Let’s be honest: what is the one side dish that truly makes a holiday meal feel complete? For so many of us, the undisputed star of the feast is the stuffing! And this incredible, from-scratch Sausage and Herb Stuffing—generously packed with savory Italian sausage, sweet apples, tart cranberries, and fresh herbs—is the perfect, crowd-pleasing recipe to grace your holiday table.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a guide to creating the ultimate Thanksgiving stuffing (or “dressing,” if you prefer!) that is the perfect harmony of flavors and textures. We’ll show you how to build a base of rich, savory flavors from sausage and sautéed vegetables, and then balance it perfectly with the sweetness of apples and the tang of cranberries. The result is a stuffing that is beautifully moist and tender on the inside with a wonderfully crisp, golden-brown top.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Star of the Holiday Side Dishes
What makes this Sausage and Herb Stuffing the absolute best is its incredible, perfectly balanced flavor profile. Unlike some stuffings that can be one-note or heavy, this version has a wonderful complexity from the mix of sweet, savory, and tart ingredients. It uses a classic, straightforward method that is easy for any home cook to master. Best of all, it’s a fantastic make-ahead dish, which is an absolute lifesaver for a busy holiday like Thanksgiving.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour 20 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 25 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 10-12 |
The Essential Ingredients for the Best Stuffing
This recipe uses a handful of classic, high-quality ingredients to create its signature comforting and festive flavor.
- The Bread: This is the most crucial element for the perfect texture. You must use a sturdy, crusty, day-old white bread, like a country loaf or sourdough.
- Why Day-Old?: Fresh, soft bread will turn into a soggy, mushy paste when you add the liquid. Bread that is a day or two old is drier and has a stronger structure, which allows it to act like a sponge and soak up all the delicious broth and flavors while still maintaining its texture. We also give it a quick toast in the oven to dry it out even more.
- The Sausage: We use a pound of sweet or spicy Italian sausage with the casings removed. The sausage provides a wonderful, savory, and herbaceous flavor base, and we use its delicious rendered fat to sauté the vegetables.
- The Vegetables & Fruit: This is what creates the perfect balance of flavor.
- Onion & Celery: The classic aromatic foundation for any great stuffing.
- Granny Smith Apples: A tart, firm apple like a Granny Smith is the perfect choice. It holds its shape during baking and provides a wonderful, bright tartness that cuts through the richness of the sausage.
- Dried Cranberries: These add beautiful, jewel-like pops of sweet-tart flavor and a lovely, chewy texture.
- The Herbs & Liquid:
- Fresh Parsley: Adds a clean, fresh, herbaceous note. For an even more classic “Thanksgiving” flavor, feel free to add a tablespoon of fresh, chopped sage and thyme along with the parsley.
- Chicken Stock: Provides the moisture and a savory, rich flavor to bind everything together. A low-sodium variety allows you to control the final saltiness of the dish.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Holiday Stuffing
Follow these simple, detailed steps to create this stunning and delicious side dish.
Step 1: Dry the Bread Cubes
First, preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
Place the 16 cups of 1-inch bread cubes in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 7 minutes, or until the bread feels dry and lightly toasted.
Remove the bread cubes from the oven and transfer them to a very large mixing bowl.
Increase the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) for the final bake.
Step 2: Cook the Sausage and Sauté the Aromatics
In a large sauté pan or Dutch oven, melt the 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of butter over medium heat.
Add the diced onions, celery, and apples. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent. Stir in the chopped fresh parsley, the 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, and the 1 teaspoon of black pepper.
Add this entire vegetable mixture to the large bowl with the bread cubes.
In the same sauté pan, cook the Italian sausage over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Use a fork or a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into small crumbles. Cook until the sausage is nicely browned and cooked all the way through.
Add the cooked sausage and all of its delicious drippings to the bowl with the bread cubes and vegetables.
Step 3: Combine and Bake to Golden Perfection
To the large bowl with all the ingredients, add the 1 cup of chicken stock and the 1 cup of dried cranberries.
Mix everything together well, until all the bread is evenly moistened and all the ingredients are well distributed.
Pour the stuffing mixture into a 9×12-inch (or a 9×13-inch) baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until the top is a beautiful golden brown and the stuffing is hot all the way through.
Serve warm and enjoy!
The Best Classic Sausage and Herb Stuffing Recipe
A classic recipe for a rich and savory sausage and herb stuffing, perfect for a holiday feast. This dish starts with toasted cubes of crusty white bread, which are then combined with a flavorful mixture of browned Italian sausage, sautéed onions, celery, and tart Granny Smith apples. Dried cranberries add a touch of sweetness, and the stuffing is moistened with chicken stock before being baked in a large dish until it’s browned on top and hot throughout.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking, Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 16 cups 1-inch bread cubes from a 1 1/2 pound loaf of white or sourdough bread
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 cups medium-diced yellow onion (2 onions)
- 1 cup medium-diced celery (2 stalks)
- 2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and large-diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 7 minutes to lightly toast them.
- Raise the oven temperature to 350°F. Transfer the toasted bread cubes to a very large bowl.
- While the bread toasts, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, apples, parsley, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add this mixture to the bowl with the bread cubes.
