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 sage and thyme. Cauliflower stuffing is another excellent option, although this one is heartier. I often make both because they can be made in advance and reheated in the oven.
Ingredients and Variations
See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on the ingredients.
- Olive oil: Butter is another delicious option.
- Vegetables: Chopped onions, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, and minced fresh garlic. I like cremini mushrooms, but white mushrooms work, too, as do portobello mushrooms.
- Seasonings: Kosher salt, black pepper, ground thyme, and ground sage. 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.
- Pork sausage: I typically use the one sold by Whole Foods under their 365 brand.
Instructions
The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.
Cook the vegetables in olive oil until they 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 a baking dish. Bake the stuffing, uncovered, until browned, for about 30 minutes. Allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
I made this last night and served it over cauliflower rice. It was great! Hubby really liked it, so I will definitely make this again. I doubled the veggie amounts, by the way, and baked it in the same pan that I cooked it in - less mess to clean-up!
Lori
Read more comments
I made this last night and served it over cauliflower rice. It was great! Hubby really liked it, so I will definitely make this again. I doubled the veggie amounts, by the way, and baked it in the same pan that I cooked it in - less mess to clean-up!Recipe Tips
- 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 will work just as well as pork.
- There's no need to add eggs. Eggs are used as a binder in bread stuffing, but they're not needed in this recipe.
- Make-ahead: You can make this stuffing up to four days in advance and reheat it on Thanksgiving Day in a 350°F oven until heated through.
Serving Suggestions
I typically serve sausage stuffing as part of my Thanksgiving spread, so I serve it alongside the following:
Storing and Using the Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them in the microwave or in a 350°F oven. I like to serve them as a main course on a bed of mashed cauliflower, cauliflower rice, or sautéed 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.
Recipe Card
Flavorful Sausage Stuffing
Video
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, incluidng Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic - minced
- ½ teaspoon ground thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground sage
- 1 pound pork sausage
Instructions
- Preheat the 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.
- Allow the stuffing to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
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 will 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. They're not needed in this recipe.
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 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
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Lori says
I made this last night and served it over cauliflower rice. It was great! Hubby really liked it, so I will definitely make this again. I doubled the veggie amounts, by the way, and baked it in the same pan that I cooked it in - less mess to clean-up!
Vered DeLeeuw says
Wonderful, Lori! I'm really glad this was a success. Yay for double the veggies!
Gayle Grunwald says
Can you stuff this dressing in the turkey?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Gayle,
Hmm. I'm not sure. I never tried stuffing dressing inside a turkey. I always bake it separately.
susie becker says
1. Can I use this to stuff the cavity of the bird?
2. Can I make ahead and freeze and should I cook it before freezing?
Thanks
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Susie,
1. I never used it to stuff the bird. I always bake it separately.
2. You can cook it fully and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat uncovered in a 350°F oven until heated through.