Dad's Sausage Stuffing

Sausage stuffing in a pan with a serving spoon

5 from 3 votes

Dad’s sausage stuffing is a holiday classic in our house, a perfect balance of savory herbs and veggies, sweet-tart notes from apples and dried fruit, and heaps of crumbled sausage. Each bite is moist and tender inside, with a satisfyingly crispy top. This generous recipe means there’s plenty to go around—though good luck stopping at just one spoonful!

Prep Time35

Cook Time1 15

Total Time1 50

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: medium servings (2 pans)

Author: Grace Vallo

Equipment

2 (Two) 9x13" pans (I use disposable 9x13" aluminum stuffing pans)

Ingredients

3 pounds breakfast sausage meat I recommend Jone’s Natural Original Pork Sausage Rolls (not an ad)
24 ounces (12 cups) stuffing bread cubes I recommend Whole Foods plain stuffing bread cubes or Pepperidge Farm Cubed Stuffing depending on availability (see notes below)
2 ½ cups chicken broth
6 medium celery stalks chopped
2 large leeks chopped
1 large red onion chopped
2 large garlic cloves minced
2 medium Granny Smith apples diced
1 cup dried pitted apricots halved
1 cup dried pitted prunes quartered
¾ cup dried sweetened cranberries
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried sage leaves crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large pot, cook and crumble sausage meat out of the casing until browned and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to drain and set aside crumbled sausage in a paper towel-lined bowl.
Drain off juices from pot. Add in olive oil, celery, leeks, onion, garlic, thyme, and sage. Sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes, or until fragrant.
Remove pot from heat, and add in apples, apricots, prunes, cranberries, and salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
In an extra-large bowl (or in the pot if it can fit), add cubed bread. Toss.
Drizzle with broth and toss again.
Divide evenly between two 9x13” pans, smoothing into even layers (I use two 9x13” aluminum stuffing pans for ease but you can also use two regular, greased ones) OR let cool completely before stuffing turkey and baking remainder. See below for make-ahead instructions!
Bake for 45 minutes, covered tightly with foil, and then remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes (1 hour total). Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Best sausage to use: Jone’s Natural Original Pork Sausage Rolls (sausage meat out of the casing) are what my dad uses for this stuffing. It’s seriously so delicious and can typically be found in the frozen section of the grocery store. Thaw in fridge overnight. You can substitute your favorite breakfast sausage out of the casings, or even Italian sausage (spicy or sweet), depending on your preference!
Best bread to use: while you can dry out bread on your own, typically during the holiday season, Whole Foods sells plain dried bread cubes for you! You can also use Pepperidge Farm Cubed Stuffing bread. Unseasoned is best, but you can also use the Country Style Cubed Stuffing (don’t use extra seasoning at the bottom of the bag) if you can’t find plain.
Broth amount: if you like your stuffing extra moist, add a splash more broth. If you like it on the crunchier side, use a splash less broth.
You can typically find crumbled dried sage leaves (not ground sage) in the spice aisle of your grocery store (or on Amazon!).
Make ahead: Let unbaked stuffing, tossed with broth, cool completely in pans, before covering tightly and refrigerating up to 3 days ahead. Remove from fridge, drizzle with a bit more broth if desired, and bake according to instructions above!

Nutrition