Sausage Stuffing (Easy + Hearty)

This hearty sausage stuffing is as easy as it is delicious! The perfect complement to your holiday meal, this stuffing recipe features store-bought stuffing cubes, which means you won’t have to dry out your own bread.

Table of Contents

No matter if you’re team stuffing or team dressing, this classic Italian sausage stuffing recipe will quickly become a holiday favorite! This homemade stuffing is loaded with seasonal veggies, fresh herbs, and store-bought stuffing cubes for easy prep.

Partially cook the sausage and veggies on the stove, combine with broth, and bake to golden brown perfection in the oven. We tested this recipe with and without sautéed veggies, and the version with sautéed ingredients was a clear winner – don’t skip this step!

This sliceable stuffing is a little sweet, totally savory, always a crowd favorite, and a tasty alternative to cornbread stuffing.

Featured Comment

“So so so good. Easy to make and the perfect combo of ingredients. Love a good stuffing!” – Lauren

What You Need for Sausage Stuffing

This sausage stuffing is flavor-packed with pantry staples and easy to find ingredients which combine to make a perfect that complements any holiday meal. There are 4 main parts to homemade sausage stuffing:

Meat: We use mild ground Italian sausage in this stuffing recipe.
Veggies: Potatoes (sweet and Yukon gold), yellow onion, and honeycrisp apples (not a veggie, we know!) add delightful flavor and texture.
Herbs and More: It’s not stuffing without fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, and sage. Garlic powder, salt, and pepper add flavor while beef broth mixed with Worcestershire sauce keeps the stuffing moist.
Bread: It’s not stuffing without bread cubes and to keep things simple, we used Pepperidge Farm stuffing cubes.

sausage stuffing ingredients ready to be mixed in a casserole dish

Sausage Stuffing Substitutions

Here are a few ways to mix up this classic sausage stuffing:

Use spicy Italian sausage for a little kick
Replace the apples with chopped celery
Make a half batch of stuffing and bake it in an 8×8-inch pan

broth being poured over sausage stuffing before being baked

FAQ

Do you have to sauté the veggies first?

Sautéing the veggies jump starts the cooking process and brings out so many delightful flavors. The partially cooked veggies also add wonderful texture to the stuffing. Don’t skip this step and place raw veggies in the casserole dish.

Can you make this stuffing ahead of time?

Yes! Streamline your Thanksgiving prep by making sausage stuffing up to 3 days ahead of time. Place completely cooled stuffing in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then follow our reheating instructions below.

sausage stuffing after being baked in a casserole dish

Storage

Sausage stuffing tastes great as leftovers! Store any leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Warm individual servings in the microwave or follow the reheating instructions below.

Reheating Sausage Stuffing

This stuffing reheats really well which comes in handy for leftover Thanksgiving meals! For best taste and texture, add 2-3 tablespoons of broth to a clean casserole dish (this helps keep the stuffing moist while reheating). Transfer the sausage stuffing into the casserole dish with the broth.

Cover with foil and bake at 325ºF for 10-15 minutes or until completely warm (it will take longer to reheat larger quantities of stuffing).

Freezing Sausage Stuffing

Let the stuffing cool completely, transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, allow the frozen stuffing to thaw completely, then follow the reheating instructions above.

sausage stuffing on a wooden spoon ready to be served

Serving Suggestions

Add this herb-y sausage stuffing recipe to your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving celebration! It’s a classic holiday side dish that will quickly become a family favorite. Serve with our smoked turkey and other Thanksgiving sides such as our roasted root vegetables and butternut squash mac and cheese.

5 from 1 vote

Sausage Stuffing

Featuring store-bought stuffing cubes, this hearty sausage stuffing is easy and delicious. Add this classic side dish to your holiday meal!

Prep:20

Cook:45

Total:1 5

Fat 18

Carbs 33

Protein 13

Yield:

Print Rate

Ingredients

1 lb. ground mild Italian sausage
3.5 tablespoons olive oil divided
1 large sweet potato cut into half-inch cubes (skin on)
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes cut into half-inch cubes (skin on)
1 teaspoon garlic powder divided
1/2 teaspoon salt divided
1 large yellow onion sliced in half and then thinly sliced
2 small honey crisp apples minced
1 tablespoon freshly minced thyme
1 tablespoon freshly minced rosemary
1 tablespoon freshly minced sage
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
12 oz. store-bought stuffing cubes we used Pepperidge Farm
3.5 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons butter cut into thin pads

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a skillet set over medium/high heat, partially brown the Italian sausage. Cook until there is a little pink left, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer the partially cooked sausage into the casserole dish.
In the same skillet, add 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil. Add both kinds of potatoes, sweet potatoes, Yukon potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook just long enough to partially cook through, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the potatoes into the casserole dish.
In the same skillet, caramelize the onion. Heat 2 more tablespoons of olive oil. Add in the thinly sliced onion and cook over low/medium heat until the onions are translucent and caramelized, about 7-10 minutes. Transfer the caramelized onions into the casserole dish.
To the casserole dish, add the apple, fresh herbs, remaining garlic powder and salt, pepper, and bread cubes. Mix everything together using a spatula (or your hands).
In large glass measuring cup (or bowl), mix together the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Pour the liquid over the stuffing mix in the casserole dish and mix again.
Place thin pads of butter on top of the sausage stuffing. Bake, uncovered, until the top is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 35-45 minutes. If you notice the top is browning too quickly, tent a piece of foil over the top of the casserole dish halfway through baking.

Tips & Notes

Storage: Store any leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Warm individual servings in the microwave or follow the reheating instructions below.
Freezing Instructions: Let the stuffing cool completely, transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, allow the frozen stuffing to thaw completely, then follow the reheating instructions below.
Reheating Instructions: For best taste and texture, add 2-3 tablespoons of broth to a clean casserole dish (this helps keep the stuffing moist while reheating). Transfer the sausage stuffing into the casserole dish with the broth. Cover with foil and bake at 325ºF for 10-15 minutes or until completely warm (it will take longer to reheat larger quantities of stuffing).