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Every holiday table needs one side dish that people go back for again and again, and at our house it’s this Sausage & Herb Stuffing. It’s buttery and savory, full of crumbled sausage, tender onion and celery, and plenty of herbs, with crispy golden edges and a soft center that soaks up gravy.
This one takes a little more time than most of my recipes, but most of that is hands-off oven time while the bread dries and the stuffing bakes.
You can also put it together a day early, so on the big day all you have to do is slide it into the oven.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Dry bread holds its shape. Toasting the bread cubes first lets them soak up the broth and butter without turning to mush.
- Eggs hold it together. Whisking the eggs into the broth binds the stuffing so it scoops out in tender, sliceable spoonfuls instead of falling apart.
- Covered, then uncovered. Baking under foil keeps the middle soft and moist, then finishing uncovered gives you that crispy, golden top.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground sausage: I use a 1 lb roll of regular or sage breakfast sausage. Mild or hot Italian sausage works too if you take it out of the casings.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted both work. If you use salted you could cut the salt down to 1½ teaspoons since the sausage already brings plenty.
- French bread: One 16 oz loaf is all you need. Sourdough or Italian bread also works well. Skip soft sandwich bread or brioche, which go soggy fast.
- Onion and celery: Dice them about the same size so they cook evenly and spread through every bite.
- Seasonings: Fresh parsley, dried rosemary, ground thyme, salt, and pepper give it that classic holiday flavor. Dried thyme leaves work in place of ground.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: Low-sodium keeps the stuffing from getting too salty. Turkey broth is a good swap too.
- Eggs: Two large eggs bind everything together.
Dry the bread. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes, spread them on two baking sheets, and bake for about 45 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Recipe Tip
The cubes should feel dry and crisp like croutons all the way through. If they’re still soft in the center, give them a few more minutes. This is great to do the day before if you plan on this for a busy holiday.
Prep the oven and dish. Raise the oven to 350°F and grease a 3 quart casserole dish.
Brown the sausage. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until browned, breaking it into small crumbles. Move it to a large bowl.
Cook the vegetables. Melt ½ cup of the butter in the same skillet. Add the onion and celery and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until soft.
Combine. Add the dried bread, cooked vegetables with all the butter from the pan, parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper to the bowl with the sausage. Pour in half the broth and gently toss.
More Recipe Tips
Fold gently with a large spoon. Stirring too hard breaks up the bread and makes the stuffing mushy.
Add the eggs. Whisk the eggs with the remaining broth, then pour it over the stuffing and fold until everything is evenly coated. Let it sit for a few minutes so the bread can soak up the liquid.
Don’t Skip
Mixing the eggs into the broth first keeps them from scrambling when they hit the warm vegetables. The mixture should look moist but not wet. If it still looks dry after resting, add a splash more broth
Bake. Spread the stuffing into the prepared dish. Cut the remaining 1/2 cup butter into small pieces and dot them over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 40 to 45 minutes more, until the top is golden brown and crispy.
Rest and serve. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Make ahead: Assemble the stuffing in the dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before baking, and plan on a few extra minutes in the oven.
Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
Reheating: Drizzle with a little broth, cover with foil, and warm at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes. The microwave works for single servings.
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Sausage and Herb Stuffing
Ingredients
- 16 oz French bread, (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 1 cup unsalted butter, (divided)
- 1½ cups diced onion
- 1½ cups diced celery
- ⅔ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 Tbsp dried rosemary
- 1 Tbsp ground thyme
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, (divided)
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F. Spread the bread cubes on 2 baking sheets and bake for about 45 minutes, stirring halfway, until completely dry.
- Raise the oven to 350°F. Grease a 3 quart casserole dish.
- Melt 1/2 cups butter in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions and celery and cook until softened. This should take about 8-10 minutes.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage, breaking it into small crumbles. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Melt ½ cup butter in the same skillet. Add the onion and celery and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until soft.
- Add the bread, vegetables and butter, parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper to the sausage. Pour in 1¼ cups broth and gently toss.
- Whisk the eggs with the remaining 1¼ cups broth. Pour over the stuffing and fold until evenly coated. Let sit a few minutes.
- Spread into the prepared dish and dot the top with the remaining ½ cup butter, cut into small pieces. Cover with foil and bake 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 40 to 45 minutes more, until golden and crispy on top.
- Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Everything looks good. I am interested in crock pot recipes, but will try other things!
Hope you enjoy them Sheri!