Easy Sausage & Herb Stuffing
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A 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 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 and dreaming of my pillow. I finally wised up by simplifying my side dishes and desserts. This rich sausage and herb stuffing relies on store-bought stuffing cubes, which eliminates the step of slicing and drying out the bread. Believe me, when you’re using a pound of sausage and an entire stick of butter, and pairing the dish with gravy and cranberry sauce, the type of bread does not matter!
What you’ll need to make Sausage Stuffing
I’ve made this recipe using stuffing cubes from the supermarket (usually made by Arnold or Pepperidge Farm) and “fresh” dried stuffing cubes from Whole Foods — both work well, but if you can get the ones from Whole Foods, they add a bit more texture (they are sold in a plastic bag labeled “stuffing cubes”).
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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- Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
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Easy Sausage & Herb Stuffing
A 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 (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 1½ 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
- 2¾ cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ 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 ¼-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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I still think bread crumbs are better.
Our Thanksgiving was a partly Once Upon a Chef holiday with this delicious and easy Sausage and Herb Stuffing. It was perfectly moist and toasted, as well as, nicely seasoned with fresh herbs. It will definitely be included on our next year’s Thanksgiving table. I also made the cranberry chutney. Wow! it’s the perfect complement to the meal. Thanks for your great recipes.
This stuffing was super easy to make, required standard ingredients and was loved by everyone! The tip to use store bought bread cubes was very appreciated!
the highlight of thanksgiving was watching everyone demolish this stuffing. in a family of culinary-inclined people, impressing anyone with a dish is a tall order, but this recipe was perfect. I did add a little fennel, maybe 2 TBSP and some of the fennel tops. The sage, fresh rosemary, and parsley really came through and complemented the sausage perfectly. We had a decased sweet Italian sausage in the fridge, just under 2 lbs, which was perfect for doubling the recipe. For a 9×13″ pan, doubling it was perfect! We also used packaged cornbread stuffing squares instead of regular bread and I think the mealy texture really made this so much heartier.
Another holiday meal made better with your stuffing, Jenn! Cannot thank you enough!
Great stuffing. Even with gluten free bread!
They say don’t try a new recipe on Thanksgiving, but I wasn’t worried at all because it was a Jenn recipe. And this stuffing did not dissapoint! It was moist with the perfect little crispy bits on top. I couldn’t find plain/unseasoned bread stuffing mix so I scaled back on the salt, but did add all of the listed herbs. I used Italian sausage links and removed the casings. SO good, loved by all. Found Once Upon a Chef recently and is now my GO TO for all recipes I need.
Too dry for our tastes. But a good base recipe to start from.
You are amazing. Period. I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. I am a pretty experienced chef, but you are my go-to and you never fail to produce flavorful, accurate recipes that are easy to follow. xoxo
Jenn! This is a FANTASTIC recipe! I appreciate you getting back to me regarding adding mushrooms. I did add 2-3 cups and it turned out wonderfully! I followed your recipe exactly other then making my own bread cubes. My family said that of all the amazing items on our thanksgiving table, this was the clear winner. This is the recipe I will use from here on. Absolutely wonderful!
Was a delicious stuffing. I got a lot of compliments! Glad I found this recipe! Will use it in the coming years again
Made this for Thanksgiving to rave reviews. Thank you!
Family loved this! So glad I prepped the day before Thanksgiving because it took me MUCH longer than 10 minutes to prepare. Just the onions and celery have to cook for around 8 minutes. Add all the chopping and the laborious browning and breaking of the sausage meat and it was at least 45 mins to an hour of prep. Happy to say family thinks it was all worth it:)
Loved this recipe! I grew up with very savory dressings and was always trying to find just the right combination. I used stuffing cubes from my local bakery, and the only change I made to the recipe was to add some cream to the broth/egg step. It hit ALL the right notes for me. Will be adding this to my permanent rotation.
Loved this! I always make sausage stuffing and this was the tastiest.
Cook temp and time is too high for my liking. It started to burn, crisp and dry out after only 30 min. I didn’t care for the garlic/rosemary. I should’ve trusted my old sage sausage recipe at 30 min at 350 degrees. Thankfully I was able to save it at the end by stirring it, covering with foil and lowering the temp. The flavor was fine but temp and cook time needs adjustment.
