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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We just found out our 16 month old granddaughter is Type 1 Diabetic. Needless to say, this brings a whole new level of prep for my thanksgiving dinner. I would love to make this stuffing, but wondered if you have the nutrition guide for this by chance? I need jto count her carbs and I believe by the looks of the yummy ingreddients… it will be high… 🙂 🙂
Sincerely,
Nikki
Hi Nikki, sorry to hear about your granddaughter’s diabetes diagnosis! I’ve just added the nutritional info for the stuffing. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
what temp do you bake this at?
Hi Kat, this gets baked at Preheat the oven to 350°F. Hope you enjoy!
My wife is not a fan of rosemary what can I put in its place or just leave out.
Mike
Hi Mike, I’d replace it with more thyme.
Hi! Looking forward to making this delicious recipe on Thursday. Just a quick question. Is it 2 and 3/4 cups broth or 2-3/4cups(1.5 total)? Not sure why I am having trouble figuring that out lol. Thanks in advance!
Hi Amy, It’s 2 and 3/4. 🙂
Thank you so much !
Can u bake it in a casserole dish and double the reciepe or do you still recommend using two 9×13
Hi Jenn, I’d use two 9×13-inch baking dishes. (It may take about 10 minutes longer in the oven.)
Hi,
I’m in charge of cooking this year but my dad is allergic to all poultry. Would it be ok to substitute the Chicken broth for beef broth or would it totally ruin it?
Thanks!
Sure, Kayla, that should work. Hope you enjoy!
Has anyone made the stuffing with “hot” sausage?
Hot Italians, Johnsonville, really gives it a kick.
I have been playing around with stuffing for 45 years. My stuffing is not for the faint of heart or someone watching their cholesterol. I used Johnsonville Hot Italians, two pounds, easy. Two sticks of butter, no margarine. I use poultry seasoning because I could never figure out the Thyme Rosemary thing. Garlic gets tossed in the mix. Onion, Celery, Chicken Stock are a given. I used italian and some wholesome bread which is sitting on my kitchen table under the ceiling fan getting stale. No fruit. I am not making Thanksgiving this year, praise Lord, but word is, I have to do the stuffing. And I stay far away from Green Bean Casserole. The onion thingies are good but….Nopers. Happy Thanksgiving everybody. Be safe.
Try Jimmy Dean Hot Bulk Sausage. Only one I use.
Yep, I only use hot sausage….. it’s great
I have read some of your comments, why not sourdough bread???
Hi Kathy, I’m not crazy about the flavor of sourdough in this stuffing — I think neutral is best.
Hi Jenn, thank you so much for sharing this easy to make stuffing recipe with us! I made it yesterday for my son’s school 6th grade Thanksgiving Feast and they loved it! I have never tasted stuffing before believe it or not, I thought it was a little salty for me! It tasted great though! I am going to make it on on Thanksgiving, but will not be adding the salt part of the ingredients! Happy Thanksgiving to you amd your family!
Sue T
Hi Jenn: I have made this stuffing recipe in the past and it is so delicious! Thank you for sharing it. This year we will be traveling to my daughter’s house (a 20 minute drive away.) We will be eating within about 45 minutes to an hour after arriving. Wondering if you think it would be better to bake the stuffing for the full 65-75 minutes and then reheat when we get there, OR if it would be better to bake it partially at home and then the rest of the way when we arrive? Would one way or the other be better for keeping the stuffing moist, etc
? I tried to review your previous responses, but didn’t see anything for this type of scenario (sorry if I missed it.) Thanks so much! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Barb, I’d bake it for an hour at home, then finish cooking/reheat (for 15-20 min) when you get to your daughter’s house. Hope that helps and Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you for your quick response! I can imagine it is no small task to answer all the questions you get….(an incredible number for each and every recipe!). You are always so kind and patient in taking the time to respond. Thank you, Jenn.
You’re so welcome, Barb – have a great Thanksgiving! 🙂
This is similar to my mom’s traditional stuffing (minus the sausage). I’ll be making yours this weekend- just curious though if the egg is necessary. I don’t think my mom normally puts one in hers.
And- ps- love, love, love all your recipes. Thank you!
Glad you like the recipes, Shannon! 🙂 The egg moistens the stuffing and holds it together, so I would recommend keeping it in there. Hope you enjoy!
Would it be possible to bake this stuffing recipe in a crockpot instead of the oven? Do you have any suggestions for doing that and would a 4 quart crock be large enough? Thank you!
Hi Joan, I don’t have a slow cooker — I’ve haven’t tried this in one so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out. That said, if you want to give it a try, here are some conversion tips that may help. (And yes, it would fit in a 4-quart slow cooker.) If you try it this way, LMK how it turns out!