This Italian Sausage Stuffing is a delectable classic dish full of comfort food flavors and a perfect texture making it one of my favorites during the holiday season. But let's be honest, who needs an excuse to indulge in hearty, savory goodness?
Stuffing, or dressing as some may call it, has always been my favorite Thanksgiving side dish. In my younger years, before I knew how to cook, I kept a carton of Stovetop in the pantry to eat as a snack! But now, I have come up with my own herb stuffing mix recipe and combined it with my love of Spicy Italian Sausage.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Made with succulent Italian Sausage, aromatic herbs, and fresh rosemary bread, this stuffing recipe truly emphasizes the flavors and textures we all love. Making it a perfect choice whether you're looking to impress your guests with a fancy Thanksgiving spread or simply craving some comfort food on a cozy night in. Pair this stuffing with a Cajun Smoked Turkey for the ultimate holiday feast.
Ingredients
Bread: Freshly baked Homemade Rosemary Bread is the way to go. It adds a ton of extra flavor, and the crusty outside adds texture after the stuffing has been baked.
Vegetables: As surprising as it may be, I only use Onions and Celery. I find that anything else is just overkill and can ruin the texture.
Meat: I prefer to use Homemade Hot Italian Sausage. If you prefer store-bought, that's perfectly fine. See expert tips below.
Herbs and Seasonings: All you'll need here is fresh minced garlic, fresh sage, dried parsley, kosher salt, and black pepper.
Liquids: Melted Salted Butter, Chicken Stock, and a beaten egg works perfectly for binding and flavor in this stuffing recipe.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Begin by drying out your fresh bread. Preheat the oven to 275°f, cube the bread, and spread them evenly on a baking sheet.
Once the oven has come to temp, place the baking sheet in the oven and allow the bread cubes to dry out. This will take about an hour, but I recommend checking around the 45-minute mark.
Once completely dried, remove the pan from the oven and allow the bread cubes to cool.
Step 2: Browning your Italian Sausage in a large cast iron skillet. Be sure to break it up into a fine ground meat texture. Set the meat aside in a separate bowl.
Now, in the same skillet, melt the butter.
Step 3: sauté the onions and celery until softened and aromatic.
Add the fresh minced garlic and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Step 4: Add the dried bread cubes to a large mixing bowl, top with the sautéd vegetables, Italian Sausage, herbs and spices, and egg, and pour some chicken stock over the mixture.
Step 5: Preheat the oven to 350°f and butter the entire inside of a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Pour all the Italian Sausage Stuffing mixture into the backing dish pressing it down with a spatula or spoon to even it out in the dish.
Step 6: Bake the stuffing for about an hour and fifteen minutes or until it has completely browned on top.
Expert Tips
- If you'd like an even crispier top, which I highly recommend, you can turn the broiler on for about 2-3 minutes but watch closely to ensure it doesn't burn.
- If you don't have time to make Homemade Ground Italian Sausage, I recommend buying links from the store and removing the Sausage from their casings. It will become finer ground meat that helps texturally.
- By using fresh homemade rosemary bread and drying it yourself, you add a better flavor without any additives and keep a little extra moisture in the stuffing.
- Try serving this with an easy brown gravy. The two pair perfectly, especially with mashed potatoes and smoked turkey.
- If you prefer less spice, use sweet Italian sausage instead.
Recipe FAQs
You can make the stuffing up to two days before your holiday gathering or planned dinner. Just let the stuffing cool after baking, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until about an hour before serving. Remove the plastic wrap and reheat the stuffing in the oven at 300°f.
Sausage stuffing is made of dried bread crumbs/cubes, various vegetables, and spices such as sage, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Use fresh bread, cube the loaf, and dry the bread cubes in the oven for best results. For additional flavor, use flavored bread such as rosemary bread.
Chicken stock helps to keep the stuffing moist, while the egg works as a binder to keep it all stuck together. The egg also adds a bit of moisture, but that's not its main purpose.
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📖 Recipe
Italian Sausage Stuffing
Ingredients
- 8 Cups Fresh Rosemary Bread - cubed
- 1 Stick Salted Butter
- 1 Large Yellow Onion - diced
- 4 Celery Sticks - sliced
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Minced Garlic
- 1 Lb Spicy Italian Sausage
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Sage - chopped
- 1 tablespoon Dried Parsley
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Egg - beaten
- 2 ¼ Cups Chicken Stock
Instructions
- Begin by drying out your fresh bread. Preheat the oven to 275°f, cube the bread, and spread them evenly on a baking sheet.
- Once the oven has come to temp, place the baking sheet in the oven and allow the bread cubes to dry out. This will take about an hour, but I recommend checking around the 45-minute mark.
- Once completely dried, remove the pan from the oven and allow the bread cubes to cool.
- While the bread crumbs are drying out in the oven and cooling, begin by browning your Italian Sausage in a large cast iron skillet. Be sure to break it up into a fine ground meat texture. Set the meat aside in a separate bowl.
- Now, in the same skillet, melt the butter and sauté the onions and celery until softened and aromatic.
- Add the fresh minced garlic and continue to sauté for about another 2-3 minutes or until the garlic also becomes fragrant.
- Add the dried bread cubes to a large mixing bowl, top with the sautéd vegetables, Italian sausage, herbs and spices, egg, and pour some chicken stock over the mixture.
- Begin stirring to combine everything, and add the remaining chicken stock as you stir.
- Next, preheat the oven to 350°f and butter the entire inside of a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Pour all the Italian Sausage Stuffing mixture into the backing dish pressing it down with a spatula or spoon to even it out in the dish.
- bake the stuffing for about an hour and fifteen minutes or until it has completely browned on top.
- If you'd like an even crispier top, which I highly recommend, you can turn the broiler on for about 2-3 minutes but watch closely to ensure it doesn't burn.
Video
Notes
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- If you'd like an even crispier top, which I highly recommend, you can turn the broiler on for about 2-3 minutes but watch closely to ensure it doesn't burn.
- If you don't have time to make Homemade Ground Italian Sausage, I recommend buying links from the store and removing the Sausage from their casings. It will become finer ground meat that helps texturally
- By using fresh homemade rosemary bread and drying it yourself, you add a better flavor without any additives and keep a little extra moisture in the stuffing.
- Try serving this with an easy brown gravy. The two pair perfectly, especially with mashed potatoes and smoked turkey.
- If you prefer less spice, use sweet Italian sausage instead.
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