Description
This Easy Sausage & Herb Stuffing is a rich and savory holiday classic featuring hearty sweet Italian sausage, aromatics like onion, celery, and garlic, fresh herbs, and store-bought stuffing cubes. It’s straightforward to prepare, bake to a golden crisp, and perfect for making ahead of time to save stress on the big day.
Ingredients
Scale
Stuffing Base
- 8 cups (400g) store-bought unseasoned stuffing cubes
Sautéed Vegetables
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 1½ cups diced yellow onion (from 1 large onion)
- 1 cup diced celery (from 3 celery stalks)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Sausage & Seasonings
- 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)
- 2¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter to prevent sticking and promote even browning.
- Combine Stuffing Cubes: Place the stuffing cubes into a large mixing bowl to prepare for the incorporation of cooked ingredients.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add diced onions and celery, cooking and stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer these vegetables to the bowl with stuffing cubes, scraping the pan well to capture all flavorful bits.
- Cook Sausage: Using the same pan, cook the bulk sweet Italian sausage over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until browned and fully cooked. Break up the sausage into pieces no bigger than ¼ inch as it cooks. Add the cooked sausage and rendered fat to the bread cubes and vegetables.
- Mix Stuffing Ingredients: Add chicken broth, beaten egg, rosemary, sage, parsley, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Mix thoroughly to moisten the bread cubes evenly, ensuring the stuffing becomes soft and flavorful.
- Bake Stuffing: Transfer the stuffing mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake uncovered for 65-75 minutes until the top is deeply golden and crisp.
- Make-Ahead and Freezing Tips: This stuffing can be assembled up to one day in advance and refrigerated. When ready, bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes if needed. After baking, it can be frozen tightly covered for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours and reheat covered with foil at 325°F until heated through.
Notes
- This rich and savory stuffing recipe is perfect for the holidays and features hearty sausage and fragrant fresh herbs.
- You can use bulk sausage for convenience; if unavailable, remove casings from regular sausage before using.
- Make the stuffing ahead of time to ease holiday meal prep.
- Store in the refrigerator before baking or freeze after baking for convenient reheating later.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1/9th of recipe)
- Calories: 467
- Sugar: 5 grams
- Sodium: 1063 mg
- Fat: 28 grams
- Saturated Fat: 10 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 40 grams
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Protein: 15 grams
- Cholesterol: 57 mg
