Description
A savory sausage stuffing recipe featuring toasted bread cubes, browned sausage, sautéed vegetables, fresh herbs, and dried cranberries, baked to a golden perfection. Perfect as a hearty side dish for holiday meals or any comforting dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients
- 16 ounces bread cut into 1-inch pieces, day old bread if possible
- 1 pound sage pork sausage or sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups yellow onions finely chopped (from 1 large onion or 2 small onions)
- 1 cup celery chopped (from 2-3 stalks)
- 5 large cloves garlic minced, or 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional — can substitute with 1/4 cup broth)
- 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 egg lightly whisked
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for toasting the bread cubes and baking the stuffing later.
- Toast Bread: Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes or until dried and lightly toasted. Transfer the toasted cubes to a very large mixing bowl.
- Cook Sausage: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it up with a fork, and cook for about 10 minutes until browned and cooked through. Transfer cooked sausage to the bowl with the bread cubes.
- Sauté Vegetables and Herbs: In the same pan, melt the butter then add onions, celery, garlic, parsley, sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
- Add Wine and Reduce: Pour in the white wine (or broth if substituting) and cook for about 4 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half, concentrating the flavors.
- Combine Stock and Egg: Remove the pan from heat and add the chicken stock, stirring to combine all the flavors. Then stir in the beaten egg and dried cranberries (if using).
- Mix Stuffing: Pour the vegetable and stock mixture over the bread cubes and sausage in the large bowl. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until the bread absorbs the liquid and all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Bake Stuffing: Transfer the mixture into a 9×12-inch baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until the top is browned and the stuffing is hot throughout.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve the sausage stuffing warm as a delicious side dish.
Notes
- Dry out the bread by baking or toasting to ensure it absorbs the flavors properly and avoids sogginess.
- Choose any type of sausage you prefer — sage pork, sweet, or spicy Italian all work well.
- Using day-old bread enhances texture and prevents mushy stuffing.
- White wine adds depth but can be substituted with broth to keep it non-alcoholic.
- Add dried cranberries for a nice subtle sweetness balancing the savory elements.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
