Easy Sausage & Herb Stuffing Recipe
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This rich and savory stuffing recipe is perfect the holidays. Hearty sausage, fragrant herbs, and store-bought stuffing cubes make it easy—and you can even make it ahead!
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 recipe 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 you use does not matter. This is the easiest and best stuffing recipe, hands down!
“I made this for Thanksgiving and made the mistake of not doubling the recipe. Corrected that for Christmas as it was GONE – first empty dish on the buffet table.”
What You’ll Need To Make Sausage Stuffing
- Store-bought unseasoned stuffing cubes – I’ve made this easy stuffing recipe using dried bread cubes from both Arnold and Pepperidge Farm. I’ve also had good results with the “fresh” dried bread cubes from Whole Foods, which add a bit more texture (these are sold in plastic bags labeled “stuffing cubes”).
- Unsalted butter – Adds rich flavor and helps create a moist texture.
- Aromatics (yellow onion, celery, and garlic) – Provide savory depth and a classic stuffing flavor.
- Bulk sweet Italian sausage – If you can, look for bulk sausage (sausage without casings). If only whole sausages are available, just remove the casings: cut through the sausages with kitchen shears, then peel the casings off—it’s much easier than squeezing out the meat.
- Low-sodium chicken broth – Keeps the stuffing moist without adding too much salt.
- Large egg – Helps bind the stuffing together for a cohesive texture.
- Fresh Herbs (rosemary, sage, and parsley) – Bring freshness and a touch of earthy, holiday flavor.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper – For seasoning and balancing flavors.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by melting a stick of butter in a large skillet.
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 or similarly sized casserole dish.
Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crisp.
Enjoy!
Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions
This homemade stuffing recipe can be assembled up to a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake. Allow a few extra minutes in the oven if baking from the fridge. 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.
Video Tutorial
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Easy Sausage & Herb Stuffing
This rich and savory stuffing recipe is perfect the holidays. Hearty sausage, fragrant herbs, and store-bought stuffing cubes make it easy—and you can even make it ahead!
Ingredients
- 8 cups (400g) store-bought unseasoned stuffing cubes
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 1½ cups diced yellow onion (from 1 large onion)
- 1 cup diced celery (from 3 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, allowing a few extra minutes in the oven. 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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Hi Jenn,
Happy Thanksgiving! I’m not able to find any “stuffing cubes”. Would it be possible to use croutons? If so, do you have a preferred flavor or brand?
Is that a really dumb question…..?
Thanks so much!
Ha! Not a dumb question – they are essentially the same thing 🙂 I would look for any brand of unseasoned croutons.
Is it possible to use white bread cubes in this recipe?
Yes that’s fine.
Is it possible to prepare stuffing ahead, refrigerate it and just bake it on the day of?
Hi Mollie, Yes that’s fine. Enjoy!
I made this last year and I’m back for more this Thanksgiving. Great balance, texture and flavor. Highly recommend. (I might add some cranberry raisins this year…)
Hi Jen, I’m having a lot of trouble finding unseasoned breadcrumbs. If I have to use seasoned breadcrumbs, what would I need to eliminate from your recipe? Thank you!
Hi Lisa, Just cut back a bit on the salt; I would just add it to taste.
Hi – I bought the “cornbread stuffing mix” from trader joes. I was thinking of using those stuffing cubes. Do you think it will work with this recipe?
Hi Anna, It will work but it will be cornbread stuffing rather than traditional stuffing.
I need to make a gluten free version to accommodate some dietary restrictions. Can I substitute with gluten free bread?
Yep definitely!
I make it gluten free every year with Schars baguettes and a loaf of their white bread. Killer every single time!
I made this stuffing last Thanksgiving and it was delicious. Took me a while to find the recipe again because I wanted to make it again this Thanksgiving. So grateful that I found it. Will save it for next year!
Love your recipes. I’m prepping the stuffing recipe now and will most likely freeze it. Question; if I add some mushrooms, will it make stuffing watery?
Nope, I think it will be delicious. I would just be sure to cook the mushrooms along with the onions and celery. I’d love to know how it turns out!
Hi Jen,
I bought whole foods stuffing cubes and realized it when I got home it said cornbread stuffing cubes. Can I use this in this recipe?
Hi Karen, Yes, it will be cornbread stuffing but still delish 🙂
Jenn,
I have make so many of your recipes, have your cookbooks and love it all. We’ll have vegetarians (I’m one of them) at our Thanksgiving table. If I leave the sausage out of this recipe and exchange the chicken broth for vegetable broth, what changes would you recommend to the cooking and/or baking?
Thanks!
Jenn,
I have make so many of your recipes, have your cookbooks and love it all. We’ll have vegetarians (I’m one of them) at our Thanksgiving table. If I leave the sausage out of this recipe and exchange the chicken broth for vegetable broth, what changes would you recommend to the cooking and/or baking?
Thanks!
Thanks so much for your guidance! Happy Thanksgiving
Hi Barbara, thanks for your kind words about the recipes and support of the cookbook! 🙂
The sausage adds a ton of flavor to this stuffing, so I wouldn’t recommend making it without; you could use this recipe instead.
Hi Barbara, thanks for your kind words about the recipes and support of the cookbook! 🙂
The sausage adds a ton of flavor to this stuffing, so I wouldn’t recommend making it without; you could use this recipe instead.