This recipe has all the delicious qualities of a traditional bread stuffing with added flavor from mild Italian sausage. Made with soft sourdough bread that’s been moistened with milk, this stuffing bakes up moist, tender, and richly flavored.
Notes From the MGC Kitchen
As expected, this sausage stuffing recipe is a nice choice to serve with a holiday turkey, but with its savory, Italian-inspired flavors, our favorite dish to serve it with is our crown roast of pork. Tender, juicy, and crusted in garlic and herbs its flavors work beautifully with the mild sausage flavor in the stuffing.
Key Ingredients
This is an overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. Please see the printable recipe card below for the complete listing, including quantities.
- ITALIAN SAUSAGE: Mild Italian sausage is our choice for this stuffing recipe. You can use pork, turkey, or chicken with equally good results.
- BREAD: We recommend a firm white bread with a somewhat dense crumb and tender crust for stuffing. It will absorb the moisture from the butter and eggs without getting soggy, with the end result being moist and tender stuffing. We generally use a mild sourdough sandwich bread from the grocery store bakery department and get consistently good results. For best texture, avoid bread that has a very soft or airy interior.
- FRESH HERBS: Whenever we can we opt for the flavor of fresh herbs, in this case oregano, thyme, and parsley. However, you can use drie – just remember that dried are more pungent (provided they’re fresh) so you need to cut back on the quantity. You’ll find instructions in the recipe notes.
How to Make Italian Sausage Stuffing: An Overview
This is an overview of how this recipe is prepared. Please see the printable recipe card below for detailed step-by-step instructions.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Preheat the oven and generously grease a casserole dish.
BROWN THE SAUSAGE AND SAUTÉ THE AROMATICS: Remove the Italian sausage from its casings and brown it in olive oil in a large frying pan, breaking it up as you go. Add some butter, chopped onion and celery, and minced garlic, and cook until soft and tender. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme, then set aside to cool.
PREPARE THE OTHER INGREDIENTS: While the sausage cooks, soak your bread cubes in milk, squeeze out the extra, and mix them with eggs, parsley, and the sausage mixture.
BAKE THE STUFFING: Transfer the stuffing to the casserole dish, cover it, and bake for 40 minutes. Then, dot the top with more butter, bake uncovered for another 10 minutes. Re-cover it up to keep it warm until you’re ready to serve.
Make Ahead Tips and Serving Suggestions
You might only think about making stuffing during the holidays, but it’s a versatile side dish you can make ahead and serve with regular weeknight meals.
We suggest making a batch of this sausage stuffing and popping half (or more) in the freezer right away for another night. Just wrap it tightly in foil, put it in a freezer bag, and it will keep well for about two months. To reheat, defrost overnight in the fridge, then pop into a casserole dish and reheat for 20 to 30 minutes in a 325°F oven.
Then you can serve it alongside easy main dishes like oven-fried pork chops or roasted boneless chicken thighs.
Italian Sausage Stuffing With Fresh Herbs
Ingredients
- 2 links mild Italian sausage (about 6 ounces), removed from the casing
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano, (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme thyme leaves, (see notes)
- 12 slices firm textured bread , cubed (see notes)
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and sauté until lightly browned, breaking up large chunks with a spatula, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter and cook until melted. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and continue cooking until both the onion and celery are soft and tender, 3 to 4 minutes longer.
- Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the oregano and thyme. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- While the sausage cools, place the bread cubes in a bowl and add the milk. Using your hands, work the milk through the bread until thoroughly moistened.
- Gently squeeze out and excess milk (as you would a sponge) and pour off. Add the eggs, parsley and sausage mixture. Combine well.
- Transfer the mixture to a well-greased 1-1/2 to 2-quart casserole. Cover and bake for 40 minutes, then dot the top with the remaining butter and return to the oven uncovered for 10 minutes more.
- Remove from the oven and replace the cover to keep warm until served.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love that it uses Italian sausage. Sounds good.
This recipe looks yummy. It’s a slightly different twist on one of our family’s favorites.