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Thanksgiving Stuffing with Apples and Sausage
There are two kinds of people in this world: stuffing people and dressing people. Which one are you? I call it dressing myself, but I grew up in the South. (Technically, it's stuffing if you cook it inside the turkey and dressing if you cook it outside in a casserole dish.) My mom always made cornbread dressing which I always liked, but then one year, I decided to try something different and found this stuffing recipe on Allrecipes.com. I had never had anything like it -- dressing with savory sausage and sweet apples and cranberries? Yum!
I've tinkered with it over time, and this Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries that I'm sharing with you today has become my contribution to my family's Thanksgiving every year. I'm pretty sure that if you try it, it will become your go-to stuffing recipe, too. The flavors of sausage, apples, cranberries, and fresh herbs just burst in your mouth. I can't wait to share it with you!
Tips for Making Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries
- You'll need a 9x13 or 3-quart pan to make this recipe. I love this turquoise one on Amazon, but any glass baking pan will work.
- Bread: you can experiment with different types of bread to see which combo you like best. The original recipe called for half white and half wheat. A lot of people like to use sourdough or even a bag of pre-seasoned stuffing mix. Personally, I like to use a combo of day-old French or Italian bread and cornbread. Feel free to make this recipe your own by finding your own favorite combo!
- Herbs: I highly recommend using fresh herbs in this stuffing. You can use dried but the flavors just won't be as intense. If you do use dried, make sure to halve the amounts you use.
What sausage is best for stuffing?
For this recipe, I recommend sage sausage if you can find it. Jimmy Dean carries a sage version as well as Bob Evans. Regular ground breakfast sausage if fine, though, if you can't find the sage version.
Can you make sausage stuffing ahead of time?
You can! You can make it a day ahead of time BUT don't add the chicken broth or butter until right before you bake it. That will ensure that the stuffing stays moist.
Isn't this actually dressing?
Yes, technically, this recipe is dressing because it is cooked outside of the turkey. If you want to cook it inside the turkey, leave out the egg and cut the chicken broth in half.
How to Make Stuffing with Apples and Sausage
If you prepare all of your ingredients ahead of time, this recipe will go super fast. Cut up your bread; dice your onions, celery, and herbs; etc. The most time-consuming part will be the prep.
1. Brown your sausage and onions. Then add your celery and herbs and cook for 2 minutes -- just long enough to soften the celery and bring out the flavor of the herbs.
2. Combine all the ingredients besides the butter and chicken broth in a large bowl. Then drizzle the chicken broth and butter over the stuffing mixture and gently mix together.
3. Pour the stuffing mixture in a 9x13 dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Then remove the aluminum foil and bake for another 15 minutes. You might want to check the stuffing before the uncovered bake and add some more chicken broth if it feels too dry.
Check out these other great recipes for your Thanksgiving Menu:
Southern Baked Squash Casserole
Cranberry Salsa -- great over cream cheese!
Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries
This stuffing bursts with flavor, thanks to savory sausage, sweet apples and dried cranberries, and fresh herbs. Perfect for your holiday meals!
Ingredients
- 5 cups cubed day-old bread
- 1 lb. ground breakfast sausage
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- ¾ cup celery, chopped
- 5 tsp. fresh sage, chopped (or 2 ½ tsp. dried)
- 4 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 ½ dried)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped (or ½ tsp. dried)
- 1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
- 1 ¼ cup sweetened dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 ½-2 cups chicken broth
- 4 Tbs. butter, melted
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9x13 dish.
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Brown sausage and onions in a large skillet over medium high heat until meat is well-browned and onions are translucent. Add celery and herbs and saute for 2 minutes.
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Combine all ingredients except chicken broth and butter in a large bowl. Stir well. Drizzle chicken broth and butter over the mixture and gently mix.
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Pour the stuffing mixture into the 9x13 dish and bake, covered with aluminum foil, for 35 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake for another 15 minutes, adding chicken broth as needed.
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