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–+ servings
baked sausage apple stuffing in white baking dish with serving spoon
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5 from 22 votes

Apple Sausage Stuffing

This apple sausage stuffing recipe is a variation of a classic Thanksgiving dressing recipe with sausage, apples, cranberries, and nutty topping. It's savory, sweet, easy to make, and a must-have holiday side.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Holiday, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 220kcal
Author: Traci

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon Oil
  • 1 pound Pork Sausage
  • 2 tablespoons Butter
  • 1 large Onion diced (2 cups)
  • 2 ribs Celery diced (½ cup)
  • 1 Apple peeled and diced (1 cup)
  • 2 ½ cups Chicken Broth or other broth
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground Sage
  • 8 cups Stuffing Cubes Note: 1 pound loaf = approx 12 cups
  • ½ cup Dried Cranberries whole or chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley chopped
  • ¼ cup Walnuts chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and coat the casserole dish with cooking spray.
  • Heat OIL in the skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add the SAUSAGE and heat until cooked through, stirring as needed.
  • Drain excess fat, transfer sausage from the skillet, and set aside.
  • Melt the BUTTER in the skillet. Add ONION and CELERY. Sauté for 5 to 10 minutes until tender, stirring as needed.
  • While the vegetables are cooking, whisk together 1 ½ cups of the CHICKEN BROTH, EGGS, POULTRY SEASONING, SALT, PEPPER, and SAGE in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
  • Add BREAD CUBES to this mixture and gently toss to coat. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the bread to become fully moistened.
  • Test the bread cube moisture by squeezing a piece between your fingers. You want the bread cubes thoroughly moistened but not mushy. Add more broth as needed to achieve this.
  • Add the cooked sausage, sauteed vegetables, DICED APPLES, and CRANBERRIES to the stuffing mix. Gently stir to combine.
  • Transfer the stuffing mixture to the baking dish and top with PARSLEY.
  • Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the cover, sprinkle (optional) WALNUTS over the top, and bake additional 30 minutes until the top is golden brown.
  • Rest the stuffing for 10 minutes. Garnish with more PARSLEY as needed. Serve warm.
  • To store, cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Video

Notes

Make-ahead instructions
Prepare stuffing ahead by following the recipe up to the baking step. Cover and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. If using ceramic bakeware, let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to prevent thermal shock. Then, proceed with baking baking instructions.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 305mg | Potassium: 183mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 149IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg