This is literally the BEST Homemade Stuffing Recipe. It has everything you love about a classic stuffing recipe, celery, onion, apples, tons of delicious flavor, all in a great sausage stuffing recipe. Plus! I have instructions for how to make this Thanksgiving stuffing recipe the night before! Set this stuffing recipe out next to your easy cranberry sauce and fast easy biscuits, and watch your family devour it on Thanksgiving!
Hey guys! Happy Wednesday! As I promised you the other day when I updated my Pumpkin Pie from Scratch, I am giving this homemade stuffing recipe an face lift and a video. If you came here looking for my Make Ahead Stuffing Recipe, you are in the right place! The photos are new, the instructions are for making it all in one day, but the recipe is the same, and if you scroll down to right above the recipe (and you can find it in the notes!) I’m going to tell you how you can make this great sausage stuffing the night before!
THE BEST HOMEMADE STUFFING RECIPE
It is safe to say that stuffing is my absolute favorite part of Thanksgiving. If I’m going to be honest, I’ve kind of hated Thanksgiving since my mom passed away, and no lie, there are some years where the stuffing is the only thing that keeps me coming to the table.
My love for soaked bread in eggs runs deep guys (just see my stuffed french toast, breakfast strata, and bread pudding.)
BASIC STUFFING INGREDIENTS
This recipe holds up over time because it’s got all the basics.
- Bread that has been left to dry out over night (this is key, my friends).
- Sausage. I use Italian flavored turkey sausage and love it!
- Diced onion, celery, and apple.
- Dried sage and thyme.
- Butter.
- Eggs.
- Cheese.
- Chicken stock.
HOW TO MAKE THIS CLASSIC STUFFING RECIPE
- Make sure that your bread is dry. We want it to soak up everything. You can bake it, cubed in a single layer, at 200 or you can just leave it out overnight.
- Cook the sausage completely and set it aside.
- Melt the butter in the pan and add the vegetables, apples, and spices. Cook until soft.
- In a very large bowl, mix together the dry bread, and the eggs.
- Stir in the sausage, cooked vegetables, and then the cheese.
- Pour everything into the prepared baking dish.
- Pour chicken stock over the top and send it off to the oven!
HOW TO MAKE THIS SIMPLE STUFFING RECIPE AHEAD
This is a great recipe because you can totally make it the night before by following some simple steps:
- Do all of the steps above, but instead of putting it in the oven, just put it in the refrigerator over night.
- The next day bring it out of the refrigerator in time for it to come to room temperature (about a half hour before cooking.)
- Give it a good mix before putting it in the oven.
Homemade Stuffing
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 celery stalks diced
- 2 small apples peeled and diced
- 4 ounces unsalted butter
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage I used Jennie-O turkey sausage
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 8 cups dried French bread cubes
Instructions
- Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. (Unless preparing the day before.)
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onions, celery, and apples to the butter and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the celery and onion are translucent, about five minutes. Mix in sage and thyme. Remove from the heat.
- In a separate pan, cook the sausage, breaking it up until no longer pink. Remove from the heat.
- In a large bowl, coat the bread with the eggs. Mix in both the meat and the veggie butter mixture. Then mix in the cheese.
- Pour in the stuffing mixture into the pan, then pour the chicken stock over it.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 25 to 30 minutes longer.
Video
Notes
- Complete the instructions as listed here, but don't put it in the oven.
- Cover it and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
- Bring it out a half hour before cooking to bring to room temperature.
- Give it a good stir, cover it and bake as instructed.
Nutrition
Want more Thanksgiving recipes?
Crock Pot Persimmon Cranberry Sauce
Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes) says
The flavor of this stuffing looks amazing!! I love the make ahead aspect.
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
This looks fantastic. Love the sausage!!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust recently posted…Biscoff Toffee Pretzel Rods
janie says
This is very similar to my own recipe, but I also add raisins. I don’t add the parmesan cheese…very interesting! I may try that this year 🙂
Lisa Longley says
Enjoy!
Toni says
I am an old cook, and stuffing I believe goes into the bird, and Dressing is cooked in a pan by itself and served along side the bird.
Lisa Longley says
So this should be called dressing?
Susan says
Can you tell me approximately what to buy to get 8 cups of French bread cubes… Is that 1 or 2 loaves ?
Lisa Longley says
It totally depends on the loaf. If you have a thin 12 inch baguette, you want two. If you have a bigger, thicker Italian loaf, you can probably get by with one.
lena says
If you are doing make ahead, would you suggest doing every step but pouring the chicken stock over the night before, then putting the chicken stock in the next day before baking or do you think chicken stock night before is fine?
Lisa Longley says
When I make this the night before, I pour the chicken stock in. Then I just let it sit out on the counter while the oven is preheating before baking.
Lena says
Thanks!
Sally says
This stuffing looks yummy! Any suggestions on how to lower the sodium on this recipe, my mom loves stuffing but needs to watch sodium intake for her kidneys.
Lisa Longley says
That is a great question Sally! So, I will qualify this by saying I haven’t tried it and can’t vouch for taste. But if I wanted to make this low sodium for someone, I would start by using low sodium chicken stock and cutting out the parmesan (or cutting it back). If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
Judy says
I tried this recipe recently for a family dinner and it was a big hit. The sausage and apples added so much flavour to the dressing. I will be using this recipe from now on.. thanks.
Lisa Longley says
So glad you liked it Judy!
Brittany says
Would you be able to cook this the day before and then reheat the day of?
Lisa Longley says
It is definitely not as good reheated as it is fresh out of the oven. I would suggest instead that you make it the day before and cook it the day of. It is great when made ahead and then put in the refrigerator before baking.
Sherri Metz says
I have eaten a lot of great tasting stuffing in the past but this is BY FAR the best ever! Thanks!!!!
Lisa Longley says
I’m so glad to hear that Sherri! I LOVE this recipe so much I could eat it year round, so it makes me happy when someone else falls in love too.