This Italian Sausage Stuffing Recipe will be your new favorite holiday side dish.
Recipe Inspiration
Stuffing has always been a favorite holiday side dish in my family. Growing up, we made stuffing the old fashioned way, with stale bread, lots of butter, celery, and onions.
Now, as a cookbook author, I put my own spin on my family's delicious recipe.
You can use spicy sausage or mild sausage in this recipe, it's entirely up to you. This stuffing is fluffy, savory, buttery, and so delicious. I love the browned bits on the side and bottom of the pan. It's the perfect side dish addition to your holiday table.
If you're looking for more Thanksgiving recipes, check out our Stuffing Muffins, Turkey Tenderloin, and Mashed Butternut Squash recipes!
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Delicious - This stuffing recipe is so delicious. It's a flavorful savory stuffing that will become one a favorite recipe for the holidays.
- Approachable - This stuffing recipe is approachable and uses basic kitchen tools and techniques. Anyone can be successful with this recipe!
- Kid Friendly - This is a great recipe for adults and children! This recipe is based on my family's stuffing recipe, and I've loved it even since I was a child.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need for this Italian Sausage Stuffing recipe:
- White Bread - Dried out overnight. I like using Italian bread in this recipe.
- Ground Italian Sausage - You can use regular, hot, or sweet Italian sausage, whichever is your preference. I recommend letting your sausage come to room temperature before cooking.
- Unsalted Butter
- Celery - Finely diced
- Onion - Finely diced
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Fresh thyme - Or other fresh herbs you have on hand, like sage or rosemary
- Eggs
- Chicken Stock - You can also use chicken bone broth or chicken broth
- Parmesan Cheese
Directions
Let's make this family favorite stuffing recipe together!
Step 1
Cut stale bread in ½ inch cubes. Set aside. Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a large 3 qt baking dish.
Step 2
Heat butter in a large pot or very large sauté pan over medium heat. Add Italian sausage to the pot. Crumble sausage with a wooden spoon and cook until browned, about 8 minutes.
Step 3
Next, add the onion and celery and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently until soft. Add salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic powder and stir well. Add broth and remove from heat.
Step 4
Slowly add bread and beaten eggs. I usually add ¼th of the bread and eggs and mix everything together well. Continue this pattern, adding ¼th of the bread and eggs, until everything is in your pot and mixed very well.
Step 5
Add parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Transfer stuffing to prepared casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.
Expert Tips and Tricks
Here are some expert tips to make this delicious recipe perfect.
- Chopped Veggies - Make sure your chopped onion and chopped celery are very fine. Having the veggies too big will affect the texture of the stuffing.
- Complete the Meal - Complete your Thanksgiving table with roast turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce.
- Utilize Leftovers - Use leftovers in a new dish. A turkey and leftover stuffing sandwich is always amazing!
Kitchen Equipment
Here is some kitchen equipment you will need for this recipe. You can find all of these products on Amazon.
- Baking Dish - Use a quality baking dish so the stuffing doesn't sick to the bottom of the pan. I love this one!
- Large Pot - A quality large pot is important to make sure the stuffing comes together with even heat.
- Sharp Knife - A good quality, sharp knife will make all of the chopping for this recipe easier. This is my favorite chef's knife that I use every day.
Recipe Substitutions/Variations
Here are some common recipe substitutions and variations for this easy recipe.
- Bread - You can get creative with the bread cubes in this recipe. You can use sourdough bread or French bread as a substitute for Italian bread.
- Sausage - You can use mild Italian sausage, hot sausage, regular Italian sausage or even get creative and use turkey sausage in this recipe.
- Seasonings - Change up the seasonings and play around with fresh sage or fresh basil for more herb flavors in this stuffing.
What To Serve With
Here are some side dishes you can serve this easy turkey tenderloin recipe with:
Frequently Asked Questions
Italian sausage is delicious in homemade stuffing. Small pieces of hot Italian sausage or sweet Italian sausage is delicious in stuffing. It adds flavor and texture to the stuffing that makes a perfect dish for the holiday table.
You still want to use egg in sausage stuffing to bind the stuffing together.
Keep stuffing covered with foil when baking. This will help prevent the stuffing from drying out. After the stuffing is cooked, you can remove the foil for the last few minutes of baking to achieve a golden brown top.
Recipe Storage and Reheating
Here are storage and reheating instructions for this recipe.
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in an airtight container and eat leftovers within 4-5 days.
- Freezer Storage: Freeze in a freezer-safe, airtight container and keep for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator and reheat as instructed below.
- Reheating Instructions: The best way to reheat this recipe is to heat in a skillet with a little olive oil over low heat until warm.
Italian Sausage Stuffing
Ingredients
- 20 oz white bread dried overnight
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 cups finely diced celery
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 3 beaten eggs
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cut bread in ½ inch cubes. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a large 3 qt baking dish.
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 8 minutes.
- Next, add the onion and celery and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently until soft. Add salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic powder and stir well. Add broth and remove from heat.
- Slowly add bread and beaten eggs. I usually add ¼th of the bread and eggs and mix everything together well. Continue this pattern, adding ¼th of the bread and eggs, until everything is in your pot and mixed very well.
- Add parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Transfer stuffing to prepared baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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