I made the entire dish the day before, including baking it. On Thanksgiving, I covered it with foil reheated it. It was a bit drier for my taste than I expected and while the sausage imparted good flavor, there didn’t seem to be enough of it. Next time I may bake for slightly less time the day before and I may sprinkle some chicken broth over the dish before reheating it. I will also increase the sausage a bit. Even though it was slightly dry and the sausage amount seemed light, it was very good. The gravy, of course, helped moisten it up and add additional flavor. The top pieces of the dish browned nicely and a perfect little crunch. Overall, I was very pleased and will definitely be making this again. I used Whole Foods plain, unseasoned stuffing cubes.
My Mom’s was always the best stuffing. But we lost her to Covid and I never thought would make any that was so tasty. I tried this one, only change was using all fresh herbs. It was accepted and loved as the substitute for Moms. Delicious and easy. I knew i could depend on your recipe site. This is a “forever” in our house. Thank you. So grateful.
Hi Karen, I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your mother. 😢 And I’m really happy to hear that this stuffing was reminiscient of your mom’s. 💗
Have made this the last few years and it’s in the oven once again. It’s only 2 of us this year and I thought about making a smaller batch. Mentioned that to my sweetie and he said “Nope”. 😁 So full batch for the 2 of us! Yes, it’s that good. 😊
I added an extra half pound of sausage and a cup of sliced cremini mushrooms. it was sensational.
After adding the broth and mixing in the liquid, I’m noticing that some of the bread cubes are still dry. Should I add more stock?
Hi Danielle, I’m weighing in too late to help – sorry! If you used the amounts called for in the recipe, you shouldn’t have needed to add more broth. How did it come out?
This is my third year in a row making this stuffing. It’s my favorite & my family gobbles it up. This year, I’m trying potato bread cubes and excited to see how they turn out.
Last year, when we were getting tired of Turkey Day leftovers, I took the stuffing, diced up our ham, and added it to a muffin tin with eggs to make a delectable brunch muffin that I’ll definitely do again this year.
I love it! Thank you!
This is my 5th year using this recepie & it is a HIT! My family loves it!
It’s in the oven with 30 minutes to go and I took beautiful before pics! I certainly am overdoing it! But I wanted something traditional to be spectacularly reminiscent of our childhood, when people took time. I put a lot if love into this, had my SHOKS on with Marley, Stick Figure, & Dirty Heads playing positive music and I thought of my love as he lay sleeping in the recliner, trying to wait for me, with every dice, slice, pinch, stir, I thought of how much I love him and how thankful I am. So, between your bomb recipe and a lotta love, hopefully 🤞🏻, we will blow everyone’s socks off!!
💗
Great recipe..I added chopped up apple pieces to mine. Everyone loved it
Can I stuff my turkey with this?
Hi Victoria, I prefer baking it separately which makes it crisp on top. But if you want to cook it inside the turkey, I’d suggest reducing the broth by about 1/2 cup because the turkey will add moisture to it. Enjoy!
Do I bake it covered or uncovered? Happy Thanksgiving?
Hi Kirsten, You bake it uncovered. Enjoy!
Im making this right now and added 2 cans sliced waterchestnuts should I cube a green apple as well or would that be to much???
Hi Lorri, I may add 1/2 an apple. I’d love to hear how it turns out with both additions!
Has anyone added walnuts?
Making this today for tomorrow! Thank you for replying to everyone’s posted comments, that is really amazing of you in this busy season! 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!
💗
May be too late to get an answer, but I just realized that my bread cubes have been reduced in size to 10 oz (rather than the 12 they have always been). Any clues on how much to reduce the other ingredients to accommodate? (wish I had more time to get another package, but that ship has sailed!) Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Miriam, instead of reducing the other ingredients, I’d just use 2 ounces of cubed and toasted bread to account for the discrepancy. Happy Thanksgiving to you!
I could only find a 320g (12oz) bag of herb seasoned cubes (I’ll omit salt). Will that work? I’m a little confused by the 8 cups/420g. Thanks Jenn!
Hi Lisa, rather than cutting back on the other ingredients, I’d use 100 grams of cubed and toasted bread to make up for the discrepancy. Enjoy!
If I make this the night before, will it be dry the next day? Also, will this taste good with potato bread stuffing cubes?
