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This Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving dinner. It’s also a great side dish throughout the year.
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Sausage Stuffing
Stuffing makes a great side dish any time of the year. Although we typically think of this fantastic casserole as part of our menus for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you don’t have to reserve it just for the holidays.
While those boxes of stuffing you buy at the store are good, homemade is even better. This recipe is full of savory sausage, tart apples along with cranberries, and plenty of herbed, moist breadcrumbs to create a side dish your family will look forward to and crave.
Thanksgiving Stuffing
If there’s one side dish my family looks forward to seeing on the Thanksgiving table, it’s stuffing. In particular, this easy, flavorful recipe! It’s been in our family for years, and it’s always a hit when we share it with others.
Our other favorite Thanksgiving recipes are always on our menu: Instant Pot Turkey Breast, Apricot Dijon Spiral Ham, Southern Baked Mac and Cheese, Waldorf Salad, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with my Gravy recipe, and Classic Green Bean Casserole.
How to make Sausage Stuffing
Ingredients
- sweet Italian sausage – or use a premium pork sausage roll (ex. Jimmy Dean)
- butter – I prefer unsalted, but you can use salted as well. If you use salted butter, be sure to account for the salt in the butter when seasoning with additional salt and pepper.
- tart apples – Granny Smoth or Braeburn apples are the best choices.
- onions – leeks can also be used.
- celery
- poultry seasoning
- dried rosemary
- dried cranberries – if you prefer, you can use fresh or frozen cranberries.
- white bread cubes – sourdough, cornbread, or another bread can be used.
- chicken stock
- salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
In a large skillet, brown and crumble the sausage over medium-high heat. With a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a large bowl. Drain the grease from the pan.
Melt the butter in the same pan. Add the apples, onions, celery, and poultry seasoning. Cook until softened, about 8-10 minutes.
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Add the rosemary, dried cranberries, and cooked sausage. Mix in the dried breadcrumbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Moisten the mixture with chicken broth.
Transfer the mixture to a large buttered casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes to brown the top.
Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing FAQs
Yes! You can make this recipe up to three days ahead. First, prepare the recipe as written and place it in a covered baking dish in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, allow the baking dish to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking as directed. If necessary, add a little more broth before baking.
Properly stored in an airtight container in the fridge, leftover stuffing is good for up to five days.
Yes, you can! You can freeze it before or after baking. Stored airtight, this recipe can be frozen for up to two to three months. When ready to use, you don’t have to thaw it, but you can. To thaw, allow the dish to thaw overnight in the fridge.
For smaller portions, it’s best to use the microwave.
For larger portions, it’s best to use the oven. To reheat, bake in an aluminum foil-covered baking dish in a 325°F oven for 15-20 minutes, then remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until heated through. Note, you may need to drizzle some additional broth over the stuffing before baking.
A serving of stuffing is 1/2 cup. Be sure to adjust the amount if you plan on having any leftovers.
Recipe Tips
- Want to bake some of the stuffing inside your turkey? You totally can! A 12-14 pound turkey will hold approximately 5 cups of this stuffing recipe. Then, you can bake the remainder as directed in the recipe.
- Need more oven space? You can also prepare this in your slow cooker on LOW for 3-4 hours.
- Try changing up this recipe by using sourdough, cornbread, or another bread in place of the white bread cubes. I even heard someone used waffles one time! 😉
- Speaking of waffles – use leftover stuffing and reheat it in a waffle maker to make a stuffing waffle!
Other recipes you may enjoy
Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 tart apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 2 cups onions, chopped
- 2 cups celery, chopped
- 4 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 12 cups white bread cubes, baked until slightly dry
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock, or as needed
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown and crumble the sausage over medium-high heat. With a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a large bowl. Drain the grease from the pan.
- Melt the butter in the same pan. Add the apples, onions, celery, and poultry seasoning. Cook until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Add the rosemary, dried cranberries, and cooked sausage. Mix in the dried breadcrumbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Moisten the mixture with chicken broth.
- Transfer the mixture to a large buttered casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes to brown the top.
Notes
- Want to bake some of the stuffing inside your turkey? You totally can! A 12-14 lb. turkey will hold approximately 5 cups of this stuffing recipe. Then, you can bake the remainder as directed in the recipe.
- Need more oven space? You can also prepare this in your slow cooker on LOW for 3-4 hours.
- Try changing up this recipe by using sourdough, cornbread, or another bread in place of the white bread cubes. I even heard someone used waffles one time! 😉
- Speaking of waffles – use leftover stuffing and reheat it in a waffle maker to make a stuffing waffle
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