- In the same sauté pan, cook the sausage over medium heat for about 10 minutes, breaking it up with a fork, until it is browned and cooked through. Add the cooked sausage to the bowl with the bread and vegetables.
- Add the chicken stock and cranberries to the mixture and mix well to combine.
- Pour the stuffing into a 9-by-12-inch baking dish.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is browned and the stuffing is hot in the middle.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- Lightly toasting the bread cubes before mixing helps them to absorb the liquid without becoming overly mushy.
- Using the same pan to sauté the vegetables and cook the sausage builds layers of flavor.
- This is a large-batch recipe, perfect for serving a crowd at a holiday gathering.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 of recipe
- Calories: 350-420
- Sugar: 18-24 g
- Sodium: 900-1200 mg
- Fat: 18-24 g
- Saturated Fat: 8-11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35-45 g
- Fiber: 3-5 g
- Protein: 10-14 g
- Cholesterol: 40-60 mg
Serving Your Sausage and Herb Stuffing
This incredible stuffing is the star of any side dish spread. Serve it warm, straight from the baking dish, allowing guests to scoop out generous portions. The crispy, golden-brown top and the moist, flavorful interior are a perfect combination. It is the essential accompaniment to a roasted turkey, and it is also fantastic served alongside a holiday ham or a roasted chicken.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Stuffing is the absolute perfect make-ahead dish for a stress-free Thanksgiving.
- Make-Ahead (The Best Method!): You can fully assemble the entire, unbaked stuffing in its casserole dish up to 2 days in advance. Cover it tightly with foil and store it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to bake, let it sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes, and then bake as directed. You may need to add 10-15 minutes to the baking time since it is starting from cold.
- Storage: Store any leftover stuffing, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The leftovers are arguably just as delicious (if not more so!) than the main event.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat stuffing is in a 350°F oven. Place it in an oven-safe dish, add a splash of chicken broth to re-moisten it, cover it with foil, and bake for about 20 minutes, until it is hot all the way through. You can remove the foil for the last few minutes to re-crisp the top.
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Creative Recipe Variations
This classic recipe is a wonderful base for your own delicious and creative traditions.
- Add a Nutty Crunch: For a wonderful, buttery crunch and extra texture, you can add 1 cup of toasted, chopped pecans or walnuts to the stuffing mixture before you bake it.
- Use a Mix of Breads: For an even more complex and rustic flavor and texture, you can use a combination of different day-old breads. A mix of crusty sourdough, chewy rye, and a classic cornbread would be absolutely fantastic.
- Make it a Vegetarian Stuffing: For a delicious and hearty vegetarian version, simply omit the sausage. You will want to sauté the vegetables in a few extra tablespoons of butter. To add a savory, “meaty” flavor, you can sauté 1 pound of chopped mushrooms along with the other vegetables, and use a high-quality mushroom or vegetable broth instead of the chicken broth.
Enjoy The Star of Your Holiday Table!
You’ve just created a truly special, from-scratch side dish that is the very definition of holiday comfort. This classic Sausage and Herb Stuffing is a perfect harmony of savory, sweet, tart, and herbaceous flavors that is guaranteed to be a massive hit with your family and friends. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying dish that is sure to become a cherished part of your holiday traditions.
We hope you and your loved ones enjoy every last, delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves a good, old-fashioned stuffing!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the difference between “stuffing” and “dressing”?
Technically, “stuffing” is cooked inside the cavity of the bird, and “dressing” is cooked separately in a baking dish. However, in modern usage, the terms are used completely interchangeably to refer to this classic bread-based side dish. Because cooking the stuffing inside the turkey can be a food safety concern and can cause the turkey to cook unevenly, we always recommend baking it separately as a “dressing.”
Q2: What is the absolute best kind of bread to use for stuffing?
The best bread is a sturdy, crusty, and dry, day-old bread. You want a bread with a good, open crumb that will absorb all the delicious broth and flavors without becoming mushy. A good quality white country loaf, a French boule, a crusty sourdough, or even a rich challah or brioche are all fantastic choices.
Q3: Can I prepare my stuffing a day or two before Thanksgiving?
Yes, absolutely! This is the perfect make-ahead dish to save you time and stress on the big day. You can fully assemble the entire, unbaked stuffing, cover it tightly, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before you plan to bake it.
Q4: How do I keep my stuffing from being too dry or too soggy?
The key to a perfectly moist (but not soggy) stuffing is the ratio of bread to liquid and fat. This recipe is very well-balanced. The most important step is to make sure your bread is sufficiently dry to begin with, so it can act like a sponge. If, after mixing, your stuffing seems a bit dry, you can add another splash or two of chicken stock. If it seems too wet, you can add another handful of dry bread cubes.
Q5: Can I cook this stuffing inside my turkey?
It is generally recommended by food safety experts (like the USDA) that you cook your stuffing in a separate dish, not inside the turkey. To be considered safe to eat, the stuffing inside the bird must reach an internal temperature of 165°F. By the time the center of the stuffing reaches this temperature, the meat of the turkey (especially the delicate breast meat) is often very overcooked and dry.