Classic Sausage and Sage Stuffing
Classic Sausage and Sage Stuffing is a timeless holiday side dish loaded with savory sausage, fragrant sage, buttery bread cubes, and comforting homemade flavor. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or family gatherings, this traditional stuffing recipe is moist on the inside with a delicious golden top.
Ingredients
- For the Stuffing
- 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or sweet), casings removed
- 1 large loaf of day-old bread (about 12 cups cubed), preferably French or sourdough
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)
- 2 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped (or 2 tsp dried)
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 3–4 cups chicken or turkey stock, warmed
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare bread: Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C). Spread bread cubes on baking sheets and bake for 30–40 minutes until dry and crisp. Cool.
- Cook sausage: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until browned and crumbly. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Cook vegetables: In the same skillet, melt butter. Add onion, celery, and garlic, cooking until softened (about 8 minutes). Stir in sage, thyme, and parsley. Transfer mixture to the bowl with sausage.
- Combine stuffing: Add toasted bread cubes to the sausage mixture. Pour in stock gradually until bread is moist but not soggy. Stir in beaten eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake stuffing: Transfer mixture into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15–20 minutes, until golden brown on top.