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Easy Sausage & Herb Stuffing
A longtime family favorite for the holidays, this easy sausage and herb stuffing uses store-bought stuffing cubes, eliminating the step of slicing and drying out the bread.
I used to host elaborate Thanksgiving celebrations, where I’d cook and prepare for days on end, only to be completely exhausted by the time my guests arrived on Thanksgiving day. After one glass of wine, I’d be nodding off at the table, dreaming of my pillow! I finally wised up by simplifying my menu and recipes. This delicious sausage and herb stuffing, for example, relies on store-bought stuffing cubes, which eliminates the step of slicing and drying out the bread. Believe me, when you are using a pound of sausage and an entire stick of butter, the bread does not matter much!
What you’ll need to make Sausage Stuffing
I’ve made this recipe using plain ol’ stuffing cubes from the supermarket (pictured above, usually made by Arnold or Pepperidge Farm) and “fresh” dried stuffing cubes from Whole Foods — both work well, although if you can get the ones from Whole Foods (they are sold in a plastic bag and labeled “stuffing cubes”), they do add a bit more texture.
As for the sausage, try to find bulk Italian sausage, which is simply sausage without the casings. If you can’t find it, just buy regular Italian sausage and remove the casings; the best way is to cut straight through the sausages with kitchen shears and then peel the casings off (this is much more efficient than trying to squeeze the meat out).
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by melting a stick of butter in a large sauté pan. Add the chopped onions and celery.
Cook until soft, about 8 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more.
Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl. In the same pan, cook the sausage until browned.
As it cooks, use a metal spatula to break it apart into small pieces.
Add the sausage to the stuffing cubes and veggies. Then add the broth, egg, herbs, salt and pepper.
Mix well.
Transfer the contents to a buttered 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Bake for 65-75 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crisp.
Enjoy!
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Easy Sausage & Herb Stuffing
A longtime family favorite for the holidays, this easy sausage and herb stuffing uses store-bought stuffing cubes, eliminating the step of slicing and drying out the bread.
Ingredients
- 8 cups (400g) store-bought unseasoned stuffing cubes
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
- 1-1/2 cups diced yellow onion (from 1 large or 2 small onions)
- 1 cup diced celery (from 3 large celery stalks)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage (i.e., sausage with the casings removed) -- see note below
- 2-3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Place the stuffing cubes in a large mixing bowl.
- In a large sauté pan, melt the butter. Add the onions and celery and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add the vegetables to the stuffing cubes. (Don't wash the pan but scrape out every last bit of vegetables, otherwise they will burn in the next step.)
- In the same pan, cook the sausage over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a metal spatula while cooking (the largest pieces should be no greater than 1/4-inch). Add the browned sausage and fat to the bread cubes and vegetables.
- Add the chicken broth, egg, rosemary, sage, parsley, salt and pepper to the bread cube mixture and mix until the bread is soft and moistened. Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish and bake for 65-75 minutes, uncovered, until deeply golden and crisp on top.
- Note: If you can't find bulk sausage, simply buy regular sausage and remove the casings.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The stuffing can be assembled up to a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake; follow the baking instructions in the recipe. It can also can be frozen after baking, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve it, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Reheat it, covered with foil, in a 325°F oven until hot.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 467
- Fat: 28 grams
- Saturated fat: 10 grams
- Carbohydrates: 40 grams
- Sugar: 5 grams
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Protein: 15 grams
- Sodium: 1,063 mg
- Cholesterol: 57 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Reviews & Comments
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Hands down the BEST stuffing I have ever made and / or tasted! This has become our favorite stuffing.
Well done…
Marc
This was literally perfect as-is. I made this for my family for Thanksgiving AND Christmas! My brother, who is relatively picky, even requested it! My family has spent years searching for the perfect stuffing recipe and This. Is. It. We all around loved it.
If I had to give a suggestion to cooks of this dish: more sage never hurt anyone 🙂
I loved the decadent taste of the stuffing cubes (how easy, btw) and sausage, along with the delicate taste of the spices. Looking back, I would have used more spices to even the flavors even more to create a nice symphony! Honestly, so good.
Hands down the best stuffing recipe ever! It was one of the favorite dishes at Thanksgiving this year. I will be making this every year!
Love this recipe! I make it every holiday. The combination of flavours is wonderful, great addition to my holiday table.
This is my go to recipe for stuffing… it is a hit every time I make it! I do not make any changes to the recipe except for possibly doubling it!
I’ve made this recipe every year since I found it. It has become one of my family’s favorite parts of the meal. I freeze left-overs and serve them whenever I want to add a little something special.
This was the holiday meal stuffing I had been imagining – perfect flavor and texture. I cut the sausage by half and it was perfectly flavorful and rich without being too rich. I browned the sausage and sautéed the veggies and herbs a week beforehand and put them in the freezer. Christmas Day I just had to stir the broth and thawed veggie sausage mixture into the bread and bake! Super easy!!
