Sausage Stuffing with Apples

This sausage stuffing recipe makes a mouthwatering, perfectly moist, savory dressing for Thanksgiving dinner, or any other holiday. Use our no-fuss, make-ahead instructions and you’ll have this classic holiday side dish ready to bake and serve!

Every holiday table needs at least one traditional side dish and that’s exactly what this sausage stuffing recipe makes. A classic, holiday stuffing… or is it called dressing?

What’s the difference between stuffing and dressing?

Aside from the name, there isn’t much difference between stuffing and dressing. They look identical and the ingredients are basically the same. The cooking method is what sets them apart.

According to the dictionary, stuffing is a filling of one or more food ingredients that are placed and cooked inside of something else.

For example, in this sausage stuffing recipe, the ingredients might be stuffed inside of a chicken or turkey carcass.  For a stuffed bell peppers recipe, the “stuffing” could be rice, beef, and other filling ingredients.

In contrast, dressing describes similar ingredients to stuffing, but rather than stuffing it in a turkey, the ingredients are baked in a casserole dish.

To make matters a little confusing, the terms are interchangeable, dependent on what part of the United States you live in.

People living in the southern states are likely to say they are making sausage dressing for Thanksgiving. Northerners tend to call it sausage stuffing, even when it’s not stuffed inside of anything! 

Sausage Stuffing Recipe Notes

There are a few basic ingredients that you will see in many stuffing recipes. They are:

• Dried bread or bread cubes – White bread is what most recipes call for, but you can make stuffing with any type of bread you like, as long as it is dry. Cornbread stuffing is a popular choice for Thanksgiving.
• Finely chopped onion and celery
• Chicken broth or stock, or if you’re making a vegetarian stuffing, vegetable stock
• Fresh herbs, salt and pepper, and poultry seasoning
• Oil and/or butter

For this sausage stuffing recipe, the following ingredients are also used:

• Ground pork sausage – I love to use a preservative-free sage sausage for this recipe. The added sage is great if you don’t have the sage herb on hand and it adds that classic holiday flavor to the dressing.
• Chopped apples – You can use any apples you like for this recipe. I prefer a tart Ambrosia apple myself.
• Eggs
• Chopped walnuts – these are totally optional, but highly recommended! They add unexpected, delicious flavor and texture to your Thanksgiving side dish. Who doesn’t love apples and walnuts together?

How do you make bread stale for stuffing?

You have several options to dry the bread for stuffing. The first reason is the most obvious – just allow the bread to turn stale by leaving it in an unsealed container at room temperature. After a couple of days, the bread will dry out and become stale.

A quicker option is to use the hot, dry air of an oven to dry the bread. This is a much quicker option than allowing the bread to stale naturally; it typically takes several minutes.

Why do you put eggs in stuffing?

Although not every version calls for eggs, this sausage stuffing recipe does. The eggs are used for two reasons; as a binder and for moisture.

• Binder – If you have ever made homemade meatballs or meatloaf, you probably know that eggs are in the mixture to help bind the ingredients together. We’re using eggs in the stuffing for the same reason.
• Moisture – Very few people, if any, like dry stuffing. You can keep stuffing moist by adding broth, stock, or even water. However, too much liquid can make the stuffing loose and watery. I add eggs to the stuffing to keep it from drying out as it bakes in the oven.

Can I make the stuffing ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare this dish up to five days before you want to serve it. You have two options to make the stuffing ahead of time.

1. Completely prepare the sausage stuffing according to the recipe below, including baking it. Then, allow the dish to cool to room temperature and cover the pan with plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or a lid. Refrigerate for up to five days and then simply reheat the dish in the oven before serving.
2. Prepare the recipe but do not bake the sausage stuffing. Instead, cover the pan well and refrigerate for up to three days. Then, when you are ready to serve the dish, follow the recipe instructions below to bake it.

Recommended Tools for this stuffing recipe

• chef knife and cutting board
• baking sheet (if drying bread in the oven)
• 12″ oven-safe skillet (dressing will go from stove to oven)
• silicone spatula or another stirring utensil

Other Holiday Side Dishes

If you want to make a few more classic dishes for the holidays, give these a go!

• Naked Baked Smashed Potatoes
• Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
• Baked Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Cooking turkey for a smaller crowd? Check out this SUPER scrumptious Herb Roasted Turkey Breast. It’s a hassle-free way to cook turkey!

Print REcipe

5 from 13 votes

Sausage Stuffing or Dressing for Thanksgiving

This sausage stuffing recipe is a savory holiday side dish with a hint of apple sweetness. It starts on the stove and finishes in the oven. It’s hassle-free and includes make-ahead instructions! It’s the perfect dressing for Thanksgiving, or any holiday, bringing classic flavor to your festive meal.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 16 1/2-cup servings

Calories 220kcal

Author Traci Antonovich

Ingredients

• 6 cups cubed plain Bread or unseasoned croutons
• 1 pound Sage Pork Sausage or use 1/2 lb if you want less sausage
• 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Apples any kind, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1/2 Onion diced
• 2 Celery Stalks diced
• 1 1/2 cups Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth
• 2 Eggs
• 4-6 Sage Leaves (optional) chopped
• 2 Tbsp fresh Parsley chopped
• 1/2 cup Walnuts chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°

Dry the bread

• Spread the CUBED BREAD on a large baking sheet.
• Place in the preheated oven; bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cubes are dried and somewhat toasty, tossing as needed. Set aside.

Make sausage stuffing

• Preheat a 12” *oven-safe skillet on medium-high heat; add SAUSAGE, break into small pieces, and cook until browned; transfer cooked sausage to a mixing bowl (drain grease, if desired); set aside.
• In the same skillet on med-high heat, melt BUTTER; then sauté ONION, APPLES, and CELERY until tender, stirring as needed.
• Add BREAD CUBES and SAUSAGE to the skillet, folding into the vegetables.
• Whisk together CHICKEN BROTH, EGGS, and (optional) SAGE LEAVES until eggs are fully beaten; pour over the entire mixture, gently folding ingredients together to coat the bread cubes.
• Top the stuffing with (optional) WALNUTS and FRESH PARSLEY.
• Bake the stuffing for 35-45 minutes. The top should be golden brown and lightly crispy; allow to rest for 10 minutes; serve warm.

  Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.

RECIPE NOTES

Yield: 8 cups

Serving size: 1/2 cup

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy and are estimates based on unbranded ingredients acquired from a nutrition database. For accurate calculations, please refer to brand packaging information and consult your nutritionist.

Storage Instructions

Transfer stuffing in portioned amounts into airtight containers; refrigerate up to 5 days.

*If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you can use any skillet to sauté the vegetables. Then, follow the remainder of the recipe using a 9 x 13 casserole dish in place of the oven-safe skillet.

To make this recipe ahead

Simply make the recipe up to the point of combining the liquid and solid ingredients. Then, store the cooked veggies, cubed bread, and liquid ingredients separately in airtight containers up to 2 days before serving.

On serving day, continue the recipe instructions where you left off and finish accordingly.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Sausage Stuffing or Dressing for Thanksgiving

Amount Per Serving (0.5 cup)

Calories 220 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 45mg15%

Sodium 305mg13%

Potassium 183mg5%

Carbohydrates 15g5%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 149IU3%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 42mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Traci Antonovich

Recipe author and food photographer at The Kitchen Girl

I'm on a mission to help you eat healthy AND save money through simple, everyday recipes, product reviews, and budget-friendly kitchen tips.

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