Description
A savory Sausage Stuffing recipe featuring toasted bread cubes, flavorful Italian sausage, fresh herbs, sautéed vegetables, and optional dried cranberries, baked to golden perfection. Ideal for holiday meals or comforting dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 16 ounces bread cut into 1-inch pieces, day old bread if possible
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries optional
Sausage and Protein
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 pound sage pork sausage or sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 egg lightly whisked
Vegetables & Herbs
- 1 1/2 cups yellow onions finely chopped, from 1 large onion or 2 small onions
- 1 cup celery chopped from 2-3 stalks
- 5 large cloves garlic minced, or 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
Liquids
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup dry white wine optional — sub with 1/4 cup of broth
- 3 cups low sodium chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for toasting the bread cubes and baking the stuffing later.
- Toast Bread Cubes: Place the bread cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes, or until dried and lightly toasted. Transfer the toasted bread cubes to a very large bowl for assembling the stuffing.
- Cook Sausage: In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for about 10 minutes, breaking it up with a fork, until browned and cooked through. Remove from heat and add the cooked sausage to the bowl with toasted bread cubes.
- Sauté Vegetables and Herbs: In the same pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, garlic, parsley, fresh sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 10 minutes until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
- Add Wine and Reduce: Pour in the dry white wine (or substitute broth) and cook over medium heat until the liquid reduces to half, about 4 minutes.
- Combine Liquids and Egg: Remove the pan from heat and stir in the chicken stock to blend all flavors. Then add the beaten egg and dried cranberries, mixing gently.
- Mix Stuffing: Pour this mixture over the toasted bread and sausage in the large bowl. Mix well with a wooden spoon until the liquid is thoroughly absorbed by the bread cubes.
- Bake Stuffing: Transfer the stuffing mixture into a 9×12-inch baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is browned and the stuffing is hot in the center.
- Serve: Remove from oven and serve warm as a perfect side dish for holiday meals or any comforting dinner.
Notes
- Dry your bread before using by baking or toasting to prevent sogginess in the stuffing.
- Choose any sausage flavor you like: sage pork, sweet or spicy Italian sausage all work well.
- Using day-old bread enhances texture by giving a sturdier base for absorbing liquids.
- Dried cranberries add a subtle sweetness but can be omitted if preferred.
- Substitute white wine with low sodium chicken broth if desired for a non-alcoholic option.
- Use a large bowl to ensure easy mixing and incorporation of ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
