Are you searching for the ultimate, show-stopping side dish for your holiday table? The kind of classic, from-scratch stuffing so savory, so moist, and so packed with the comforting flavors of the season, it will have the whole family raving? This incredible Classic Sausage and Apple Stuffing is that perfect recipe. We’re talking hearty cubes of toasted bread, tossed with savory Italian sausage, sweet apples, tart cranberries, and a fragrant blend of fresh herbs, all baked into a magnificent, golden-brown casserole.
This isn’t just another stuffing recipe; it’s a guide to mastering the most important side dish of the Thanksgiving feast. Forget the boxed mix forever. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to a flawless, crowd-pleasing stuffing that is perfectly moist on the inside, beautifully crisp on top, and can be made ahead to save you stress on the big day.
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate “From-Scratch” Holiday Side Dish
What makes this Sausage and Apple Stuffing so spectacularly delicious is its incredible depth of flavor and its wonderful combination of textures. This recipe is a masterpiece of classic, festive cooking. The heart of the dish is the savory flavor base, built from browned sweet Italian sausage and a classic soffritto of onions, celery, and tart Granny Smith apples. The foundation is a generous amount of toasted bread cubes, which soak up all the delicious flavors from the sausage, the sautéed vegetables, and a rich chicken stock. The final, festive magic comes from a handful of chewy, sweet-tart dried cranberries and a shower of fresh parsley.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour 45 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 40 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 10-12 |
The Flavors of the Feast: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality, flavorful ingredients to create its signature rich and savory-sweet flavor.
- The Bread (The Heart of the Stuffing!):
- Day-Old Bread is KEY!: For the best, most authentic texture that is never mushy, it is essential to use a good-quality, crusty, day-old white or sourdough bread. Day-old bread is drier and will absorb the flavorful broth beautifully without turning to a soggy paste.
- The Savory & Sweet Medley:
- Italian Sausage: A classic choice for its rich, savory flavor. You can use sweet, mild, or hot Italian sausage depending on your preference.
- Granny Smith Apples & Cranberries: This is the secret to a perfectly balanced stuffing! The bright, tart flavor of the Granny Smith apple and the sweet-tart chewiness of the dried cranberries are the perfect counterpoints that cut through the richness of the sausage and butter.
- The Aromatics: A classic and powerful combination. Sweet onion, fresh celery, and a generous amount of fresh parsley create the signature, savory aroma of a classic Thanksgiving stuffing.
The Casserole Masterclass: The Secrets to a Perfect Bake
This recipe uses two simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.
- Toast Your Bread!: The number one, non-negotiable secret to a stuffing that is never, ever soggy is to toast your bread cubes first. This simple, 7-minute step in the oven is the key that dries out the bread, allowing it to act like a sponge that can soak up a huge amount of flavor without falling apart.
- Building Flavor in One Pan: For the deepest flavor and the easiest cleanup, this recipe cleverly has you build all your flavor components in stages in the same large skillet. By first sautéing your aromatics in butter and then browning your sausage in the same pan, you are creating layer upon layer of savory, complex flavor that will become the soul of your stuffing.
Step-by-Step to the Best Sausage and Apple Stuffing
This rewarding holiday project is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: The Flavorful Foundations
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 300°F ($150^{\circ}C$). Place your 16 cups of bread cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for about 7 minutes to toast them. Transfer the toasted bread cubes to a very large bowl. Increase your oven temperature to 350°F ($175^{\circ}C$).
Step 2: In a large sauté pan, melt your 1 stick of butter. Add the 2 cups of diced onion, the 1 cup of diced celery, your diced Granny Smith apples, and the 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley. Season with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Sauté over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables have softened. Add this mixture to your large bowl with the bread cubes.
Step 3: In the same sauté pan, cook your 3/4 pound of Italian sausage over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, breaking it up with a fork, until it is browned and cooked through. Add the cooked sausage to your bowl with the bread and vegetables.
