under 2-1/2 cups of broth for that amount of stuffing. Hope that helps!