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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Is it possible to make this dish without the sausage? One of my family members won’t eat sausage.
Hi Wendy, The sausage adds a ton of flavor to the dish. If you want a vegetarian option, I’d suggest this stuffing instead. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Hi Jen! I love your recipes. Do you think this would this work with a chicken sausage?
So glad you like the recipes! Yep, chicken sausage will work here.
Hi Jen! I just wanted to let you know that I made this last Thanksgiving and EVERYONE said it was absolutely the star to the entire meal! I’ve tried many dressing recipies over the years and they were all good, but yours was OUTSTANDING! Can’t wait to make this again this Thanksgiving. Thanks so much for all your great, no fail recipies!
Can I used challah bread that was frozen in this recipe???
Sure, just make sure you dry out the challah first.
Hi Jenn,
If I use seasoned stuffing cubes, what would the measurements be if I used dried seasonings?
Hi Gracie, I’d 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 you enjoy!
Oops, I posted my comment to the wrong recipe!!
I realized when we had overnight guests that I was lacking in recipes to prepare a tasty, but easy, breakfast dish. I decided to do a search and test some recipes, so I clipped this one. My family gave it a hearty thumbs up so it was a keeper.
Recently several of my sisters stayed the weekend with us to attend a baby shower for our daughter. I made this casserole and put it in the refrigerator. The next morning I was too busy and forgot to bake it. Instead, I baked it after 2 nights in the refrigerator and it still came out just as moist and delicious!!! All positive comments on how good it was!! This is definitely one you should keep at the top of your list as a breakfast go-to recipe!!
Hi, Jenn. I like to cube & toast my own bread for dressing. Would I use a white loaf for this recipe??
Sure, Janice, white is fine. Any bread will really work with the exception of sourdough. Hope you enjoy!
Hi…thx for replying so quickly, Jenn. I meant to say “whole” loaf, not white” loaf. Not sure how much bread to use for this recipe.
You’ll need a total of 8 cups of bread cut into cubes.
Thank you so much. Happy New Year to you and your family, Jenn.
Hi Jen
I also like to make my own bread cubes. I made homemade sourdough bread and toasted them and then saw this comment that sourdough won’t work. Oh no. Is there a reason? Can I make an adjustment so I can use the homemade sourdough cubes?
Hi Denise, the recipe will still work with sourdough – I just suggest against it because, with its distinct taste, it adds that flavor to the stuffing, and I prefer to use something that’s neutral in flavor. Hope that clarifies!
I made this for the first time this christmas. I used a sage/onion sausage and a loaf and a half of store bought stuffing bread cut into cubes. Other than that, i followed the recipe. It was a huge hit and will definitely be our new go to stuffing recipe from now on. Thanks!!
Great recipe! Can you use bacon instead of sausage?
I think you could, but it won’t have the same heft as it would with sausage. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
I made this recipe yesterday and it was 100% the BEST stuffing we’ve ever had!!
I used poultry seasoning and stuffed the bird with it, though.
It was mouth watering and so delicious it was the only thing I had 2nd helpings of (and I was already stuffed lol)
Oooops, I froze a tray of this stuffing, but I did not cook it before freezing. Would I still just defrost and cook according to the original cooking instructions?
Also, can you recommend a gravy recipe to put on it, in that I am cooking a Roast beef tenderloin for Christmas not turkey
Janet, It should be fine. Just make sure it’s fully thawed before putting it in the oven. And you can use this gravy recipe; just replace the pan drippings with more chicken broth. 🙂