Part 2: The Final Assembly and Perfect Bake
Step 1 (The Best Part!): To your large bowl, add the 1 cup of chicken stock and the 1 cup of dried cranberries. Mix everything together well.
Step 2: Pour the entire mixture into a 9×12-inch baking dish.
Step 3: Bake for about 30 minutes. You will know the stuffing is perfectly done when the top is a beautiful, deep golden brown and the center is hot and steamy. Serve warm.
Classic Sausage and Apple Stuffing (An Easy Holiday Recipe!)
A classic recipe for a rich and savory Sausage and Herb Stuffing, a perfect side dish for a holiday feast like Thanksgiving. This traditional dressing features cubes of toasted bread tossed with a flavorful mixture of sweet or spicy Italian sausage, sautéed onions, celery, and Granny Smith apples. The stuffing is moistened with chicken stock and studded with sweet dried cranberries before being baked in a casserole dish until it is golden brown on top and hot in the middle.
Ingredients
- 16 cups 1-inch bread cubes (from a 1 1/2 pound loaf of white or sourdough)
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 cups medium-diced yellow onion (2 onions)
- 1 cup medium-diced celery (2 stalks)
- 2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and large-diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 7 minutes to dry them out. Remove the bread cubes to a very large bowl and increase the oven temperature to 350°F.
- While the bread is toasting, melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, apples, parsley, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add this mixture to the bowl with the bread cubes.
- In the same sauté pan, cook the sausage over medium heat for about 10 minutes, breaking it up with a fork, until it is browned and cooked through. Add the cooked sausage to the bread and vegetable mixture.
- Add the chicken stock and cranberries to the bowl. Mix everything well to combine.
- Pour the stuffing into a 9×12-inch baking dish.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is browned and the stuffing is hot in the middle. Serve warm.
Notes
- This is the quintessential side dish for a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
- Using day-old, slightly stale bread is ideal as it will absorb the liquid better without becoming mushy. Toasting the bread cubes in the oven helps to dry them out further.
- For a vegetarian version, you can omit the sausage and substitute the chicken stock with vegetable broth.
- The combination of sweet apples and cranberries with the savory sausage creates a classic, balanced Thanksgiving flavor profile.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This is the ultimate make-ahead holiday side dish!
- Make-Ahead: This is a perfect make-ahead dish! You can prepare and fully assemble the entire, unbaked casserole up to 2 days in advance. Simply cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator. When you are ready for your dinner, you may need to add 15-20 minutes to the total baking time.
- Storage: Store any leftovers, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat this dish is to place it in a baking dish, add a small splash of broth, cover it with foil, and warm it in a 350°F oven for about 20-30 minutes, until it is warmed through.
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Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)
Q1: Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes, absolutely! To make a delicious vegetarian version, simply omit the sausage and sauté your vegetables in about 3 to 4 extra tablespoons of butter or olive oil. Be sure to also use a high-quality, flavorful vegetable broth instead of the chicken stock. To add a savory, “meaty” flavor, you can add about 8 ounces of sautéed mushrooms.
Q2: Can I bake this stuffing inside my turkey?
While you can, for food safety reasons and for the best texture (a crispy top!), it is generally recommended to bake your stuffing separately in a casserole dish as a “dressing.” If you do choose to stuff your bird, be sure that the stuffing reaches a food-safe internal temperature of 165°F.
Q3: Can I use a different kind of bread?
Yes! A hearty cornbread, a rich challah, or a brioche would all be fantastic and delicious alternatives. The key is to make sure the bread is slightly stale or toasted so it can absorb all the liquid.
Q4: Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried?
It is not recommended to substitute fresh cranberries directly in this recipe, as their tartness and texture would be overpowering. If you’d like to use fresh cranberries, it’s best to first cook them down into a simple cranberry sauce.
Q5: My stuffing seems a little dry. What can I do?
If your stuffing mixture seems too dry before you bake it, you can simply add another splash or two of chicken stock until it reaches your desired moisture level. Different types of bread will absorb liquid differently.