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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Making this today for tomorrow! Thank you for replying to everyone’s posted comments, that is really amazing of you in this busy season! 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!
💗
May be too late to get an answer, but I just realized that my bread cubes have been reduced in size to 10 oz (rather than the 12 they have always been). Any clues on how much to reduce the other ingredients to accommodate? (wish I had more time to get another package, but that ship has sailed!) Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Miriam, instead of reducing the other ingredients, I’d just use 2 ounces of cubed and toasted bread to account for the discrepancy. Happy Thanksgiving to you!
I could only find a 320g (12oz) bag of herb seasoned cubes (I’ll omit salt). Will that work? I’m a little confused by the 8 cups/420g. Thanks Jenn!
Hi Lisa, rather than cutting back on the other ingredients, I’d use 100 grams of cubed and toasted bread to make up for the discrepancy. Enjoy!
If I make this the night before, will it be dry the next day? Also, will this taste good with potato bread stuffing cubes?
No, it won’t dry out and I think it will taste good with potato bread stuffing cubes. Please LMK how it turns out with the potato bread!
Hello, I have the herb seasoned cubes for stuffing. Should I eliminate the sage, rosemary and parsley?
Hi Gloria, you don’t need to omit them; I’d just cut the salt back a little and add it to taste. Enjoy!
Hi. If I use seasoned stuffing and use dry spices, what adjustments do I need to make? Thank you.
Hi Kristin, I would just cut back the salt a little and add it to taste. And for dry seasonings, you’ll need 1 tsp of rosemary and sage and 1 and a heaping quarter tablespoon of parsley. Hope that helps!
I made this last night before I noticed your note about preparing one day ahead. I put in the refrigerator and hope it will still be fine to bake on Thanksgiving? It will be in the refrigerator 2 days before baking. Thoughts?
Hi Karen, It will be fine. No worries!
I have 12x10x2 foil pans. Could the dish be assembled and baked in those? Thank you in advance Chef! Hope you have a nice Thanksgiving.
Sure, Elliott – that will be fine. Enjoy!
We make this stuffing every year… it tastes great every time!
Hi Jenn,
I’m excited to try this recipe out for the holiday this year! I was wondering, what ingredients could I increase to feed a handful more people? Thank you for your help!
Erin
Hi Erin, I would increase everything by just a bit.
Hi Jenn, my first time asking a question about your recipe. I don’t have fresh herbs, how much dried herbs would I use? Thanks
Hi Marcie, You’ll need 1 tsp of rosemary and sage and 1 and a heaping quarter tablespoon of parsley. Hope that helps!
Can I use regular mild ground sausage instead of italian?
Yep that will work well.