Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Cranberries and Apples (2024)

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This easy Sausage Stuffing recipe is our absolute favorite! Loaded with sausage, cranberries, apples and tons of fresh herbs it’s the perfect addition to your holiday feast! Preparing for Thanksgiving? Don’t forget these light and fluffy dinner rolls, the best turkey gravy, and the JUICIEST Crockpot Turkey Breast!

Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Cranberries and Apples (1)

Sausage Stuffing

When it comes to Thanksgiving, there is nothing I look forward to more than the stuffing. Unless it’s the crockpot turkey breast…and the mashed potatoes…and the turkey gravy…and the green beans…and the rolls (we like to make these dinner rolls AND my mom’s crescent rolls – carb loading yo!)

Okay, you got me. I like it ALL.

Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Cranberries and Apples (2)

When Chris and I first started hosting Thanksgiving, it was my brother-in-law who brought the stuffing every year. It was the first time I had had sausage stuffing and was like whoa – where has this been all my life? I have slowly adapted that recipe to include both dried cranberries and apples and loads of fresh herbs.

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I love this easy stuffing recipe because it can easily be adapted to be a looser style stuffing or a moister stuffing.

What Is The Difference Between Stuffing and Dressing?

Generally speaking, stuffing is referred to as mixture that gets stuffed inside the bird and dressing is baked in a separate baking dish. This doesn’t hold true for the entire population though, including me. For whatever reason, we have always called this stuffing whether it gets cooked inside the turkey or not and I know this is true for many parts of the country.

The bottom line? Call it what you want. I won’t be offended 🙂

Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Cranberries and Apples (3)

This stuffing recipe is loaded with good stuff. Tart granny smith apples, rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, sausage, and cranberries. So good you guys!

How to Toast the Bread

It starts with cubed bread. I used a combination of sourdough and ciabatta but any kind will do. You can also buy a bag of the cubed stuffing at the store if you’re in a pinch.

The bread is cubed and then toasted in the oven just until it’s nicely dried out and crunchy. This will allow it to absorb the stock and butter and all those flavors.

You an use any type of bread you like. I usually go for sourdough, French, or ciabatta.

Can I Use Store Bought Stuffing Mix

Yes you can! If you need to save some time, you can use the store bought stuffing mix. Just skip the bread toasting part of the recipe and continue as directed.

Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Cranberries and Apples (4)

What Are The Eggs For?

I like to use two eggs in this stuffing recipe to hold it together a bit more but one is great if you want a looser stuffing. I actually used just one the day I photographed the recipe so that will give you a good idea of what it will look like.

Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Cranberries and Apples (5)

What You Need To Make This Stuffing Recipe

  • Bread.Ciabatta, Sourdough, French, whatever you want. Or buy the stuffing bread at the store.
  • Fresh Herbs. Rosemary, thyme, sage, and parsley. Fresh is really best and will make your stuffing shine this holiday season.
  • Granny Smith apple. You could use a Gala as well but I love the tartness of the Granny Smith.
  • Turkey or Chicken stock or broth. Whatever you have on hand.
  • Dried Cranberries. I use a cup in this recipe but you can add more or less depending on your preference.
  • Onion and Celery. Of course. These two ingredients are the building blocks of all good stuffing recipes.
  • Eggs. One of two depending on your preference. Two eggs will hold the stuffing together better.

Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Cranberries and Apples (6)

Easy Sausage Stuffing

I know you guys are going to love this stuffing recipe! It’s so easy to pull together and the flavors are just perfect for the holidays! I sure hope you give it a try!

Complete Thanksgiving with These Favorites:

  1. Twice Baked Potato Casserole
  2. The BEST Dinner Rolls
  3. Crockpot Turkey Breast with Citrus and Herbs
  4. The Best Turkey Gravy
  5. The BEST Homemade Crescent Rolls
  6. Nana’s Famous Green Beans
  7. Maple Sage Smashed Yams with Marshmallow Butter

How To Make the Best Sausage Stuffing

Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Cranberries and Apples (7)

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5 from 7 votes

Stuffing Recipe with Sausage Cranberries and Apple

This easy Stuffing Recipe is our absolute favorite! Loaded with sausage, cranberries, apples and tons of fresh herbs it's the perfect addition to your holiday feast!

Course Side

Cuisine American

Keyword sausage stuffing, stuffing recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 350kcal

Author Trish - Mom On Timeout

Ingredients

  • 8 to 10 cups bread, cubed Ciabatta, Sourdough, French, etc.
  • 1 lb breakfast sausage sage flavored if you can find it
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 cup celery chopped
  • 1.5 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
  • 1.5 tbsp fresh sage chopped
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 Granny Smith apple chopped
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 to 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 21/2 to 3 1/2 cups low sodium turkey or chicken stock or broth
  • 8 tbsp butter melted, divided

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Place cubed bread on a large baking sheet and bake 5 to10 minutes until dried out. Set aside.

  • In a large skillet, brown sausage. Remove from skillet leaving one tablespoon of grease in skillet.

  • Add onion, celery, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt and pepper to skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent.

  • Place dried bread cubes in a very large bowl. Add sausage, onion and herb mixture, apple, cranberries, eggs, 2 cups of stock or broth and 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Mix until combined.

  • Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish and press down lightly. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

  • Remove stuffing from oven and remove foil. Check consistency of stuffing. Add additional stock as needed and drizzle with the remaining 4 tablespoons of melted butter.

