This sausage stuffing with apples & cranberries is an easy recipe that is perfect for bringing to Thanksgiving dinner! The fruit adds a subtle sweetness that really complements the savory flavor of the pork sausage. It's a great recipe for stuffing a turkey, but it also tastes equally as delicious on its own!
Sausage Stuffing With Apples & Cranberries
Every family has its own tried-and-true version of holiday stuffing and there's no reason why this can't be yours! The savory pork sausage, fresh apples, and sweet, tart cranberries give this stuffing all the flavor you could ask for.
Wave goodbye to boxed stuffing. This recipe is so easy and delicious, you won't mind that there are a few extra steps.
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Whether you're a pro at hosting Thanksgiving dinner and holiday parties or giving it a try for the first time this year, you're sure to find my ultimate guide to planning Thanksgiving a help! Don't forget to safely thaw your holiday turkey early, too!
🥘 Ingredients For Sausage Stuffing
Each of these ingredients should be fairly inexpensive and easy to find. If you don't have day-old bread at home, you can always dry some fresh bread in your oven.
- Olive Oil - 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for browning the sausage, if needed.
- Yellow onion - 1 cup of yellow onion or white onion, diced. It should be about ½ of a medium-sized onion.
- Pork Sausage - 1 pound of pork sausage.
- Celery - ¾ cup of diced celery. This is usually about 1 ½ to 2 stalks of celery.
- Poultry Seasoning - 3 teaspoons of poultry seasoning. Try my recipe or use your favorite brand.
- Day Old Bread - 5 ½ cups of day-old (dry) bread cut into small cubes. If using fresh bread, be sure to dry it out in your oven (*see note).
- Apple - 1 cup of diced apple (Honeycrisp or other semi-firm variety).
- Dried Cranberries - ¾ cup of dried cranberries, raisins, or sultanas.
- Chicken Broth ¾ cup of chicken broth or turkey stock.
- Butter - 4 tablespoons (½ a stick) of melted butter.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Sausage Stuffing
Whether you plan on stuffing a turkey or you want to serve this as a side dish, the recipe is pretty simple. To get started, grab your measuring utensils, a mixing bowl, and a skillet.
This sausage stuffing will make about 6 servings. You can always double the recipe if you need to (just be sure you have another pan or baking dish).
- Preheat. Preheat your oven to 350° (175°C) and grease a 9x13 baking dish or a 2-quart casserole dish. **Ignore this step if stuffing a turkey. Place bread cubes in a large mixing bowl.
- Brown the sausage. In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil to the pan, then add 1 cup of diced onion and 1 pound of uncooked crumbled sausage. Break up sausage into crumbles and cook until the sausage is browned and the onion is softened.
- Season. Add ¾ cup of diced celery and 3 teaspoons of poultry seasoning, combine and allow to cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Combine. Add sausage mixture, 1 cup of diced apple, and ¾ cup of dried cranberries to the 5 ½ cups of day-old bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Pour in ¾ cup of chicken broth (or turkey stock) and 4 tablespoons of melted butter, and mix lightly to combine. *Add more broth as needed if your stuffing seems too dry.
- Bake. Spread stuffing mixture into a greased baking dish, cover, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes, then uncover and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes.
- Cool. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
This stuffing will pair perfectly with classic Thanksgiving recipes like turkey or ham. However, it also pairs well with alternative options like roasted chicken or prime rib. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Stale, dried-out bread is best for stuffing and dressing recipes.
- If starting out with fresh bread, leave it out at room temperature for a few days (24 hours at least). Or, you can tear and arrange bread pieces on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes until the bread pieces are dry and toasted slightly. *I like to turn my bread cubes halfway during this time to get the pieces dried out best.
- You may need to add more broth to your stuffing to get it moistened. Add small amounts as needed.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Once your sausage stuffing has cooled off, place it in a Ziploc bag or airtight storage container and refrigerate it for up to 3-4 days. In a heavy-duty freezer bag, you can freeze it for up to 2 weeks.
Frozen stuffing should be thawed in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating Sausage Stuffing
Place your stuffing in a baking dish with a lid (or cover it with foil) and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 30 minutes, or until warmed through.
❓ Recipe FAQs
You can make this sausage in advance! To do so, you can assemble the casserole, cover it, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. You can also bake and freeze your casserole, then thaw it in the fridge overnight the day before you need it. Just reheat it at 350°F (175°C) for 20-30 minutes when you are ready to eat.
Technically, stuffing is made to be stuffed inside of a turkey and dressing is to eat without it being stuffed into a turkey. However, as with this recipe, you can often choose whether you want to use it to stuff a turkey or not. So this recipe can be either! For more on the differences between stuffing vs dressing, check out my informative post!
Pork breakfast sausage is my preference when making stuffing. I generally use the regular flavor, but mild, hot, or sage-flavored sausage would all work well depending on your own preferences.
🦃 More Holiday Sides
- Bacon Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes - These potatoes are extra creamy with bits of crumbled bacon all throughout!
- Oyster Dressing - This old-school dressing recipe features oysters which add an irresistible briny flavor without making it taste fishy.
- Creamed Corn - Make extra creamy creamed corn in just 15 minutes flat!
- Maple Candied Yams - These candied yams might not have marshmallows but they do have maple syrup and bacon!
- Apple Cider Cranberry Sauce - This homemade cranberry sauce features warm fall spices, fresh apples, and fresh cranberries!
- Bacon Cheddar Green Bean Casserole - Bacon makes everything better, including this extra cheesy green bean casserole!
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📖 Recipe Card
Sausage Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 cup yellow onion (or white onion, diced)
- 1 lbs pork sausage
- ¾ cup celery (diced)
- 3 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 5 ½ cups day old bread (breadcrumbs)
- 1 cup apple (Honeycrisp or other semi-firm variety, diced)
- ¾ cup dried cranberries (or raisins, or sultanas)
- ¾ cup chicken broth (or turkey stock)
- 4 tablespoon butter (melted)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° (175°C) and grease a 9x13 baking dish or a 2-quart casserole dish. Place bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. **Ignore this step if stuffing a turkey.
- In a large skillet over medium heat add the olive oil to the pan, then add the diced onion and crumbled sausage. Break up sausage into crumbles and cook until the sausage is browned and the onion is softened.
- Add celery and seasoning, combine and allow to cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add sausage mixture, diced apple, and dried cranberries to the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the chicken broth (or turkey stock) and melted butter, and mix lightly to combine. *Add more broth as needed if your stuffing seems too dry.
- Spread stuffing mixture into a greased baking dish, cover, and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes, then uncover and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Stale, dried-out bread is best for stuffing and dressing recipes.
- If starting out with fresh bread leave it out at room temperature for a few days (24 hours at least). Or, you can tear and arrange bread pieces on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15-20 minutes until the bread pieces are dry and toasted slightly. *I like to turn my bread cubes halfway during this time to get the pieces dried out best.
- You may need to add more broth to your stuffing to get it moistened. Add small amounts as needed.
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