Stuffing recipe with Italian sausage (2024)

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This easy Stuffing recipe with Italian Sausage is my favorite stuffing recipe! It is savory, delicious and always a hit with everyone! Save this to Pinterest so you can make it!

Stuffing recipe with Italian sausage (1)

I’ve never been a big lover of stuffing – even my grandma’s. But, this stuffing…this delicious, savory Stuffing recipe with Italian Sausage is incredible and the one we will forever make each holiday season. It’s my go-to Thanksgiving side dish and the one dish that truly marks the celebration for us.

What is stuffing?

So, let’s get this out of the way. Technically, stuffing is what gets stuffed inside of the bird. If you want to be really technical about it, this is “dressing”. But no one in United States really uses that correct vernacular. So for the sake of simplicity and vocabulary, we are going to call this a Stuffing recipe with Italian Sausage.

Stuffing recipe with Italian sausage (2)Stuffing recipe with Italian sausage (3)

Stuffing always got a bad rap

Now back to business…As I mentioned stuffing has never really been my thing. I always felt it was too dry with not enough flavor. If I was going to eat a holiday dish full of carbs that was sure to fill me up, I was sure it was going to be the pasta that we always eat before the main course even reaches the table.

But save room for this one, friends. This Stuffing Recipe with Italian Sausage just might be the dish that makes you pop open the top button on your pants. And you will be happy about it too. 🙂

This Stuffing Recipe with Italian Sausage is filled with flavor in each bite. It’s moist and it’s really one of those classic dishes that will stay with your heart.

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Stuffing recipe with Italian sausage (5)

So, what makes stuffing good?

For me, I really want the flavors to kind of sing together. Every now and then I come across one that’s too herb-y, or has some odd herb in it that makes me strongly dislike it. I don’t want it to be too soggy or dry either.

This Stuffing Recipe with Italian Sausage hits all the high notes for me. It combines fresh herbs like parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme along with some of my favorite savory ingredients. The Italian Sausage really helps here too and you can use your favorite kind. I tend to use Johnsonville Mild Italian Sausage. While it probably doesn’t make the recipe seem overly sophisticated, it’s easy to find in almost any grocery store and it’s a flavor profile many people already enjoy. However, if your family has another favorite, I strongly suggest using that so you love this recipe just as much as I do.

Combined with eggs and chicken broth to help keep it all moist, the stuffing recipe with Italian sausage will become a fast family favorite.

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Tips for making this Stuffing Recipe with Italian Sausage

  • Use an Italian Sausage you love and that your family loves. Whether it’s from another brand or a local butcher.
  • Buy the French Bread ahead of time, let it sit for a day. Then cut the French Bread a few hours before you need it. If you don’t do this, you will need to dry out the bread a bit before cooking the stuffing recipe with Italian Sausage. If this is the way you decide to do it, put it in the oven at 300 for about 15 minutes. Flip it once and bake another 15 minutes.
  • Use sea salt instead of table salt. It will add a lot more flavor and help the dish feel well-rounded.
  • You can make this the day before Thanksgiving and then just warm it up the day of. See full instructions for that in the stuffing recipe with Italian sausage below.
  • You need a Dutch oven to make this before baking it. I have this one {HERE} from Le Creuset and I love it. I make everything in it from pastas to soups to bread and more.

Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes?

If you are looking for more Thanksgiving recipes, try these!

  • Butter Herb Turkey {HERE}
  • Honey Roasted Carrots and Beets {HERE}
  • Green Beans with Almonds {HERE}
  • Creamy Red Skinned Mashed Potatoes {HERE}
  • Lemon and Herb Baby Potatoes {HERE}

Thank you so much for visiting today, friends! I hope you love my Stuffing Recipe with Italian Sausage. You can find a full, printable for my easy pumpkin bread recipe below with all the ingredients and steps. Happy Eating!

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Stuffing recipe with Italian sausage (7)

Stuffing recipe with Italian sausage (8)

Stuffing Recipe with Italian Sausage

This Stuffing recipe with Italian Sausage will forever be your go-to recipe for Thanksgiving!

5 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Italian Sausage Stuffing recipe, Stuffing recipe with Italian Sausage

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Author: Rachel

Equipment

  • Dutch oven or large pot

  • Baking pan

Ingredients

  • 1 package Italian Sausage I use mild Johnsonville Italian Sausage.
  • 1 1/2 loaves French bread, cubed or torn
  • 1 stick butter, salted
  • 2 1/2 cups yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cups celery, sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups Italian parsley, chopped
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh sage, minced
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions

  • If you need to dry out your bread, do this first. Preheat oven to 300. Add the bread cubes to a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Flip and then bake again for another 15 minutes.

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

  • Brown the sausage in a large Dutch oven or a large pot. You can see mine above in my Dutch oven that's about 5 quarts.

  • When the sausage is almost brown, add the butter, onion and celery. Cook for about 5 more minutes until the onions begin to soften.

  • Turn off the heat.

  • Add in the bread cubes and then add in all the herbs plus the salt and pepper. Gently mix everything to combine it. Don't worry if you can't fit all the bread cubes right at that moment. As the mix cooks down, you can add in a few more pieces.

  • Drizzle half of the chicken broth over the mixture and mix lightly.

  • Whisk the eggs and the other half of the chicken broth together. Pour over the stuffing mix and fold everything together.

  • Grease a baking dish with the olive oil.

  • If you have any remaining bread cubes that you have not combined yet, add them to the bottom of the baking dish.

  • Add the stuffing mixture to the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

  • ****If you want to make this the day before Thanksgiving and then heat it up on the day of, stop here for now and put the stuffing in the refrigerator with the foil on.****

  • Remove the foil and bake for about 45 minutes.

  • Serve immediately with additional salt and pepper to taste and additional fresh parsley and thyme.

Stuffing recipe with Italian sausage (2024)

FAQs

How much water do you put in sausage before stuffing? ›

Add at least 1 oz. of water per pound of meat to aid in the stuffing process. This aid in mixing the meat with the seasoning and will ease the stress put on the gears of your meat mixer and sausage stuffer. Try experimenting with liquids other than water when mixing your next batch of sausage.

Is stuffing made from sausage? ›

Some sausage meat packets already have added spices and you can even use flavoured sausages, squeezed from their casings, to make stuffing.

Can you prepare uncooked stuffing ahead of time and refrigerate? ›

If you don't plan on stuffing the bird, but preparing the dressing as a side dish, you can prepare uncooked stuffing ahead of time as long as you freeze the stuffing immediately after mixing the wet and dry ingredients. USDA recommends that you never refrigerate uncooked stuffing.

What happens if you put too much water in stuffing? ›

The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much. Add more bread to soak up the excess moisture. If the mix is still dry and crumbly, add more liquid and toss gently until it starts to clump together.

What is the perfect ratio for sausage? ›

Sausage Ratios

The standard for sausage preparation is a 2:1 lean to fat ratio (65-70% lean meat to 30-35% fat). Some ratios are as high as a 1:1 lean to fat ratio (50% lean meat to 50% fat) or lower at a 4:1 lean to fat ratio (80% lean meat to 20% fat).

Do you use the blade when stuffing sausage? ›

Spacer Plates are 2-hole plates, primarily used with a stuffing tube to stuff casings. When used for this purpose remove the grinding knife.

How to stuff sausage without a sausage stuffer? ›

Start taking small amounts of the sausage and push it with your thumb into the mouth of the funnel and into the casing. Do not overfill it or it may break. Fill the casing evenly but leave about 2 inches of the casing remaining at the top unfilled. Slip the casing off the funnel and knot the end.

What is sausage stuffing made of? ›

Sausage Stuffing Ingredients

Vegetables: You'll need finely diced celery and a chopped onion. Bread: The white bread cubes should ideally be slightly stale. If your bread seems too soft, lightly toast it in the oven. Seasonings: Season the sausage stuffing with poultry seasoning and ground black pepper.

What is sausage stuffer made of? ›

USA Made Sausage Stuffer is made of 304 food grade stainless steel, meant for safe sanitary meat processing. ✓ Base is easily mountable to most surfaces.

Is it better to make stuffing the day before? ›

The short answer to whether you can making stuffing ahead of time is yes. "Making stuffing ahead saves time, allows stove and oven space for other things, and making it ahead gives time for the flavor to fully develop," Chef David Tiner, Director at Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge, tells Southern Living.

Can I mix up my stuffing the night before? ›

Absolutely. Most Thanksgiving stuffing recipes can be made at least partially in advance since: A) They're easily assembled a day or two ahead of Thanksgiving Day; and B) They're often baked using a two-step process (once covered with foil to cook through, then uncovered to achieve a crispy top).

How to know when stuffing is done? ›

A food thermometer should be used to ensure that the stuffing reaches the safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F. If the stuffing is inside whole poultry, take the poultry out of the oven and let it stand 20 minutes before removing the stuffing. Refrigerate cooked poultry and stuffing within 2 hours.

How much water do you need to cook sausage? ›

Fill skillet with enough water to reach a quarter of the way up sides of sausages. Simmer, covered, until sausages are cooked through and water evaporates, 10 to 15 minutes. (If sausages have cooked through but water has not evaporated, uncover, and continue to cook until water evaporates.)

How much water do you put in stuffing mix? ›

Empty the sachet into a bowl, adding 425ml of boiling water, mixing well. Add a large knob of butter if desired. 3. Leave to stand for 5 minutes then place the stuffing into either an ovenproof dish or alternatively form into stuffing balls on a greased baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until piping hot.

How much water do you add when making summer sausage? ›

Add entire seasoning and cure packets to 2-3 cups of water. Mix thoroughly into meat. After cooking refrigerate or freeze. *USDA recommends all ground meats be cooked to internal temperature of 160° (165° for poultry).

Why do you add water to sausage when cooking? ›

Using water to cook to cook your sausage will allow it to cook more evenly, as the hot water will more thoroughly penetrate the interior. Fill a saucepan or pot with enough water to cover your sausages, then bring it to a boil.

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