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This apple sausage stuffing is great for Thanksgiving! It is so flavorful made with tasty maple sausage, celery, mushrooms, apples, and a fantastic medley of fresh herbs, for an easy comforting side dish everyone will love!
We love stuffing, especially for Thanksgiving and this NEW Sausage Apple Stuffing is so delicious and full of fall flavors. We used brioche bread but you could easily make this sausage stuffing recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free bread, it would even be great with sourdough!
You may also love this sausage apple stuffed butternut squash that is a festive twist on this recipe.
The blend of sausage and apples in this stuffing recipe is everything. It’s a wonderful salty-sweet combination that is so comforting married with the medley of herbs and crusty bread. It pairs perfectly with some oven-roasted turkey breast and mashed squash for your holiday spread!
You can whip this stuffing up quickly and then let the oven do the rest of the work! This sausage apple stuffing also stores and reheats beautifully, and you can easily make it ahead!
Jump to:
- What type of bread works best for stuffing?
- How do you prepare bread for stuffing?
- Ingredients you’ll need
- Recommended Kitchen Tools
- How To Make Apple Sausage Stuffing
- Recipe Variations
- Expert tips for the best results
- Serving Sausage and apple stuffing
- Storing, freezing, and reheating sausage stuffing
- FAQs
- More Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes
- Other healthy Sausage recipes to try
- Apple Sausage Stuffing
What type of bread works best for stuffing?
- Brioche
- Cornbread
- Sourdough
- French bread
- White bread
- Whole grain bread
How do you prepare bread for stuffing?
Bread for stuffing should be hard when mixed with the rest of the stuffing ingredients. So prepping the bread is an important step you don’t want to skip. Here is how to prep the bread for stuffing:
- Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes.
- Bake the bread on a baking sheet to dry it out.
- Allow it to cool.
Ingredients you’ll need
Here are the simple ingredients you will need to make this wonderful stuffing with sausage and apples.
- Bread – you will need about 11-12 cups of cubed bread. We used brioche but other breads like sourdough or even cornbread work as well.
- Sausage – ground maple sausage or italian sausage work great but any ground sausage will work!
- Apple – I used gala apples but other apples like Granny Smith also work!
- Veggies – I used celery, onion, and mushrooms but you could also use bell pepper or even scallions too.
- Stock – low-sodium chicken or turkey stock
- Butter and oil – are used to help add flavor to the veggies and moisten the stuffing.
- Fresh herbs – sage, rosemary, and thyme are a fantastic combination of herbs that adds an incredible layer of flavor to this apple and sausage stuffing.
- Salt and pepper – are used to enhance all of the other flavors in this recipe.
Get the complete list of recipe ingredients, instructions, and nutrition in the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
Recommended Kitchen Tools
- Measuring cups + measuring spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Skillet
- Baking pan
- Wooden spoon
- Cutting board + knife
How To Make Apple Sausage Stuffing
Here is a summary of the step-by-step photos and instructions for how to make this apple and sausage stuffing recipe.
Step 1: Prepare the bread by baking it in the oven until lightly golden. Then allow it to cool.
Step 2: Cook the sausage until golden and remove it from the pan using a slotted spoon.
Step 3: Sauté onion, celery, mushrooms, apples, and garlic in butter until softened and fragrant. Let cool slightly.
Step 4: Add the cubed bread with the cooked sausage and veggies to a large bowl, then add the stock, fresh herbs, and more salt and pepper to taste.
Step 5: Transfer the stuffing mixture to a prepared 9×13 baking dish.
Step 6: Bake in the preheated oven until golden.
Pro Tip: Grease the pan well with butter or cooking spray to prevent sticking so you can easily release the stuffing from the pan after cooking. I prefer to use butter since it adds some great flavor to the stuffing.
Recipe Variations
Stuffing is such a great recipe because you can easily swap ingredients. Here are some variations to try!
