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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Quick question, I made this up last night… I did not cook it-just threw it in the freezer. Planned to unfreeze & cook it on Thanksgiving… will that be okay?? Thanks!
Typically, I’d suggest freezing it after baking, but it should still turn out nicely.
I am making this recipe now.
Can I refrigerate the stuffing instead of freezing it for consumption tomorrow?
Yep — hope you enjoy!
This is my husband’s favorite dish for Thanksgiving…your recipe no one else’s. I make it as is and love it! He actually requests it throughout winter as a stand alone dish. Which is probably hilarious but as long as he is eating my cooking I’m happy. Thank you! Making this tonight for tomorrow.
What are the herbs to add?
Hi Gina, you’ll need rosemary, sage, parsley, salt, and pepper. See the last several ingredients in the recipe to see the amounts. Enjoy!
Can I cook this recipe in the crockpot?
Hi Stacie, I don’t own a crockpot so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out. But if you’d like to give it a try, here are some conversion tips that may help. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you make it!
Hi Jenn,
I’m getting my own fresh bread cubed at the bakery for this. Do 8 cups equal one loaf of bread?
Hi Colleen, It really depends upon the loaf of bread, so it’s hard to say for sure – sorry I can’t be more helpful!
I made this recipe last year and we absolutely loved it. I am so glad I bookmarked this recipe to use again. I don’t recall what I used for stuffing cubes however this year I bought potato bread cubes so we will see how it turns out.
I’m looking for a stuffing recipe that isn’t dry after it is baked but more on the moist side. How would you rate the moistness of this stuffing?
Hi Diane, The stuffing is pretty moist, but if you get concerned that it’s drying out, you could cover it for the last few minutes of baking. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Do you alter any of the ingredients if you do not use sausage? How do you prepare day old bread to use instead?
Hi Karen, If you don’t want to use the sausage, I’d suggest this recipe instead. (The sausage plays a really important role here as it adds a ton of flavor.)
Hi Jen,
Two questions: 1. Do I use a 2qt baking dish for this and 2. Can I put this together the night before and refrigerate it before cooking it or so I cook it and then Refrigerate and reheat the next day? I am worried about the cubes getting soggy.
Hi Sara, You actually need a 3-qt baking dish for this recipe. And, yes, it’s perfectly fine to prep ahead, refrigerate, and then cook the next day; it will crisp up in the oven.
hello. can I make my own stuffing cubes out of day old bread?
Sure, Jean; I’d let them dry out in a low oven. Enjoy!
Great recipe! I made a vegetarian (not vegan) version. I used 1 pound of Morningstar sausage patties cut into small crumble pieces, and simmered the crumbled sausage in vegetable broth made with Better than Bouillon premium vegetable stock. Better than Bouillon Vegetable Stock is a godsend for making great tasting vegetarian dishes, as long as it is premium version, not the watery low sodium version. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
My wife and I are debating on preparing all the ingredients tomorrow night and serve on Thursday. I know some have asked this question I just need your answer to ease our stress. Thanks this sounds so good first time making it though
Hi Will, You should absolutely prepare it ahead of time; that’s what I’m going to do!