This flavorful sausage stuffing proves once and for all that your Thanksgiving meal does not need bread to taste amazing!
Made with pork sausage and vegetables and flavored with garlic, sage, and thyme, it's just as good as bread stuffing.
This sausage stuffing is delicious! The idea is to use vegetables to replace the bulk traditionally achieved with bread, yet keep the traditional flavor profile by using seasonings such as sage and thyme.
Cauliflower stuffing is another excellent option, although this one is certainly heartier. I often make both because they can be made in advance and reheated in the oven.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this stuffing. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Olive oil: This is my favorite oil to cook with. Butter is another delicious option.
- Vegetables: Chopped onions, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, and minced fresh garlic.
- Seasonings: Kosher salt, black pepper, ground thyme, and ground sage.
- Pork sausage: I typically use the one sold by Whole Foods under their 365 brand.
Variations
- As mentioned above, you can use butter instead of olive oil.
- I like Cremini mushrooms, but white mushrooms work, too, as do portobello mushrooms.
- You can use any color of bell pepper. Red adds a nice splash of color to the dish.
- You can make this dish a bit spicy by adding a pinch of cayenne when you add the other spices. A pinch of cumin is not a traditional stuffing seasoning, but it adds warmth and is delicious.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender-crisp, for about 5 minutes.
Add the minced garlic, thyme, sage, and pork sausage. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat as you cook, until the meat is no longer pink, for about 5 more minutes.
Transfer the skillet contents, undrained, to the prepared baking dish. Bake the stuffing, uncovered, until browned, for about 30 minutes. Allow the stuffing to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Expert Tip
Instead of using store-bought sausage, you can mix your own sausage using ground pork and spices. Here's a recipe for sausage patties that will give you an idea of what spices to use and their measurements. You don't have to use pork - beef, chicken, or even turkey sausage meat all work.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! It's delicious. It's just as good as bread stuffing, but in a different way - it's more flavorful and satiating.
Yes. In fact, it tastes better the next day. You can make it in advance and reheat it on Thanksgiving Day in a 350°F oven.
There's no need to add eggs. Eggs are used as a binder in bread stuffing, but they're not needed in sausage stuffing.
Serving Suggestions
I typically serve sausage stuffing as part of my Thanksgiving spread, so I serve it alongside turkey legs or turkey breast, keto cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and keto cornbread.
Storing and Using the Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave or in a 350°F oven.
This is one of those recipes where the leftovers taste just as good as the freshly made dish. I like to serve them as a main dish on a bed of mashed cauliflower, cauliflower rice, or sauteed spinach. It makes for a well-rounded meal.
You can also use the leftovers as breakfast hash. Heat olive oil in a skillet, add the leftovers, and briefly reheat them. Cook eggs in a separate skillet. Divide the leftover stuffing among plates and top each plate with a fried egg.
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Recipe Card
Super Flavorful Sausage Stuffing
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion - chopped; 6 ounces
- 1 cup celery - chopped; 4 ounces
- 1 red bell pepper - chopped; 4 ounces
- 8 ounces Cremini mushrooms - chopped
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic - minced
- ½ teaspoon ground thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground sage
- 1 pound pork sausage
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender-crisp, for about 5 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, thyme, sage, and pork sausage. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat as you cook, until the meat is no longer pink, for about 5 more minutes.
- Transfer the skillet contents, undrained, to the prepared baking dish.
- Bake the stuffing uncovered until browned, for about 30 minutes.Â
- Allow the stuffing to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- You can use pre-packaged sausage meat or make your own. You don't have to use pork - beef, chicken, or even turkey sausage meat all work. Here's a recipe for sausage patties that will give you an idea of what spices to use and their measurements.
- I like Cremini mushrooms, but white mushrooms work, too, as do portobello mushrooms.
- You can use any color of bell pepper. Red adds a nice splash of color to the dish.
- You can make this dish a bit spicy by adding a pinch of cayenne when you add the other spices. A pinch of cumin is not a traditional stuffing seasoning, but it adds warmth and is delicious.
- There's no need to add eggs. Eggs are used as a binder in bread stuffing. In sausage stuffing, they're not needed.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave or in a 350°F oven. This is one of those recipes where the leftovers taste just as good as the freshly made dish.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
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