Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Sage

Our sausage stuffing recipe is enhanced with apples and fresh sage to upgrade this classic into a bold and flavorful Thanksgiving side. Savory and moist with a crispy crust, this dressing is not only easy to make, it's perfect for making ahead.

If you’re a stuffing pro, there aren’t too many deviations from the classic methodology. We do prefer to make my own bread cubes, but if you’re a store-bought kind of gal or guy, do your thing. Preparing the perfect stuffing recipe is straightforward, but precise: use very dry bread, finely chop the vegetables, and moisten with just the right amount of broth.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 50

Total Time 2 5

Servings

Calories 244kcal

Author Danielle Esposti

Equipment

12" Skillet
9x13 Casserole Dish
Baking Sheet

Ingredients

1 loaf sourdough, Italian, or country white bread see Note 1
1 pound sweet Italian sausage see Note 2
6 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for greasing
1 large sweet (Vidalia) onion diced to ½”
2 stalks celery finely chopped
1 medium apple thinly sliced, see Note 3
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
2 large eggs
3-4 cups low sodium chicken broth

Instructions

Heat the oven to 250°F. Grease a 9” x 13” casserole dish with butter or lightly mist with cooking spray.
Cut or tear the bread into 1” (or smaller) pieces and spread evenly over a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, or until the bread is very dry (see Notes 4 and 5). Transfer the bread cubes to a very large mixing bowl. If baking the stuffing right away, increase the oven temperature to 400°F.
Heat a 12” skillet over medium high heat. Break the sausage into small chunks and add to the skillet. Cook and stir frequently, continuing to breakdown the sausage into crumbles with a wood spoon, until the fat renders and the sausage is no longer pink, 8-10 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and add to the mixing bowl with the bread cubes.
Reduce the heat to medium, then add the butter and heat until it melts then foams. Add the onion and celery, toss to coat in the fat and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, 7-8 minutes.
Add the apples and garlic and toss to incorporate. Saute, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the sage, parsley, salt, and pepper and and stir until the skillet contents are well combined.
Scrape the contents of the skillet into the mixing bowl with the bread and sausage, then give it a good toss until the stuffing base is well mixed.
Combine the eggs and 3 cups broth in a 4-cup measuring cup, then whisk until very smooth. Pour the liquid into the mixing bowl, toss to allow the bread to absorb the liquid evenly, then set aside for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, toss the stuffing again and assess the status of the bread and broth; see Note 6. Add additional broth a quarter-cup at a time until the bread cubes are evenly moistened (but NOT soggy) and very little liquid (less than a tablespoon) remains at the bottom of the bowl.
Transfer the stuffing to the greased casserole dish; for make-ahead instructions, see Note 7. Cover tightly with foil, transfer to a 400°F oven, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10-15 minutes more, until the top is golden brown. Serve hot or warm, and enjoy!

Notes

Note 1. One standard loaf of bread (about 1 pound) will yield approximately 10 cups of 1-inch cubes; substitute an equivalent amount if using store-bought stuffing cubes.
Note 2. Use sweet or mild Italian sausage and choose bulk sausage. If only links are available, removing the casing using kitchen shears, then break into small pieces.
Note 3. Choose a sweet-tart apple like Fuji or honeycrisp. To prep the apple, slice in half, peel, and remove the core. Place each half cut-side down and cut lengthwise into quarters. Thinly slice each quarter widthwise to create small, thinly sliced pieces of apple that will seamlessly meld into the stuffing.
Note 4. The bread is completely dry once is feels firm all over and crumbly around the edges; you should be able to push on the center of the bread cube and meet full resistance. Dry out the bread cubes until they are no longer "squishy" in the center.
Note 5. The bread cubes can be dried out up to 1 week in advance. Store in a sealed, airtight container (like a ziplock bag with the air pressed out) at room temperature.
Note 6. The amount of broth needed will depend on how dry the bread is. After resting, if little to no broth remains in the bottom of the bowl and the bread cubes appear evenly moist, you have added enough liquid and not further additions are needed. If all of the broth has been absorbed and the bread cubes still look a bit dry, add a quarter cup of additional broth, toss, and then rest again for 5 minutes. Repeat this process until the bread is moist, but not soggy, and little to no (less than a tablespoon) of broth remains at the bottom of the bowl.
Note 7. To make ahead, prepare the stuffing through Step 7, then transfer to the prepared casserole dish. Cover tightly with foil and place in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Bake as directed.

Nutrition