Italian Sausage Stuffing Recipe - Flavorful Sausage Stuffing Recipe (2024)

Add more flavor to your Thanksgiving dinner with this Italian Sausage Stuffing Recipe. It has all the elements of a standard stuffing plus crumbles of Italian sausage.

Thanksgiving Stuffing With a Flavorful Twist

Stuffing is an absolute must-have on the Thanksgiving table. A Thanksgiving spread simply doesn’t feel complete without a delectable stuffing dish like this sausage stuffing.

There are numerous ways to make stuffing, but what sets this Italian sausage stuffing apart is how it seamlessly combines the beloved traditions of classic stuffing with a delightful Italian sausage twist. The result is a flavor-packed dish that is sure to be a hit for every guest.

While stuffing is often associated with a classic Thanksgiving feast, this Italian sausage version can also be a fantastic addition to your Christmas or New Year’s dinner. You could even serve this sausage stuffing for an ordinary winter evening meal to bring a warm, nostalgic element to a dark and dreary day.

• Large pot
• Casserole dish or other large baking dish
• Baking sheet
• Measuring spoons
• Liquid measuring cup
• Sharp knifeand cutting board
• Slotted spoon
• Foil

Serving Suggestions

Whether you roast it in the oven or you slow-cook it, turkey is always stuffing’s number one companion. Enjoy this sausage stuffing with a savory portion of turkey breast.

This dish would also be delicious paired with a flavorful kale cranberry quinoa salad or creamy mashed potatoes. This combination of starches and vegetables will give your guests a good mixture of all flavors and textures.

Italian Sausage Stuffing Ingredients

• Italian bread
• Mild Italian sausage – I like to use pork sausage
• Celery
• Yellow onion
• Unsalted butter
• Turkey broth or chicken broth
• Parsley
• Salt

Ingredient substitutions

While this is an Italian-flavored recipe and the goal is to use Italian bread and Italian sausage, you can customize this sausage stuffing recipe to your personal preferences or what you happen to have on hand. It will be delicious regardless.

If I don’t use Italian sausage and Italian bread, I personally like this recipe with sourdough bread and apple sausage. The sweetness of apple pairs wonderfully with the savory sausage. I like to use lots of fresh sage and rosemary in that version.

Another fun switch-up would be to use jalapeño sausage with cornbread.You can even use diced jalapeño peppers in place of the celery.

The only herb that I use in this stuffing is fresh parsley, but you can use dried parsley or poultry seasoning. Basically any of the usual Thanksgiving side dish herbs like sage, rosemary and thyme will work.

I chose to keep this recipe garlic free, but feel free to add a few cloves of minced garlic into the pan when you are sauteeing the onions and celery.

How to make this Italian Sausage Stuffing

Step 1: Prepare bread, veggies, and preheat oven

If the bread is stale, you will want to cut it into cubes, place in a large bowl and set it aside but if the bread is fresh, you will cut it into cubes and place it on a baking sheet. Bake the bread at 225F for 30 minutes and then remove and set aside.

Next, finely dice the celery and onion and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350F and rub butter inside a 9×13 casserole dish.

Step 2: Cook all ingredients

Next, take the casing off the sausage and crumble and brown in a large pot over medium heat for about 7 minutes, stir frequently. Remove sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon and reduce heat to medium-low.

Then, melt butter in the pot and pour in the celery and onion, and saute until onions are translucent and celery is soft about 8-10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the sausage back into the pot along with the cubed bread, broth, parsley, and salt.

After that, toss to mix all of the ingredients together. The bread should be damp from the broth but if you see lots of pieces of dry bread you can add up to ½ cup more broth to the pot

Step 3: Bake and serve

Pour everything into the greased casserole dish and cover with a piece of foil and bake at 350F for 45 minutes covered. Then, uncover and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the top of this sausage stuffing is golden brown.

Serve and enjoy! If you like more of a crisp on top you can broil for just a minute or two before serving. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Storage and reheating

Allow the stuffing to cool completely. Then, either cover in the casserole dish or transfer to an airtight container and place in the fridge.

Store in refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stovetop, in the oven or in the microwave.

Can i make this ahead of time?

Yes! Cut down on your thanksgiving prep time by making this dish ahead of time.

Just follow all of the assembly steps and then instead of baking, cover the stuffing and place in the fridge. When you are ready to bake it, just add an extra 10 minutes onto the bake time and bake directly from the fridge.

If you want to freeze this sausage stuffing, wrap tightly and place in the freezer before the baking step. Bake from frozen at 325F for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Then, remove the foil to crisp the top layer.

Check out these other Thanksgiving Recipes

• One Pot White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
• Trader Joe’s Holiday Cheese Board
• Maple Cinnamon Roasted Kabocha Squash
• Easy Creamy Mashed Potatoes