  • Return stuffing to the oven, uncovered, and continue to bake for an additional 15 to 25 minutes or until stuffing is lightly golden brown on the top.

  • Top with additional fresh herbs and serve immediately.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 596mg | Potassium: 289mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 465IU | Vitamin C: 4.5mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 2.1mg

Originally published November 10, 2018

Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Cranberries and Apples (8)

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Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Cranberries and Apples (2024)

FAQs

What does adding egg to stuffing do? ›

Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture.

Is it OK to make stuffing a day ahead of time? ›

No matter where you fall, getting a head start on what can be prepared before the big day is essential. One question that always crops up: Can you make stuffing ahead of time? The short answer to whether you can making stuffing ahead of time is yes.

What is sausage stuffing made of? ›

Sausage Stuffing Ingredients

Vegetables: You'll need finely diced celery and a chopped onion. Bread: The white bread cubes should ideally be slightly stale. If your bread seems too soft, lightly toast it in the oven. Seasonings: Season the sausage stuffing with poultry seasoning and ground black pepper.

Can you freeze stuffing? ›

Like we said, you can also freeze stuffing after it's baked. This option is better for freezing leftovers rather than prepping ahead. If you happened to make too much stuffing, you can portion the leftovers into food storage containers and pop in the freezer to enjoy during the days to come.

What can you use as a binder instead of eggs in stuffing? ›

16 egg substitutes
  1. Mashed banana. Mashed banana can act as a binding agent when baking or making pancake batter. ...
  2. Applesauce. Applesauce can also act as a binding agent. ...
  3. Fruit puree. Fruit puree will help bind a recipe in a similar way to applesauce. ...
  4. Avocado. ...
  5. Gelatin. ...
  6. Xanthan gum. ...
  7. Vegetable oil and baking powder. ...
  8. Margarine.
Mar 30, 2021

What can I substitute for eggs in stuffing? ›

Best Egg Substitutes
  • Flaxseed Meal. Flaxseeds have an earthy, nutty flavor and are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. ...
  • Chia Seeds. ...
  • Mashed Banana. ...
  • Applesauce. ...
  • Silken Tofu. ...
  • Aquafaba. ...
  • Starches. ...
  • Vinegar + Baking Powder.

Can you prepare uncooked stuffing ahead of time and refrigerate? ›

If you don't plan on stuffing the bird, but preparing the dressing as a side dish, you can prepare uncooked stuffing ahead of time as long as you freeze the stuffing immediately after mixing the wet and dry ingredients. USDA recommends that you never refrigerate uncooked stuffing.

Can you use week old bread for stuffing? ›

In fact, using stale bread and fresh bread will both leave you with equal amounts of mush. The longstanding tip to use old, stale bread for the perfect stuffing is actually a myth. Letting bread go stale doesn't actually dry it out. After sitting out on your counter, bread goes through the process of retrogradation.

Why can't you refrigerate uncooked stuffing? ›

Because stuffing is an excellent medium for bacterial growth, it's important to handle it safely and cook it to a safe minimum internal temperature as measured with a food thermometer. Here are some common ques- tions consumers ask. Stuffing should not be prepared ahead.

How much water do you put in sausage before stuffing? ›

Add at least 1 oz. of water per pound of meat to aid in the stuffing process.

What do you stuff sausage with? ›

Coat the sausage stuffer tube with vegetable shortening. Then, gently place a casing onto the sausage stuffer tube, ensuring you leave approximately four inches to securely tie off one end. Using the food pusher, feed the meat down and into the casing until about 4-6 inches of the casing remains.

Why use a sausage stuffer? ›

You will be surprised how easy it is to stuff your seasoned ground meat into sausage casings with a sausage stuffer. You can use your meat grinder with stuffing tubes to stuff your sausages, but a sausage stuffer is easier to control, especially if you are doing large batches of sausage.

Is it better to freeze stuffing cooked or uncooked? ›

Does Stuffing Need to Be Cooked Before Freezing? Stuffing can be frozen either fully cooked or uncooked, which is good news if you're looking for some make-ahead recipes to save time on the big day.

Can you make stuffing the day before and reheat? ›

YES! This stuffing is baked to golden perfection the day before the big meal. You store it in the fridge overnight and then simply warm it in the oven before dinner. Baking it twice allows the flavours to meld even more so this side dish is sure to be a star at the table.

Why use an egg as a thickener? ›

Creamy desserts such as crème brûlée also benefit from eggs' ability to emulsify and produce smooth, satiny, hom*ogeneous mixtures. Their ability to hold up to four times their weight in moisture makes eggs a good thickener for sauces, custards and curds. The proteins in eggs coagulate or set at different temperatures.

How do you keep stuffing moist? ›

Typically, baking the stuffing inside the bird helps keep the mixture moist. “I prefer stuffing (in the bird) to dressing (outside of the bird) because all those delicious drippings that come off the turkey gets absorbed right into the stuffing,” Bamford says.

Why do we need to apply egg yolk in some dressing? ›

You can use boiled egg yolks in scratch-made dressings or whisk them into store-bought dressings for the ultimate creamy upgrade. Boiled egg yolks can thicken a dressing without breaking or clumping while creating a silky consistency that thoroughly coats your salad ingredients.

What makes stuffing unhealthy? ›

Stuffing is not strictly a healthy food, because it is typically high in calories, fat, sodium, and refined carbohydrates. 1 But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, All foods can fit into a healthy diet in moderation.

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