Description
This Easy Sausage & Herb Stuffing is a flavorful and hearty side dish perfect for holiday meals or any comforting dinner. Made with store-bought stuffing cubes, savory sweet Italian sausage, fresh herbs, and a rich blend of onions, celery, garlic, and chicken broth, this stuffing bakes to a golden, crispy perfection that complements turkey, chicken, or pork beautifully.
Ingredients
Scale
Stuffing Base
- 8 cups (400g) store-bought unseasoned stuffing cubes
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 1½ cups diced yellow onion (from 1 large onion)
- 1 cup diced celery (from 3 celery stalks)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Meat
- 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)
Liquids & Bindings
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 2¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 large egg, beaten
Herbs & Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter to prevent sticking and add richness.
- Place Stuffing Cubes in Mixing Bowl: Put the 8 cups of unseasoned stuffing cubes into a large mixing bowl to prepare for mixing with the other ingredients.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large sauté pan, melt the ½ cup unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the diced onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes until softened. Add the chopped garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Transfer all the cooked vegetables, including any browned bits, into the bowl with the stuffing cubes, scraping the pan thoroughly.
- Cook Sausage: Using the same pan, cook the 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage on medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Break up the sausage into small pieces (about ¼-inch size) with a metal spatula as it cooks, until browned and fully cooked. Add the browned sausage and rendered fat to the stuffing cubes and vegetables in the mixing bowl.
- Combine Ingredients: Add 2¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth, the beaten egg, fresh chopped rosemary, sage, parsley, salt, and pepper to the bread cube mixture. Mix everything thoroughly until the bread cubes absorb the liquid and soften.
- Bake the Stuffing: Transfer the moistened stuffing mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 65-75 minutes, or until the top is deeply golden and crisp.
Notes
- If bulk sausage is unavailable, use regular sausage and remove the casings before cooking.
- This stuffing can be assembled up to a day in advance and refrigerated; just bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time if cold from the fridge.
- After baking, leftover stuffing can be tightly covered and frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours and reheat covered in a 325°F oven until warm.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
