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.

Spoon in a baking dish of sausage and herb stuffing .

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

sausage stuffing ingredients

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

Butter melting in a skillet.

Begin by melting a stick of butter in a large sauté pan. Add the chopped onions and celery.

Chopped vegetables cooking in a skillet of melted butter.

Cook until soft, about 8 minutes.

Wooden spoon stirring a skillet of vegetables.

Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more.

Pile of garlic in a skillet of chopped vegetables.

Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl. In the same pan, cook the sausage until browned.

Sausage in a skillet.

As it cooks, use a  metal spatula to break it apart into small pieces.

Wooden spoon stirring sausage in a skillet.

Add the sausage to the stuffing cubes and veggies. Then add the broth, egg, herbs, salt and pepper.

stuffing components in bowl

Mix well.

stuffing mixture in bowl

Transfer the contents to a buttered 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

stuffing in baking dish

Bake for 65-75 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crisp.

Baked stuffing in a baking dish.Enjoy!

Spoon in a baking dish of sausage and herb stuffing.

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.

Servings: 8-10
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

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

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter.
  2. Place the stuffing cubes in a large mixing bowl.
  3. 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.)
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Note: If you can't find bulk sausage, simply buy regular sausage and remove the casings.
  7. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • Similar to what I grew up on and made for years myself. I use breakfast sausage instead of Italian (I’m Italian too!) and Peperidge Farms Herb Seasoned Stuffing. No celery. Add sautéed mushrooms (sliced), all else about the same and stuff the turkey with it. Mmmmm, so good.

  • Can I use my own cut up bread cubes? I would use a sourdough bread, dry it out and possibly crisp it up in the oven.

    Can’t find unseasoned stuffing cubes.

    The Italian sausage is mild. Think that should work.

    Not rating the recipe yet since I haven’t made it.

    • — Kim Williamson
    • Reply
    • Sure, Kim – and the sausage is fine.

    • Try the bakery in your supermarket for the bread cubes..my supermarket makes them (publix)..we have a celery allergy so we cant use seasoned bread

      • — Candace Anuzis
      • Reply
    • I’m planning to use bread cubes I made from french bread and ciabatta bread. I dried them on the counter under a clean kitchen towel for 2 ½ days. Did I dry them out too long? Should I add more broth? I’m worried now they’ll be stale and ruin the stuffing.

      • Hi Katie, Actually the drier the better, so no worries and no need to add more broth. Enjoy!

  • Can I subsitute ground salami for the sausage? My mother grew up in a family who kept kosher, and she used salami in her stuffing recipe.

    • Hi Barbara, Yes I think that would work.

  • This will be my 5th year using this recipe for Thanksgiving!!! It’s always a huge hit. Never had stuffing this amazing! If you’re thinking about trying it out- do it. Thank you for the delicious recipe!!

  • We are having 30 for Thanksgiving and I am going to triple this recipe.
    Should I adjust the cooking temperature or cooking time?
    Many thanks!

    • Hi Jennifer, I would keep the temp the same, but the cook time may be a bit longer. It’s hard to say how much but I’m guessing 10-15 min; just keep an eye on it.

  • Would this recipe still work if I use seasoned stuffing cubes? Thank you for always responding back. You are such a big help. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving

    • Happy to help! Yes, it will work – just cut the added seasoning and salt in half and then add more to taste if needed. Enjoy!

  • Can this be frozen ahead?

    • Sure – see the freezer-friendly instructions at the bottom of the recipe for more details. Hope you enjoy!

  • Just found your recipe. I’m going to try it this year. I wanted to let you guys know that I couldn’t find the unseasoned stuffing mix at my store so I spoke to my store’s bakery. They’re going to make me up a big batch of plain cubes. Can’t wait to try this !!

  • Hello how long approximately does this take to make? Im thinking about cooking this for my culinary class

    • — Cheyanne Averill
    • Reply
    • Hi Cheyanne, I think it would require about 10 minutes of prep time and a total of 90 minutes of cooking time. Hope that helps!

  • Can i use a combination of sweet and spicy sausage?

    • Sure – enjoy!

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