Make this easy Italian sausage stuffing recipe for Thanksgiving, using sweet or spicy sausage, crusty Italian bread, and loads of sage for the best flavor. My method lets you choose the amount of moisture you add to create the texture your family loves.
When I think of Thanksgiving stuffing, I think about crispy bread on top, a tender center, and lots of sage, but why not add Italian sausage to liven things up a bit? The flavors all go together.
The stuffing recipes in my family always have a very custard-like center, but maybe that's not your thing and you want it to fall apart a bit? I've given you the option here of how much moisture to add so you can choose the texture you like best.
Italian sausage is such a versatile ingredient and I love to use it in all kinds of recipes, try my sheet pan sausage and peppers, baked sausage and apples, and Italian sausage with white beans.
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Italian sausage stuffing ingredients
- Sweet or spicy Italian sausage: Choose whichever you like, you can buy ground sausage, or in links, be sure to remove the casing before browning.
- Italian bread: I like a crusty Italian white bread for this stuffing. You could also use ciabatta bread, keeping in mind that it will absorb the broth more readily.
- Unsalted butter: A WHOLE stick of butter! And we're going to brown it!
- Fresh sage and rosemary: These herbs will bring classic Italian flavor to the stuffing and complement the seasonings in the sausage. Fried sage leaves on top are easy to make and look so pretty!
- Onions and garlic: We'll caramelize the onions for added sweetness, and grate the garlic finely so it permeates all through the stuffing and you won't bite down on chunks of it.
- Crushed red pepper: Just a little, but if you don't like spicy, leave it out.
- Eggs, chicken stock or turkey stock: This is the liquid that holds everything together. You can adjust the amount to your liking.
- Kosher salt
- Olive oil: (Only if frying the sage leaves.)
- Celery (optional): Controversial, I know, but I don't put celery in my Thanksgiving stuffing! It's not my thing. But if it's yours, use 3 stalks, dice it and cook with the onions.
How to make Italian sausage stuffing
Note that I am writing this recipe so that you can cook the sausage and the onions simultaneously in two different skillets to save time. If you don't feel confident doing that, cook the onions and herbs first, then start on the sausage.
Step 1: Prepare the bread
Toasting the bread cubes gives them an excellent texture for stuffing and only takes a few minutes. (Alternatively, you can leave the bread out overnight on the counter to get stale.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the bread into 1-inch cubes. I like to leave the crust on, but you can cut it off if you prefer.
Divide the bread cubes between two sheet pans and bake for about 5 minutes, moving them around halfway through, just until they feel crusty and stale. Leave the bread on the sheet pans and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees F.
Step 2: Dice and cook the onions
Use a good chef's knife and cut the onions into a ยผ-inch dice. Place a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter and let it melt.
Add the onions to the skillet and cook gently over medium heat until they are caramelized and the butter is browned, about 10-15 minutes.
Step 3: Prep the herbs and garlic
While the onions are cooking, chop the sage and rosemary finely.
Use a microplane grater to grate the garlic. Set the herbs and garlic aside.
Step 4: Cook the Italian sausage
The onions should still be cooking, so go ahead and start on the sausage. Place another large skillet over medium high heat. If you have sausage links, remove the sausage from the casing first. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it gets crispy and browned, set aside.
Pro tip
Don't break up the Italian sausage too much, you want to keep it in nice chunks for the stuffing. If it's too small it will get hard and overcook.
Step 5: Add the herbs and spices to the butter
By now the onions should be caramelized and the butter should be brown. Add the sage, rosemary, garlic, and crushed red pepper to the pan and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant, season with a pinch of kosher salt.
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Step 6: Combine Italian sausage, bread, and onions
In a VERY large bowl, combine the bread, Italian sausage, and onion mixture and gently toss together.
Step 7: Add eggs and chicken stock
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and 2 cups of stock. Pour over the bread mixture and stir to combine. (You'll probably have to use your hands to do this effectively.)
