HERB SAUSAGE STUFFING😍
A Thanksgiving dinner would not be complete without a nice big helping of stuffing. Skip the mushy boxed stuffing this year and follow some easy make ahead tips below for an incredibly delish stuffing that will have your family going back for seconds and thirds. This stuffing has been my family’s go to for years – it starts with good qualiity sourdough bread and gets layers of flavor from the sage sausage (always Jimmy Dean), fresh herbs, and sauteed veggies. Depending on your preferences, you can add or take out the mushrooms, swap out the apples for dried cranberries, or whatever you prefer! Just don’t skip the butter – it’s the best part 🙂
You can also easily make this vegetarian/vegan by just omitting the sausage and using vegetable broth! (Just use vegan butter or olive oil to make it vegan).
Prepping tips:
You can do this all in the same day, or save yourself some time and make all ahead so it’s just ready to pop in the oven as soon as that turkey comes out.
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Chop onions, celery, mushrooms, parsley and sage 1-2 days in advance and store in a Ziploc bag
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Cube the bread in advance and pop in the oven at 200 for 45-55 minutes or until completely dry. The dried cubes can keep in a ziploc for 4-5 days in advance.
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Day before Thanksgiving: Saute all the veggies and apples and assemble with the parsley, sage, and bread cubes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving.
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Thanksgiving Day: as soon as the turkey comes out, add the broth to the stuffing mix and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes and enjoy!
Herb Sausage Stuffing
- Total Time: 70
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
The only stuffing recipe I will ever use is this herbed sausage stuffing from my grandma – we make it every Thanksgiving, it is so flavorful and such a hit every time!
Ingredients
For the Herb & Sausage Stuffing:
- 1 lb Jimmy Dean sage or regular sausage
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12 oz loaf of sourdough bread, cut or ripped into ~ 1” cubes
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4-5 celery stalks, chopped
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1 medium yellow onion, chopped
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½ cup dried cranberries
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3 cloves minced garlic
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1½ tsps poultry seasoning
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½ tsp dried mushroom powder (optional but adds great flavor)
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1 stick butter, divided + more for topping
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1 cup chopped fresh parsley
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2-2½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
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Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Herb & Sausage Stuffing:
- Add bread cubes in a flat layer to a large baking sheet. Bake at 200 degrees for 45-55 minutes until dry, shaking halfway through. Once cooled, add to a ziploc bag until ready to use. You can also dry the bread cubes by placing them on a baking sheet on the counter overnight.
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In a large skillet, add in the sausage and flatten into a thin layer. Cook on high for 4-5 minutes until you start to see some browning and a crust forming. Flip and crumble using a wooden spoon.
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Reduce heat to medium low and add in 2 tbsps butter to the same pan. Add chopped onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until just starting to soften. Stir frequently to scrape up the browned bits from the pan.
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Add in the chopped celery and stir, cooking for 15 minutes or until onions are caramelized and celery is tender.
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Add in 2 more tbsps of butter and the garlic and toast for 1 more minute until fragrant. Add the poultry seasoning and mushroom umami and cook, stirring often for 1-2 minutes. Shut off the heat and let cool completely. Taste and adjust for seasoning – you want the sausage mixture to be overly seasoned to properly season the bread.
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Transfer to a large bowl and mix with the bread cubes, cranberries, and fresh parsley. If you are making this ahead, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, then follow the rest of the steps before serving.
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Grease a large 9×13 baking dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Transfer stuffing mixture to the baking dish and slowly pour in the broth all over the bread cubes, 1 cup at a time. You may only need 2 cups, unless your bread is really dry. Eyeball it as you pour and go by instinct! You want it to be just moist enough but not mushy.
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Top with a few tbsps of sliced butter and bake for 20-25 minutes or until just browned on top. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 60