Monday, December 8, 2025

Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing | My Baking Habit


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Savory sausage is paired with the flavors of nutty brown butter, candy apple, and tart cranberries on this scrumptious sausage and cranberry stuffing.

Baked pan of sausage and cranberry stuffing on a countertop.

We will all agree that the very best a part of any vacation meal is the facet dishes, proper?

In my household, we go nuts for cranberry fluff, candy potato casserole, and do-it-yourself scalloped potatoes. And, after all, for an enormous serving to of stuffing.

Round right here, we’re all about this sausage and cranberry stuffing. It’s bursting with so many excellent fall and winter flavors; it’s an absolute must-make!

Serving of sausage and cranberry stuffing on a plate with turkey, green beans, and cranberry sauce.Serving of sausage and cranberry stuffing on a plate with turkey, green beans, and cranberry sauce.

About this sausage and cranberry stuffing recipe

What’s my favourite factor about any Thanksgiving unfold? Fingers down, it’s the stuffing!

Regardless that I by no means prepare dinner my stuffing within my turkey, I nonetheless name it stuffing. I know the right time period is dressing when it’s cooked outdoors of the chook. However we simply by no means known as dressing, so I merely can’t get the grasp of it.

Rising up, I don’t keep in mind anybody having a signature stuffing recipe, we sort of simply ate no matter was introduced to us, however it was all the time known as stuffing and it was all the time baked on the facet.

As an grownup, I’ve experimented with a number of completely different recipes and appear to all the time come again to this one.

It’s stuffed with savory sausage and veggies, candy apples, and tart cranberries. The final touch is nutty brown butter to essentially make it really feel particular. It’s all the time the primary empty bowl on our Thanksgiving desk.

The fantastic thing about do-it-yourself stuffing is that it’s so adaptable. Merely add in what you’re keen on and modify the spices, textures, and flavors to fit your style.

Plus, it’s a recipe that may simply be made forward of time, so you’ll be able to cross the prep off 1 or 2 days earlier than your vacation meal!

Close up of sausage and cranberry stuffing in a white casserole dish.Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing | My Baking Habit

Easy methods to make sausage and cranberry stuffing

Don’t let anyone idiot you: Making your personal stuffing feels actually fancy however it’s really completely straightforward. I promise you are able to do this!

Substances you’ll want

To make my sausage and cranberry stuffing, you’ll want:

  • Cubed bread: Any sort of bread will work. I usually use nation white, however sourdough is a superb choice, too.
  • Unsalted butter: We’re going to brown among the butter so as to add much more taste to the stuffing and use the remaining for sautéing the greens.
  • Floor Italian sausage: I take advantage of gentle sausage, however be happy to make use of medium if you need extra of a kick to your stuffing.
  • Fragrant greens: I like utilizing a mixture of onion, celery, and mushrooms on this recipe.
  • Granny Smith apple: Don’t skip this! You’ll be amazed how a lot taste it provides, and it pairs so effectively with each the sausage and the cranberries.
  • Dried cranberries: Slightly tart, a bit of candy, and completely excellent on this stuffing.
  • Spices: We’ll use salt, pepper, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning.
  • Contemporary parsley: Slightly little bit of contemporary herbs brightens up the stuffing completely.
  • Hen broth: Be happy to substitute this with turkey inventory you probably have it, particularly in case you’re making this for Thanksgiving!

For the complete recipe, together with ingredient quantities, you’ll want to try the recipe card beneath.

Ingredients for sausage and cranberry stuffing arranged on a countertop.Ingredients for sausage and cranberry stuffing arranged on a countertop.

Making this recipe

Begin by toasting the bread cubes. This helps the bread maintain up and never flip to mush after we add the opposite components later.

Unfold the bread onto giant, rimmed baking sheets and bake at 325°F for 12-Quarter-hour. Let the bread cool when you work on the remainder of the recipe.

Whereas the bread is toasting, brown the butter. We’re solely going to brown 8 tablespoons of it; the remaining will likely be used to sauté the veggies in a minute.

Soften the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet over medium warmth, stirring incessantly. Because the butter cooks, it can foam after which subside. You’ll begin to see brown specks on the backside of the pan and the butter will tackle a nutty aroma.

As quickly because the butter is fantastically browned, pour it right into a bowl and put aside.

In a big skillet or Dutch oven, brown the sausage, then take away it from the pan and set it apart.