Gauge the moisture by pressing on the bread to see how much it holds together. If you'd like more liquid, add the remaining stock ยฝ cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Step 8: Bake the Italian sausage stuffing
Generously butter a deep 9x13 casserole dish or large 2-quart baking dish. Add the stuffing to the dish, making sure the Italian sausage and onions are evenly distributed, pressing it down into the pan as you add it.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes until it's golden brown and crispy on top. Stuffing is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Step 9: Fry the sage leaves (optional)
You don't have to add fried sage leaves on top of the stuffing, but it's Thanksgiving dinner, so let's be fancy. It's so easy to do!
While the stuffing bakes, place a small skillet over medium heat and add just enough olive oil to cover the bottom of it. Once oil is shimmering, add a few sage leaves (careful, they will sizzle and spatter!). Fry the sage leaves just until they stop bubbling, then transfer to a paper-towel lined plate and top with sea salt.
Step 10: Garnish and serve!
Top the Italian sausage stuffing with fried sage leaves if using, and serve immediately.
Expert tips
- The amount of broth you use depends on how you like the texture of your stuffing: If you like a stuffing that is lightly moist but still falls apart, you'll probably want to stop at 2 cups. If you prefer a more custard-like texture, you'll want to use most or all of the chicken broth. The amount of broth used also depends a bit on what kind of bread you're using and how absorbent it is.
- Blooming the herbs and garlic in the butter is key: This is a very important step. Cooking the herbs in the butter is called blooming the spices, this allows their flavor to deepen, and to infuse in the butter so you can taste them in every bite of the stuffing.
- Leave the crust on the bread for added texture: I love a crusty Italian bread for stuffing, it stands up to the bold flavor of the sausage and adds crispy crunch on top.
- To substitute dried herbs, use less: You can absolutely use dried herbs instead of fresh. As a general rule, 1 teaspoon of dried herbs can be substituted for 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs.
Make ahead
Thanksgiving is the big day, so it's crucial to have recipes you can prep ahead of time and this Italian sausage stuffing fits the bill. You can make some of the components ahead of time, or make the entire stuffing the night before and store in the refrigerator.
- Dry the bread cubes: The night before.
- Cook the sausage, cook the onions, herbs and butter mixture: Cook up to 2 days ahead, combine and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let come to room temperature before adding to the bread cubes.
- Prepare the entire recipe the night before: You can make this Italian sausage stuffing recipe all the way up to the point of putting it in the baking dish, then cover tightly and store in the refrigerator overnight. Let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. You may need to adjust the covered baking time slightly if it's still cold in the middle when you put it in the oven. Keep in mind that if you choose to make all of it and assemble it the night before, the interior texture will be more dense, like bread pudding.
Storage and reheating
- To store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: Cook uncovered in a 350 degrees F oven until warmed through.
- To serve leftovers creatively: Make a Thanksgiving leftovers turkey sandwich, top with a layer of stuffing and some cranberry compote.
Recipe variations
- Fresh fruit: Apples or pears will add moisture and sweetness.
- Dried fruit: Try dried cranberries or golden raisins, but soak them in water first to re-hydrate them.
- Nuts: Chestnuts are a classic choice for stuffing, but hazelnuts would be a classic Italian ingredient variation and a good texture counterpoint to the sausage.
- Parmesan cheese: Make it even more Italian and add grated parmesan cheese on top for the last 10 minutes of baking.
More Thanksgiving recipes
- Try a Sweet Potato Gratin instead of the traditional casserole for a creamy, cheesy twist on a classic!
- Maple Roasted Acorn Squash has all the flavors of the holiday and only 4 ingredients.
- My mom's Cranberry Relish recipe is always my favorite thing on the table!
Italian sausage stuffing is an easy and delicious twist on a classic Thanksgiving side dish!
- Caramelized onions and browned butter add sweetness and deep flavor.
- Use spicy or sweet Italian sausage.
- Make some components or the entire stuffing recipe ahead of time.
- Sage and rosemary add classic Italian flavors.
