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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I’m excited to try this recipe, Can I use regular breakfast sausage (like the one that comes in the plastic wrap. That’s what I have on hand right now.
Yep 👍
Prepared the stuffing today….doubled it. In refrig. Would like to place in crock pot tomorrow….how long/which heat do you recommend? Made this last year for Thanksgiving in oven…all loved it…doubling for tomorrow!
Thank you!
Hi Marty, I don’t have enough experience with a crockpot to say. I’m sorry. If you’re just warming it up, I’d put it on the warm setting, but if you plan to cook it in there, Martha Stewart’s website has a piece that gives guidance on converting traditional recipes to slow cooked versions.
I’d love to make this stuffing but I have someone coming to dinner who can’t eat butter – can I substitute olive oil?
Sure, olive oil will work. Hope you enjoy!
can I use a mixture of mild sausage and chorizo in the recipe and if so at what portions?
Sure, Carolyn, and you really can decide on the proportions based on your preference. Please LMK how it turns out with the chorizo!
Can i stuff the turkey with this recipe?
Hi Trudy, I prefer it baked separately which makes it crisp on top. That said, if you do 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!
how many does this feed
Hi Jane, It serves 8 to 10. Enjoy!
I just finished assembling it (added baby belle mushrooms) and put in it in the refrigerator to bake tomorrow. My kitchen smells amazing!! Should it still be baked for 65-75 minutes straight from the refrigerator?
You may need to add a few extra minutes on as it will be cold when you put it in the oven.
Thank you for the easy to follow instructions! 🙂
Just one question….is this dish uncovered in the oven for the entire time?
Yep that’s correct 🙂
One of our guests does not eat pork so I bought turkey sausage as a substitute. Since turkey sausage has less fat, do you recommend any modifications to ensure this doesn’t become too dry?
Hi Carrie, I would add 2 tablespoons more butter. Hope you enjoy!
When baking this for 65-75 minutes will it be too dry? My family likes moist stuffing? Just wanted to double check. Thank you again.
Hi Mary, The long cook time ensures the top gets nice and crispy; if you like a moister stuffing, I would cover it with foil for all or part of the cooking time.
Hello, if I am cutting up typical-size country french loaves to make the bread crumbs, how about many loaves should I cut up, and how big should I make the cubes? Thank you!
Hi Lena, It really depends on the size of the loaves, but I’m guessing one large loaf or two smaller/medium ones. I’d cut the cubes into 3/4-inch pieces.
Can I use breakfast sausage?
Yep that will work.
What temperature should this dish be cooked at?
Hi Animik, It should be baked at 350°F/175°C.