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5 from 10 votes

Best Ever Italian Sausage Stuffing

This is truly the Best Ever Italian Sausage Stuffing recipe. It is my mom’s treasured family recipe that has been on our table every Thanksgiving. The stuffing includes sausage, onion, celery and fresh herbs. We love the crunchy top and soft and buttery middle.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: sausage, stuffing, Thanksgiving
Servings: 16 people
Author: Lora

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces bread cut into 1-inch pieces day old bread if possible
  • 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin oil
  • 1 pound mild pork sausage or sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed (you could use turkey, chicken, or vegan sausage)
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • 1 cup chopped celery from 3 stalks
  • 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary no stems
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
  • 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 egg lightly whisked

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Place the cubed bread on a baking sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until dried and toasted. They should be golden brown. Transfer the bread cubes to a very large bowl.
  • Add 2 cups of broth (I used vegetable) to a large sauce pan. Heat on medium-low.
  • Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the sausages over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a fork while cooking. I didn’t find ground sausage so I bought sausage in the casing and removed it from casing before browning it. Use ground sausage if you found it.
  • In another skillet, add the other part of oil and butter (I used vegan butter sticks to keep it dairy-free)in medium heat.
  • When it is heated up, add the onions, celery, parsley, sage, rosemary or thyme. Add just a dash of salt and pepper, if you like. Saute over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.
  • Add the browned sausage, toasted bread to a large bowl. Next, add in the onion mixture.
  • Add in one cup of the broth. With a large spoon, gently stir the ingredients together. Add in the whisked egg. Gradually add the remaining broth 1/4 cup at a time until the stuffing is wet. With each addition, gently stir and pat the stuffing ingredients together. Take care not to over mix it, you’re just combining it all together. The goal is to have it wet, but not soaked and drippy. You may need the whole 2nd cup of broth and you may need less. You may even need a little bit more than a full 2 cups of broth.
  • When the broth is soaked in and combined, spoon the stuffing into a 2qt. baking dish (or 9x12-inch baking dish); then cook for 30-40 minutes, or until it's heated through and golden brown on top. Check it at about 25 minutes and if it seems to be browning too much, cover with foil paper. I baked mine a full 40 minutes. Every oven is different. You may even need to bake it a few minutes longer to get that nice golden brown and have the inside fully heated through.
  • Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with additional parsley, then serve.

Notes

Sausage: If you can't find bulk sausage, simply buy your favorite sausage (we used mild)and remove the casings.
Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Stuffing can be frozen, after baking and it's cooled down, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Cover with foil and place in oven at 325°F oven until hot. Make the stuffing ahead and refrigerate it until you're ready to bake, 8 hours to two days in advance.