Easy Sausage & Herb Stuffing Recipe
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This rich and savory stuffing recipe is perfect the holidays. Hearty sausage, fragrant herbs, and store-bought stuffing cubes make it easy—and you can even make it ahead!
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 recipe 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 turkey gravy and cranberry sauce, the type of bread you use does not matter. This is the easiest and best stuffing recipe, hands down!
“I made this for Thanksgiving and made the mistake of not doubling the recipe. Corrected that for Christmas as it was GONE – first empty dish on the buffet table.”
What You’ll Need To Make Sausage Stuffing
- Store-bought unseasoned stuffing cubes – I’ve made this easy stuffing recipe using dried bread cubes from both Arnold and Pepperidge Farm. I’ve also had good results with the “fresh” dried bread cubes from Whole Foods, which add a bit more texture (these are sold in plastic bags labeled “stuffing cubes”).
- Unsalted butter – Adds rich flavor and helps create a moist texture.
- Aromatics (yellow onion, celery, and garlic) – Provide savory depth and a classic stuffing flavor.
- Bulk sweet Italian sausage – If you can, look for bulk sausage (sausage without casings). If only whole sausages are available, just remove the casings: cut through the sausages with kitchen shears, then peel the casings off—it’s much easier than squeezing out the meat.
- Low-sodium chicken broth – Keeps the stuffing moist without adding too much salt.
- Large egg – Helps bind the stuffing together for a cohesive texture.
- Fresh Herbs (rosemary, sage, and parsley) – Bring freshness and a touch of earthy, holiday flavor.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper – For seasoning and balancing flavors.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by melting a stick of butter in a large skillet.
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 or similarly sized casserole dish.
Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crisp.
Enjoy!
Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions
This homemade stuffing recipe can be assembled up to a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake. Allow a few extra minutes in the oven if baking from the fridge. 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.
Video Tutorial
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Easy Sausage & Herb Stuffing
Ingredients
- 8 cups (500 g) store-bought unseasoned stuffing cubes
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1½ cups diced yellow onion, from 1 large onion
- 1 cup diced celery from 3 stalks celery
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 lb 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 (175°C). Grease a 9 x 13-in (23 x 33-cm) 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 to 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-in/6-mm). 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 to 75 minutes, uncovered, until deeply golden and crisp on top.
Notes
- If you can't find bulk sausage, buy regular sausage and remove the casings.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The stuffing can be assembled up to a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake; follow the baking instructions in the recipe, allowing a few extra minutes in the oven. It can also 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 (165°C) oven until hot.
Nutrition Information
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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Can dried herbs be used instead of fresh? If so, how much? Thanks. Absolutely love your recipes!
Hi Vicki, Glad you’re enjoying the recipes! It’s fine to use dried herbs; use about half the amount and replace the rosemary with thyme.
I make a very similar stuffing that is from the mother of an Italian friend of mine. We don’t use packaged bread cubes but dry out Italian or ciabatta bread. The only other change is to add fresh swiss chard…it’s absolutely delicious. I’m making it tomorrow to take to a dinner…can’t wait!
Thanks for sharing so many great recipes with us, Jen. I’ve tried quite a few, and they’ve all been great. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Does it have to be pork sausage or I can use chicken sweet Italian sausage? Some of my guests don’t like pork.
Many thanks.
Hi Olga, Chicken sausage would be just fine. Enjoy!
Hi! This looks amazing. Where I live, I can’t get ready-made stuffing cubes. So, I’m wondering, are they toasted like croutons? If so, could i just cut up a loaf and stick in the oven? Or what would be the best homemade substitute? Thanks!
Hi Shelly, Yes, that’s all they are. Just cut up a loaf or two and dry out the cubes in a 300°F oven 🙂
Would this stuffing work well without the sausage or is there some other type of protein I could use in place of sausage. Several folks do not like sausage.
Second- love your peanut dressing but wonder how I might thin it down a bit – this is the best recipe ever!!!
Hi Ellen, This recipe really relies on the sausage for flavor. You might try this stuffing instead — it’s one of my favorites 🙂
https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/challah-wild-mushroom-herb-stuffing.html
Sorry forgot respond to the second part of your comment. You can thin the peanut dressing with a little lime juice or water.
I like to make stuffing in muffin tins so everyone gets a crispy portion. (A certain nameless relative scrapes off the top otherwise) How would that affect the cooking time/temperature?
Hi Brian, I like that idea. I’d start checking after 30 minutes. Please come back and let me know how it turns out.
I’m using a friend’s recipe that’s very similar but she doesn’t add the egg or the extra herbs since she buys the flavored stuffing and adds Craisins. So yummy! I suggest adding them. They add great flavor. Love that you can prepare ahead and just heat it up the day of Thanksgiving.
I have a question about this recipe but first wanted to give a huge thanks to you. I’ve been subscribed to your site for a while (have never commented), and every recipe I have ever made has been outstanding! I have become a better cook because of you. I have dishes that family & friends repeatedly request which creates tradition & memories.
So my question about this recipe is simple – do you think I can make & assemble it the day before & then just bake it the day of?
~Lynn
Hi Lynn, Thank you for the wonderful feedback. So glad you are enjoying the recipes! Re. the stuffing, it’s absolutely fine to make and assemble it the day before and bake it the day of. Hope you enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!
Jenn, This looks delicious. However, so long in the oven. Could I skip the egg and cook it for a shorter amount of time? Thanks. =)
Hi Virginia, You can cook it for less time but the top won’t crisp up — and that’s partly what makes it so good. The egg doesn’t affect the cooking time, but you can leave it out if you wish.
Thanks, Jenn! It’s going on our menu 🙂 Have a fabulous Thanksgiving.
Does anyone know what temp. to put the oven on and if this can be made the night before?
Hi Stephanie, The oven should be set to 350°F/175°C. And, yes, this can be assembled the day before and baked before serving, or baked ahead and reheated prior to serving. Hope you enjoy!