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Recipe
Italian Sausage Stuffing Recipe
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Equipment
- microplane grater optional
Ingredients
- 1-1½ pound Italian white bread
- 1 onion
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
- 2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 pound Italian sausage (sweet or spicy)
- 2 eggs
- 2-4 cups chicken broth (or turkey broth)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- whole sage leaves for frying (optional for serving)
- olive oil (only if frying the sage leaves)
- flaky sea salt
- 3 stalks celery (optional, if using dice and cook with the onions)
Instructions
- NOTE: I am writing this recipe so that you can cook the sausage and the onions simultaneously in two different skillets to save time. If you don't feel confident doing that, cook the onions and herbs first, then start on the sausage.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice the bread into 1-inch cubes. I like to leave the crust on, but you can cut it off if you prefer. Divide the bread cubes between two sheet pans and bake for about 5 minutes, moving them around halfway through, just until they feel crusty and stale. Leave the bread on the sheet pans and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees F. (Alternatively, you can leave the bread out overnight on the counter to get stale.)
- Cut the onions into a ¼-inch dice. Place a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter and let it melt. Add the onions to the skillet and cook gently over medium heat until they are caramelized and the butter is browned, about 10-15 minutes.
- While the onions are cooking, chop the sage and rosemary finely. Use a microplane grater to grate the garlic. (If you don't have a grater, mince it finely.) Set the herbs and garlic aside.
- The onions should still be cooking, so go ahead and start on the sausage. Place another large skillet over medium high heat. If you have sausage links, remove the sausage from the casing first. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook, breaking it up into large chunks with a wooden spoon, until it gets crispy and browned, set aside.
- Add the sage, rosemary, garlic, and crushed red pepper to the pan with the onions and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant, season with a pinch of kosher salt.
- In a VERY large bowl, combine the bread, Italian sausage, and onion mixture and gently toss together.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and 2 cups of stock. Pour over the bread mixture and stir to combine. (You'll probably have to use your hands to do this effectively.) Gauge the moisture by pressing on the bread to see how much it holds together. If you'd like more liquid, add the remaining stock ½ cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency. (See note.)
- Generously butter a deep 9x13 casserole dish or large 2-quart baking dish. Add the stuffing to the dish, making sure the Italian sausage and onions are evenly distributed, pressing it down into the pan as you add it. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 20-30 minutes until it's golden brown and crispy on top. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve topped with fried sage leaves if desired.
Fry the sage leaves (if using)
- While the stuffing bakes, place a small skillet over medium heat and add just enough olive oil to cover the bottom of it. Once oil is shimmering, add a few sage leaves (careful, they will sizzle and spatter!) Fry the sage leaves just until they stop bubbling, then transfer to a paper-towel lined plate and top with sea salt.
Notes
- The amount of broth you use depends on how you like the texture of your stuffing: If you like a stuffing that is lightly moist but still falls apart, you'll probably want to stop at 2 cups. If you prefer a more custard-like texture, you'll want to use most or all of the chicken broth. The amount of broth used also depends a bit on what kind of bread you're using and how absorbent it is.
- Blooming the herbs and garlic in the butter is key: This is a very important step. Cooking the herbs in the butter is called blooming the spices, this allows their flavor to deepen, and to infuse in the butter so you can taste them in every bite of the stuffing.
- Leave the crust on the bread for added texture: I love a crusty Italian bread for stuffing, it stands up to the bold flavor of the sausage and adds crispy crunch on top.
- To substitute dried herbs, use less: You can absolutely use dried herbs instead of fresh. As a general rule, 1 teaspoon of dried herbs can be substituted for 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs.
- No I don't use celery in stuffing: This ingredient is truly optional! I really don't think it's needed with these Italian flavors, but absolutely add it if you love it. Dice and cook along with the onions in the butter. The added moisture from the celery could increase the cooking time for the onion mixture.
- Dry the bread cubes: The night before.
- Cook the sausage, cook the onions, herbs and butter mixture: Cook up to 2 days ahead, combine and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let come to room temperature before adding to the bread cubes.
- Prepare the entire recipe the night before: You can make this Italian sausage stuffing recipe all the way up to the point of putting it in the baking dish, then cover tightly and store in the refrigerator overnight. Let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking, You may need to adjust the covered baking time slightly if it's still cold in the middle when you put it in the oven. Keep in mind that if you choose to make all of it and assemble it the night before, the interior texture will be more dense, like bread pudding.
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