This quick and easy Sausage Stuffing is the the perfect addition to any Thanksgiving turkey. Plus, it is a foolproof dinner side to serve for a crowd, using only simple ingredients.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
This sausage stuffing is the best savory, classic stuffing you can make to bake with your turkey for Thanksgiving. It only uses a few ingredients, and once your turkey is done cooking, you’ll have a delicious stuffing the whole family can enjoy.
This is the best side dish to serve for Thanksgiving dinner or any other holiday meal or special occasion. We know there is limited time when you’re putting together a big holiday dinner, and this one can be thrown together in under 20 minutes!
Looking for stuffing recipes that aren’t for the inside of a turkey? Try our Instant Pot Dressing, Apple, Onion, & Celery Stuffing, or Slow Cooker Stuffing for alternate cooking options.
Key Ingredients
Ground sausage is one of the main ingredients you will need to make this homemade sausage stuffing. For the best flavor, we use a combination of breakfast sausage and spicy Italian sausage.
Use both onion and celery in this sausage stuffing recipe. They add to both the texture and taste of this casserole dish.
Bread is the next ingredient for the best stuffing. You can use whatever kind of bread you have on hand, even better if it is stale bread or day-old bread from a bakery, as this will absorb the butter perfectly. We used white sandwich bread in the images.
How to Make Sausage Stuffing
- Chop the fresh celery and onions, and cube the white sandwich bread into smaller cubes. Using dried bread will give the best texture.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground sausage and cook it for 6-7 minutes. Remove the sausage from the skillet and collect the sausage drippings into a small mixing bowl.
- Add melted butter to the sausage drippings so you have about 1 cup of the mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the hot skillet and cook the celery and onions for 4 minutes.
- Add the thyme and cook until they are fragrant.
- Stir in half the bread cubes and remove from the heat.
- Place the remaining bread cubes in a large bowl and pour the celery, onions, and soaked bread cubes into the bowl with any butter from the skillet.
- Add the cooked sausage and seasoning to the bowl along with freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
- Stir well, making sure the bread cubes are soaked with the butter mixture.
- Scoop the stuffing into the turkey and continue to cook your turkey as directed.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can use a different kind of sausage for this recipe. If you want to use turkey sausage or chicken sausage in place of sweet Italian sausage or breakfast sausage, it will work great.
- Use fresh herbs in place of the dried herbs if you have them for more intense herbed flavor.
Pro Tips
- Cornbread is also a great option to add a sweet flavor to this recipe, as opposed to using plain white bread for a sausage and cornbread stuffing.
- This is turkey stuffing for inside the turkey, so you will not need to add chicken broth or chicken stock.
- Finely grated lemon zest can also be added to the baking dish for fresh flavor.
What to Serve With This Recipe For Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Turkey Vegetable Tray and Homemade Ranch Dip is a great way to serve veggies and have a cute centerpiece for your table. Then serve our classic green bean casserole or sweet potato casserole with one of our 5 ways to make a Thanksgiving turkey for a simple yet delicious holiday meal.
Enjoy More Delicious Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes
Need the perfect compliment to your main dish? You’ll want to try these delicious side dishes. Browse our comprehensive collection of simple side dish recipes.
- Apple, Onion, and Celery Stuffing
- Homemade Cornbread Dressing
- Homemade Sausage Stuffing
- Instant Pot Dressing
- Slow Cooker Stuffing
Sausage Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 0.5 lb. ground mild breakfast sausage
- 0.5 lb. ground spicy Italian sausage
- ¾ cup melted, unsalted butter
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 8 cups bread, cubed (white or desired type), divided
- 1 Tablespoon poultry seasoning
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Gather your ingredients:
- Prepare your ingredients by chopping the celery and onions and cubing the bread into smaller cubes.
Cook the sausage:
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mild and spicy sausage. Cook the sausage until browned, for 6-7 minutes. Remove the sausage from the skillet and collect the sausage drippings in a small bowl. Add the melted butter to the sausage drippings so you have about 1 cup of the dripping/butter mixture.
- Pour the prepared butter mixture into the skillet and set it over medium-high heat.
Cook the veggies:
- Cook the celery and onions in a heated butter mixture for 4 minutes. Add thyme and cook until fragrant.
- Stir in half the bread cubes and remove from the heat.
Assemble:
- Place the remaining bread cubes in a large bowl.
- Add the celery, onions, and soaked bread cubes with any butter from the skillet to the cubes in the bowl.
- Add the cooked sausage on top, along with the poultry seasoning and black pepper, to taste.
- Stir well, making sure the bread cubes are soaked with the butter mixture.
- Stuff your turkey with the stuffing before baking (continue to bake turkey as directed).
Notes
- You can use plain white bread or cornbread for this recipe.
- Please note that this is stuffing that is intended for adding to your turkey before baking.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
Super flavorful and easy to make. It’s a keeper