Description
A flavorful and hearty Easy Sausage & Herb Stuffing featuring savory Italian sausage, fresh herbs, and classic vegetables, baked to a golden crisp. Perfect as a comforting side dish for holiday meals or family dinners.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 8 cups (500 g) store-bought unseasoned stuffing cubes
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1½ cups diced yellow onion (from 1 large onion)
- 1 cup diced celery (from 3 stalks celery)
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 lb bulk sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)
- 2¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 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 (175°C). Grease a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish with butter to prevent sticking and facilitate even baking.
- Combine Stuffing Cubes: Place the store-bought unseasoned stuffing cubes into a large mixing bowl, setting the base for your savory stuffing mixture.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes until softened. Add the finely chopped garlic and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer these cooked vegetables immediately to the stuffing cubes, scraping the pan to capture all flavorful bits.
- Cook Sausage: Using the same sauté pan (unwashed), cook the bulk sweet Italian sausage over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking it up with a spatula into pieces no larger than ¼ inch (6 mm). Cook until the sausage is browned and fully cooked through. Add the sausage along with its rendered fat to the stuffing cubes and vegetables.
- Mix and Moisten: Add the low-sodium chicken broth, beaten egg, fresh chopped rosemary, sage, parsley, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to the bowl with the bread cubes, vegetables, and sausage. Mix thoroughly until the bread cubes are moistened and softened with the liquid and herbs evenly incorporated.
- Bake Stuffing: Transfer the mixture to the greased baking dish and spread evenly. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 65 to 75 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and crisp, and the stuffing is heated through.
Notes
- Using unseasoned stuffing cubes allows complete control over the flavors and seasoning in this recipe.
- Removing the sausage casings ensures it cooks evenly and mixes well with the stuffing.
- Do not wash the sauté pan between cooking vegetables and sausage to keep the flavorful fond that adds depth to the dish.
- This stuffing can be made ahead to this point and baked just before serving.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the sausage and replace chicken broth with vegetable broth, and add extra herbs and nuts for texture.