Made this 3 or 4 times and it’s foolproof; my only complaint is it’s pretty butter-heavy and can be hard to eat a lot of on account of the grease. The flavour profile is astounding.
Over the years I have made so many variations of stuffing and I’ve finally found the ‘one’. It was moist, just enough seasoning and delicious. I did add carrots and didn’t have fresh sage and so I used dried sage. I also used this recipe for the stuffed turkey breast recipe from this site too. My only complaint is that I wish I made more. I have zero leftovers of stuffing which is usually the one dish I normally have an abundance of after our Christmas meal! My entire family loved this – Thank you!
Sorry realized I didn’t indicate 5 stars
Made this for the first time today. The flavor was great. As I poured in the broth I still had a half cup left and realized the stuffing cubes were getting pretty mushy so I didn’t add more. It was a good call. The top baked up nicely but under that stayed much mushier than I would have liked. So next time I will reduce the liquid even further. I suggest adding the liquid very slowly so that your stuffing doesn’t get mushy. Wouldn’t change anything as far as flavor goes though because it was excellent.
Hands down the best stuffing I’ve ever had and/or made. I made it a day ahead like Jen mentioned and it was flawless. Made thanksgiving less stressful! I cannot wait to make it again tomorrow in prep for our Christmas meal. It’s only three of us eating due to covid restrictions but I’m making the entire recipe portion! Haha
Thanks Jen, you are a legend!
Ps zero additives/alterations needed. Let’s leave perfection alone! 🙂
Hi,
Can you use boxed stovetop stuffing instead of the cubes?
Thanks,
Meghan
Hi Meghan, I sometimes use the unseasoned Pepperidge Farm stuffing cubes. I’m not sure if Stovetop stuffing cubes are seasoned or if there is some sort of seasoning packet? If they are seasoned, I would cut back on the salt and herbs.
This was THE BEST STUFFING!!!! I have already made it twice this holiday season. Perfect as is. No changes needed.
Really good! I also added 1-2 diced carrots, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, and omitted the egg. I also premade it the day before and just refrigerated until ready to put in the oven 🙂
Hi Jenn,
Can I make this recipe without using any sausage?
Hi Heather, the sausage plays a really important role here as it adds a ton of flavor. If you want a vegetarian option, I’d suggest this stuffing instead. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Thank you so much for your suggestion and honesty. Have a safe holiday season.
Can turkey parts, legs, thighs be put on top of stuffing and baked at same time?
Hi Lucille, I wouldn’t recommend it. I don’t think the meat will be fully cooked by the time the stuffing is done. Sorry!
I was not a fan of sausage stuffing to go with Thanksgiving dinner but this recipe changed my mind. It was delicious. I bought the bulk mild sausage meat from Whole Foods and used heir stuffing cubes as well. By breaking the sausage meat into small pieces while sautéing gave the stuffing a subtle flavor without overpowering the other flavors. Used no butter(allergies in family) and sautéed the veggies in sausage drippings. It was a hit with the family and will make it again!
Thank you Jenn! Your recipes don’t disappoint!
I made this for Thanksgiving and this was really nice. I had a slightly smaller bag of stuffing mix and it still worked perfectly. Thank you!
So good. I was a little intimidated but prevailed. Thinking about adding chopped apples next time. What’s your opinion on that, Jenn?
Hi Mark, I think apples would be delicious.
This was second recipe I made for this years feast, I did mod it a bit by using the cornbread crumbs, and had some turkey bone broth, but everything else was same. All raved about this recipe as well. Delish, and I love your site too as well. Its bookmarked! Trying the beef stew recipe tomorrow, as we are a bit worn out now on Thanksgiving recipes!
This was fantastic. I stuffed my bird and had a little left over and baked it. I think I baked it too long by accident, however no one complained. My family questioned why I was changing things up, I told them I have always hated my family’s recipe…. they now want this one! Will be making this every year, it was so so good! Thanks Jenn for your assistance on my questions ( green onion substitution was spot on and did not affect by son’s UC condition) and your speedy replies, you are AWESOME! I have used many of your other recipes as well!
Delicious, everyone loved it. The only things I added was a little extra fresh sage and swapped out the sausage for mild turkey sausage 👍👍👍
Super easy to make and fantastic. I added 1 granny smith apple and cranberries. This is going to be a Thanksgiving staple.
Followed the recipe to the letter, except I left out the onions to which my wife is allergic (makes cooking difficult!). I used onion powder instead.
This is an easy recipe. However, it came out a little dry. Otherwise, good taste.
Very flavorful but the top layer of cubes were dry and too crunchy. May try with ground-up bread crumbs next time.