No, it won’t dry out and I think it will taste good with potato bread stuffing cubes. Please LMK how it turns out with the potato bread!
Hello, I have the herb seasoned cubes for stuffing. Should I eliminate the sage, rosemary and parsley?
Hi Gloria, you don’t need to omit them; I’d just cut the salt back a little and add it to taste. Enjoy!
Hi. If I use seasoned stuffing and use dry spices, what adjustments do I need to make? Thank you.
Hi Kristin, I would just cut back the salt a little and add it to taste. And for dry seasonings, you’ll need 1 tsp of rosemary and sage and 1 and a heaping quarter tablespoon of parsley. Hope that helps!
I made this last night before I noticed your note about preparing one day ahead. I put in the refrigerator and hope it will still be fine to bake on Thanksgiving? It will be in the refrigerator 2 days before baking. Thoughts?
Hi Karen, It will be fine. No worries!
I have 12x10x2 foil pans. Could the dish be assembled and baked in those? Thank you in advance Chef! Hope you have a nice Thanksgiving.
Sure, Elliott – that will be fine. Enjoy!
We make this stuffing every year… it tastes great every time!
Hi Jenn,
I’m excited to try this recipe out for the holiday this year! I was wondering, what ingredients could I increase to feed a handful more people? Thank you for your help!
Erin
Hi Erin, I would increase everything by just a bit.
Hi Jenn, my first time asking a question about your recipe. I don’t have fresh herbs, how much dried herbs would I use? Thanks
Hi Marcie, You’ll need 1 tsp of rosemary and sage and 1 and a heaping quarter tablespoon of parsley. Hope that helps!
Can I use regular mild ground sausage instead of italian?
Yep that will work well.
Hi Jenn,
Happy Thanksgiving! I’m not able to find any “stuffing cubes”. Would it be possible to use croutons? If so, do you have a preferred flavor or brand?
Is that a really dumb question…..?
Thanks so much!
Ha! Not a dumb question – they are essentially the same thing 🙂 I would look for any brand of unseasoned croutons.
Is it possible to use white bread cubes in this recipe?
Yes that’s fine.
Is it possible to prepare stuffing ahead, refrigerate it and just bake it on the day of?
Hi Mollie, Yes that’s fine. Enjoy!
I made this last year and I’m back for more this Thanksgiving. Great balance, texture and flavor. Highly recommend. (I might add some cranberry raisins this year…)
Hi Jen, I’m having a lot of trouble finding unseasoned breadcrumbs. If I have to use seasoned breadcrumbs, what would I need to eliminate from your recipe? Thank you!
Hi Lisa, Just cut back a bit on the salt; I would just add it to taste.
Hi – I bought the “cornbread stuffing mix” from trader joes. I was thinking of using those stuffing cubes. Do you think it will work with this recipe?
Hi Anna, It will work but it will be cornbread stuffing rather than traditional stuffing.
I need to make a gluten free version to accommodate some dietary restrictions. Can I substitute with gluten free bread?
Yep definitely!
I make it gluten free every year with Schars baguettes and a loaf of their white bread. Killer every single time!
I made this stuffing last Thanksgiving and it was delicious. Took me a while to find the recipe again because I wanted to make it again this Thanksgiving. So grateful that I found it. Will save it for next year!
Love your recipes. I’m prepping the stuffing recipe now and will most likely freeze it. Question; if I add some mushrooms, will it make stuffing watery?
Nope, I think it will be delicious. I would just be sure to cook the mushrooms along with the onions and celery. I’d love to know how it turns out!
Hi Jen,
I bought whole foods stuffing cubes and realized it when I got home it said cornbread stuffing cubes. Can I use this in this recipe?
Hi Karen, Yes, it will be cornbread stuffing but still delish 🙂
Jenn,
I have make so many of your recipes, have your cookbooks and love it all. We’ll have vegetarians (I’m one of them) at our Thanksgiving table. If I leave the sausage out of this recipe and exchange the chicken broth for vegetable broth, what changes would you recommend to the cooking and/or baking?
Thanks!
Hi Barbara, thanks for your kind words about the recipes and support of the cookbook! 🙂
The sausage adds a ton of flavor to this stuffing, so I wouldn’t recommend making it without; you could use this recipe instead.