Add the remainder of the butter to the pan together with the onion, celery, mushrooms, apple, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning. Prepare dinner over medium warmth, stirring incessantly, for about 7-10 minutes. You need the flavors to mix and the veggies to melt.

Add the sausage again into the pan and blend into the cooked veggies. Add this combination to a big bowl with the bread cubes, together with the cranberries and parsley.

Drizzle the entire combination with the browned butter and hen broth. Stir to mix.

Give the stuffing a style. Now’s the time to regulate the seasonings if wanted!

Unfold the stuffing in a buttered 9×13-inch pan. Cowl with foil and bake at 325°F for half-hour, then uncover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or till golden brown.

Should you’d like, garnish with a bit extra freshly chopped parsley earlier than serving alongside your vacation turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and contemporary inexperienced bean casserole.

Recipe variations and ingredient substitutions

Modify the quantity of broth for a way moist you want your stuffing.

  • We like a crisp topping for our stuffing, so I all the time bake mine uncovered on the finish. Should you don’t desire a crispy topping, go away the foil on for the complete baking time.
  • Make a vegetarian stuffing by omitting the sausage and utilizing vegetable inventory as an alternative of hen broth.
  • Be happy to regulate the greens to your loved ones’s liking. Don’t like mushrooms or celery? Be happy to depart them out!
  • Attempt switching up the herbs. Sage, thyme, and finely chopped rosemary are all nice choices.
Overhead view of sausage and cranberry stuffing on a countertop next to a bowl of cooked green beans.Overhead view of sausage and cranberry stuffing on a countertop next to a bowl of cooked green beans.

Make-ahead ideas

You possibly can assemble this sausage and cranberry stuffing as much as 2 days earlier than you intend to serve it.

Make the stuffing and unfold it into the buttered casserole dish. Cowl tightly with foil and refrigerate for as much as 2 days.

Let the stuffing come to room temperature earlier than baking as directed.

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Unfold the bread cubes onto 2 giant baking sheets – make sure they’re in a single layer. Bake for 12-Quarter-hour or till evenly toasted. Permit cubes to chill on pan earlier than transferring them to a really giant mixing bowl.

    10 cups cubed bread

  • Whereas the bread toasts, brown 8 tablespoons of the butter: Soften the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet over medium warmth, stirring incessantly. Proceed cooking over medium warmth, stirring continuously. Because it cooks, the butter will start to foam after which subside. Brown specks will start to type on the backside of the pan and the butter will tackle a nutty aroma. As quickly because the butter reaches your required colour, instantly take away it from the warmth and pour it right into a bowl to cease the browning course of. Put aside.

    12 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • In a big skillet or Dutch oven, prepare dinner the sausage over medium warmth till evenly browned, take away from the pan and put aside. To the pan, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, onion, celery, mushrooms, apple, salt, pepper, garlic powder and poultry seasoning. Prepare dinner, stirring incessantly for 7-10 minutes to mix the flavors and soften the greens.

    12 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 pound floor Italian sausage, 1 medium candy onion, 3 stalks celery, 8 ounces contemporary white or child bella mushrooms, 1 Granny Smith apple, 3/4 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning

  • Add sausage again into the pan and stir to mix. Pour sausage combination over the toasted bread cubes. Add within the dried cranberries and parsley. Drizzle with the browned butter and hen broth and stir gently to mix. At this level, style your stuffing and modify the seasonings as desired.

    3/4 cup dried cranberries, 1/4 cup minced contemporary parsley, 1 ¾ to 2 cups hen broth

  • Unfold into (1) buttered 9×13-inch baking pan, cowl with foil and bake for half-hour. Uncover and proceed baking for a further 15-20 minutes or till golden brown. If desired, sprinkle with extra contemporary parsley earlier than serving.

We like our stuffing with a crispy high layer, so we all the time baked it uncovered for a bit. If you don’t like a crisp high, go away it coated for the complete baking time. We additionally like our stuffing to be moist, so be happy to regulate the quantity of hen broth to fit your style.
This stuffing might be made forward and refrigerated for as much as 2 days earlier than baking. I permit it to return to room temperature earlier than baking.

Energy: 412kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 11g, Fats: 30g, Saturated Fats: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 3g, Monounsaturated Fats: 10g, Trans Fats: 1g, Ldl cholesterol: 71mg, Sodium: 807mg, Potassium: 298mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 571IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 2mg

Diet data is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.

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