This is hands-down my family’s favorite Sausage Stuffing recipe. It’s easy to make and is packed with flavor. And, regardless if you stuff it into the bird or just serve it on the side, it’s a tasty side to round out any holiday feast.
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Loaded with plump and juicy sausage, tender rice, lots of carrots, celery, and onion and just the right amount of spices, this easy Sausage Stuffing recipe is a keeper! Stuff it or serve it on the side as dressing – the choice is yours, and either way, it’s oh so good!
Eons ago when I had my deli and catering business, we would make gallons and gallons of this Sausage Stuffing Recipe each fall. We sold whole holiday meals, and would roast dozens of turkeys and put together full holiday meals. This sausage dressing recipe was our non-vegetarian option, and people would go nuts over it, asking for it year after year.
What You Need To Make Sausage Stuffing Recipe
- Sausage – see my notes below
- Butter
- Onions
- Celery
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Thyme
- Sage
- Dried bread cubes – see my notes below
- Rice – I like a white and wild rice blend
- Chicken broth – use low or no sodium added
What’s The Difference Between Stuffing & Dressing?
The words are often used interchangeably, but traditionally, stuffing refers to that which is stuffed INSIDE the turkey. Dressing is served on the side, cooked in the oven in a casserole dish.
Cooking a stuffed turkey can be a challenge, especially if the turkey is large. Some of the pitfalls include turkey that’s too dry, and stuffing that isn’t cooked through properly. When stuffed inside a turkey, the stuffing will be infused with raw turkey juices. Therefore, it needs to be cooked to an internal temperature of 165-F. To get the stuffing that hot, the turkey can dry out. Here are my tips for helping to ensure your turkey stays moist and your turkey Sausage Stuffing cooks through.
- Bring the turkey to room temperature before roasting.
- Heat the stuffing in the microwave for a few minutes to warm it up. Not so warm that you can’t use your hands to stuff the birrd, but warm enough that it gets a head start on the cooking process.
- Cook your bird low and slow – that’ll help the stuffing come up to temperature faster.
- Cover the turkey with foil for the first part of the cooking time – that’ll help keep the heat in and get that stuffing cooked through.
- Don’t super-pack the cavity! Resist the urge to jam in as much sausge stuffing as possible. Loosely filled it’ll heat up faster.
What Kind of Sausage Do you Use in This Sausage Stuffing REcipe?
Regardless if you’re making sausage dressing or stuffing, a good sausage will really give this dish a flavor boost. You’ve got some options:
- Italian sausage – hot or mild – works well in this dish
- Oktoberfest sausage or bratwurst – has a milder flavor that pairs nicely with the herbs
- Chicken sausage – use your favortie UNcooked chicken sausage in this recipe
Should I use Bread Cubes or Crumbs?
There are all kinds of bread options when it comes to making this homemade sausage stuffing recipe. I’ve used the Pepperidge Farms stuffing which is pre-seasoned and is more crumb-like, I’ve used their cubes, too. I’ve also used dried plain bread cubes from the bakery, and even made my own.
It comes down to personal preference, but if you ask for my favorite, I’m going to go with the seasoned cubes. The seasoning adds a bit more flavor to the stuffing, and I like the texture of the cubes. The crumby stuff makes the stuffing too soft – I like a bit of texture. So, if you have a choice and don’t have a preference, look for pre-seasoned cubes – they look like croutons!
How To Make this Sausage Stuffing REcipe
Scroll down for the recipe card complete with ingredient amounts and full instructions.
- Get the sausage into a large skillet and cook it over medium heat using a spatula to break up the lumps. Don’t pulverize it, you want some meaty chunks in there.
- Once the pink is out of your sausage, add the diced veggies. Don’t worry about the sausage fat -that’s flavor! In fact, add a few tablespoons of butter to the veggies to help them get nice and soft.
- When the veggies are soft and the onion is translucent, add the herbs and cook for an additional minute until you can smell them.
- Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the directions on the package.
- Put the sausage and veggies into a large bowl with the cooked rice. Mix well. Add the bread cubes and drizzle with the chicken (or turkey) stock until moist but not wet.
- Stuff the bird with the mixture. If you’re using this as dressing, add about 1/2 cup more stock. Pop it into a casserole dish, cover it with foil or a lid, and bake in a 375-F oven until heated through.
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- The sausage meat stuffing that goes into the bird needs to be a bit dryer because it’ll soak up all the juices from the turkey, so don’t be afraid if it’s a bit on the crumbly side when you are ready to stuff it in.
- Add some pecans or chopped Brazil nuts to the mixture if you like a bit of crunch.
- This is a really versatile recipe – jazz it up with your favorite herbs, sausage, and flavors!
What To Serve With This Sausage Stuffing Recipe
Go for all the fixings! Whether for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or another feast, pair this amazing sausage dressing recipe with your favorite sides. These Snowman Macarons are a festive dessert to add to your meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
You sure can! It freezes well, but my advice is to use a vacuum sealer to freeze it. This will keep it from getting freezer burned or dried out in the freezer keeping it fresh for months.
Heck yes! And there isn’t an egg to be seen in this recipe. Eggs are, in my experience, unnecessary for stuffing. They can be used in some dressing recipes to make the dish more cake-like, but in stuffing? Forget the eggs and try it this way!
Yes! Instead of using separate amounts of thyme and sage, use poultry seasoning. Just watch that it isn’t too salty!
You bet, and it can be made a few days ahead of time to cut down on the work it takes to cook a holiday feast!
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SteP By Step Process
Sausage Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup uncooked wild rice blend
- 1/2 pound sausage casings removed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 8 cups bread cubes
- 2 cups low or no sodium chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, using a spatula to break up the lumps. Don't pulverize it, you want some meaty chunks in there.
- Once the pink is cooked out of your sausage, add the diced veggies. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and cook the veg until they're soft but not brown – about 5 minutes.
- Add the herbs and cook for an additional minute until they're fragrant.
- Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the directions on the package.
- Add the sausage and veggies into a large bowl with the cooked rice. Mix well. Add the bread cubes and drizzle with the chicken (or turkey) stock until moist but not wet. Stir well, adding broth as needed until the bread cubes are softened.
- Stuff the bird with the mixture and bake until the turkey is cooked. If you're using this as dressing, add about 1/2 cup more stock. Pop it into a casserole dish, cover it with foil or a lid, and bake in a 375-F oven until heated through.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- The sausage meat stuffing that goes into the bird needs to be a bit dryer because it’ll soak up all the juices from the turkey, so don’t be afraid if it’s a bit on the crumbly side when you are ready to stuff it in.
- If you’re using this recipe as a dressing, add an extra 1/2 cup of chicken broth and bake it covered, in the oven until heated through.
- Add some pecans or chopped Brazil nuts to the mixture if you like a bit of crunch.
- This is a really versatile recipe – jazz it up with your favorite herbs, sausage, and flavors!
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
