This old fashioned sausage stuffing is a family favorite! Made from scratch with dried bread, savory sage sausage and herbs and seasonings then served casserole style!
We love to serve this side dish at Thanksgiving! Sometimes we make these variations, too, including crockpot stuffing and cornbread stuffing.
Table of Contents
Old Fashioned Bread Stuffing with Sausage
This is the best old fashioned sausage stuffing recipe and it has been a family holiday favorite for years! I know it’s technically an old fashioned sausage dressing because I don’t stuff it in the roasted turkey, but the name stuffing just seems to fit!
This old-fashioned bread stuffing recipe converted my family. We used to not be a fan of this Thanksgiving side, but last year I made this homemade stuffing for our Thanksgiving menu and we all agreed it has the perfect flavor, spices and just the right amount of moisture and softness!
What Makes This The Best Sausage Stuffing
Dry out your bread! When it comes the best old-fashioned stuffing you do not want your bread to by soggy! Chop the bread into cubes, then place them on a baking sheet. Let them sit out on the counter for about 2 to 3 days to stale.
If you’re looking for a quicker method, try lightly toasting the bread in the oven. Just bake the bread cubes at 350°F for about 20 minutes, tossing half way.
How to Make Old Fashioned Sausage Stuffing
- Brown the pork sausage: Cook the sage sausage in a large skillet over-medium heat until brown, then place on a paper towel-lined plate. Remove the grease from the skillet.
- Cook the veggies and spices: In the same pan, add butter and let melt. Add in the chopped veggies and cook until translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Then stir in the sage and S&P to taste. Remove from heat.
- Mix together the ingredients: In a large bowl, combine your dry/toasted bread cubes, sausage and veggie mixture. Slowly add in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and stir to combine. The bread should be lightly wet, but not drenched and there shouldn’t be extra liquid in the bowl. Taste and add more S&P or chicken broth as needed.
- Bake in oven: Place this classic sausage stuffing in a buttered 9×13″ baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then uncover casserole dish and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the bread is lightly toasted on top.
Tips and Variations
You can definitely mix this recipe up based on preference. Below are a few ideas:
- Diced apples: You can add 1 apple diced for a sweeter flavor. Mix in just before adding the broth.
- Dried cranberries: You can also add in 1/2 cup dried cranberries for a sweet kick, or serve cranberry sauce on the side.
- Bread: My personal favorite for this Thanksgiving stuffing is French bread or French baguette, but you can use sourdough bread, Italian bread and old fashioned white bread. You could even mix in some cornbread. Just make sure to dry it out.
- More seasonings: You can also add some additional fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme.
- Store bought stuffing cubes: If you need something quicker or need to make a gluten-free version, purchase store-bought stuffing cubes.
- Vegetarian: Omit the sausage and use vegetable broth.
- Make it a meal. Add some chicken like I do in chicken stuffing casserole!
Sausage always adds the perfect flavor to other dishes like my sausage tortellini soup, sheet pan sausage and veggies and sausage and egg breakfast casserole.
More Holiday Side Dishes
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Old Fashioned Sausage Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounce loaf french bread , cut into 1/2" cubes
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup grated carrots
- 1 pound ground sage sausage , I prefer Jimmy Dean
- ½ cup salted butter
- ½ teaspoon ground sage , or 1 Tablespoon fresh
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2-2 cups chicken broth , more as needed
S&P , to taste
Instructions
- Dry bread. The first step in this recipe is drying the bread. You can place the bread cubes on a baking sheet and sit out to dry for 2-3 days, or you can lightly toast in the oven. Simply preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly toasted, tossing half way.
- Cook sausage. In a large pan, cook 1 pound ground sage sausage over medium-heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Place the sausage on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the grease. Remove the grease from the pan.
- Saute aromatics. Add 1/2 cup butter to the same pan and allow to melt. Add 1 cup onion, 2 cups celery and 1 cup grated carrots and cook for 3-5 minutes or until soft. Stir in the 1/2 teaspoon sage and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
- Combine. Combine the toasted bread, sausage, cooked veggies and 1/4 cup fresh parsley in a large bowl. Slowly stir in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and stir until combined. Add more as needed. You want all the bread to be lightly covered but not drenched. There shouldn't be extra liquid in the bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Bake. Place sausage stuffing in a buttered 9×13" pan. Then bake with foil for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
Notes
- Diced apples: You can add 1 apple diced for a sweeter flavor. Mix in just before adding the broth.
- Dried cranberries: You can also add in 1/2 cup dried cranberries for a sweet kick.
- Bread: My personal favorite is french bread, but you can use sour dough bread, Italian bread and old fashioned white bread. You could even mix in some corn bread. Just make sure to dry it out.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
FAQs
This dish can easily be made the night before which is a huge game changer!
Make stuffing according to directions, however do not bake. Cover with lid or foil and place in the fridge. When ready to bake, let the stuffing sit on the counter while the oven preheats (about 20 minutes). Bake with foil at 350°F for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. You may need to add a couple extra minutes to the baking time so it gets lightly toasted.
Yes, cool then store leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Serve it with any of your leftover turkey.
Categorized as: American, Side Dishes
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
I’ve been making this stuffing for years, my dad used to make it when he did Thanksgiving and I’ve taken up the tradition, I can’t do Thanksgiving dinner anymore but I certainly miss some of the food and the get together’s we had. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving, too!
I love this stuffing! Amazing!
This is such an amazing stuffing!! My family loved it!
Thank you so much! I got my family to try this stuffing and they loved it. This is our new holiday tradition for dinner.
Stuffing is my favorite comfort food!