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 have never made stuffing before today. Of course, I turned to Jenn for a reliable recipe. Boom! This stuffing was amazing. I would make this again to eat on its own. Easy, flavourful and quick! Thank you Jenn and Happy Holidays.
Yum! I made this for dinner tonight with green beans. I couldn’t find plain bread cubes so I used Pepperidge farm and still added the herbs (minus rosemary and salt). I used chicken Italian sausage. I wish I would have used low sodium chicken broth as the recipe stated but I didn’t have any.
I am planning on trying this recipe for Christmas dinner this year and am also making the make ahead mashed potatoes. I would like to reheat them both in the oven once I take the turkey out. You suggest 325 F for the sausage stuffing and 350 F for the mashed potatoes. If I put them both in for about 30 minutes, which temperature would be the better option? Does it matter? As an aside, thank you so much for all the amazing recipes. I use your site every week and rarely does a recipe not work out (and I am quite sure that I am the problem when it doesn’t!). Happy Holidays!!
Hi Jane, Looks like I’m seeing this too late but, for next time, it really doesn’t matter – you can reheat them both at either temperature. So happy you enjoy the recipes and happy holidays!
I would like to make this recipe but substitute a 16 oz loaf of challah bread for the unseasoned stuffing cubes. Should I eliminate the egg because it’s in the challah bread or would that not make a difference? Thank you!
You can use challah here – just make sure to dry it out first. And no need to eliminate the egg. Hope you enjoy!
Savory and delicious! We served for Thanksgiving and almost everyone went back for a second serving. It was the first of the leftovers to go.
Hello, I am wondering what, if anything, I could replace the Italian sausage with, or can I just leave it out altogether and expect a slightly smaller quantity of stuffing. Thank you very much.
Hi Kathleen, This recipe really relies on the sausage for flavor. You might try this stuffing instead — it’s also delicious 🙂
Our family subs out the Italian sausage with a roll of breakfast sausage. It works for us and has been a huge hit in our family for 8 years!
Let me just add to the many glowing comments already here. OHMYGAWD! Nothing short of amazing. I had considered myself a pretty good dressing/stuffing cook. Nope. Not after using this recipe. Reallllly, it is alllllll I wanted to eat on Thanksgiving. haha I made a double batch so had some left later Thursday, Friday, Saturday, etc. This will be the only recipe I use moving forward.
Made this for Thanksgiving and my husband said it’s the best he has ever had. Which is high praise since we are foodies! I used half onion/half shallots and half Italian/half breakfast sausage. Otherwise followed the directions exactly.
I made this yesterday for Thanksgiving dinner and it turned out really good! I followed the recipe exactly except I used 3 eggs. This is very close to my mom’s recipe. I’ll definitely use it again.
I have been making this stuffing recipe every Thanksgiving for several years now. It is ALWAYS a big hit, everyone loves it and I frequently get asked for the recipe. It is very easy to make and absolutely wonderful without changing a thing. I always use fresh herbs when I make it and I also always make my own bread cubes using gluten-free bread and no one can ever tell. Most of the time I leave the egg out because we have a family member who is allergic to eggs and it still tastes just as wonderful with or without the egg. My other “secret” is that I source my sausage from a local farm market vendor and I think that makes it extra special. Thank you so much for this amazing recipe, it will be our family tradition for many Thanksgivings to come!