- Spicy – add some hot sauce to the stuffing or chopped jalapenos for a nice spicy kick.
- Cornbread sausage stuffing – use cornbread in place of the brioche bread for sweet and salty stuffing.
- Sourdough stuffing – use sourdough bread in place of the brioche bread.
- Vegetarian stuffing – skip the sausage and use extra minced mushrooms for a fully vegetarian version.
Check out this stuffed vegetarian acorn squash for another delicious side to share at your holiday feast.
Expert tips for the best results
- Choose the right kind of bread – I listed the options above. I have found that brioche, sourdough, and cornbread result in the best-tasting stuffing.
- Prep the bread – Cut the bread into cubes, bake it in the oven, and allow it to cool before you assemble the stuffing so it is nice and hard. You don’t want to add soft bread to stuffing or it will turn out too soggy.
- Cut the veggies and apples into smaller pieces so it blends well with the rest of the ingredients. It kind of looks like confetti and is so beautiful!
- Cook the stuffing long enough – ovens vary so allow the stuffing to bake until the tops and edges are golden brown so you get those beautiful crispy edges. It’s so good!
Serving Sausage and apple stuffing
This apple sausage stuffing is the perfect easy side dish to make for Thanksgiving to compliment your turkey but here are a few other things to serve with it to make it a complete meal:
Storing, freezing, and reheating sausage stuffing
Storing – leftovers can be stored in an airtight contain and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezing – You can freeze this sausage apple stuffing before or after cooking it. Keep it in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating – from frozen, defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat or bake in the oven until golden and warmed through. From the fridge, reheat portions in the microwave or oven until heated through.
FAQs
Yes, this stuffing works great as a stuffing or a dressing baked inside the turkey.
Yes, you can prepare this stuffing ahead of time. Make the stuffing but do not bake it. Keep it in a container in the fridge and bake within 24 hours.
No, this version of the recipe is not gluten free but just swap the bread with gluten free bread for a gluten free version.
More Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Other healthy Sausage recipes to try
- Air Fryer Chicken Sausage and Veggies
- Homemade Chicken Apple Sausage Patties
- Kale Sausage Soup
- Sausage Apple Stuffed Butternut Squash
Did you try this apple sausage stuffing recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. I would love to hear how yours turned out!
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Apple Sausage Stuffing
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
- Diet: Low Fat
Description
This apple sausage stuffing is perfect for Thanksgiving! It is so flavorful made with maple sausage, celery, mushrooms, apples, and a fantastic medley of fresh herbs, for an easy, comforting side dish everyone will love!
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of brioche bread- about 11 cups cubed
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground maple sausage
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic – peeled and minced
- 1 cup chopped apple
- 1 cup chicken or turkey stock
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
- 1 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the bread – preheat the oven to 325°F and spread the cubed bread onto a sprayed baking sheet in an even layer. Bake the bread in the oven on the middle rack until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Then remove and let cool.
- Cook the sausage – heat a skillet to medium heat, add the oil then add the ground sausage. Cook the sausage until it is no longer pink, breaking it up in the pan as it cooks. Remove it with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to cool.
- Cook the veggies and apple – add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan you cooked the sausage in and keep it over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, mushrooms, and garlic to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and toss and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in the apple and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Combine and bake – Increase the oven temperature to 375°F and prepare a 9×13 baking dish (grease the pan with butter or spray with cooking spray). Add the bread cubes, sausage, veggies, and apple to a large mixing bowl. Pour in the stock and add the herbs along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Carefully mix everything then transfer the stuffing mixture to the prepared baking dish. Spread it out in an even layer and bake in the preheated oven on the middle rack until golden. About 35-40 minutes.
- Serve – Once the stuffing is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Bread – You can use sourdough, white bread, cornbread, or whole-grain bread in this recipe.
- Sausage – Any ground sausage will work. We used maple sausage for added flavor.
- Storage – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- Reheating – Reheheat from frozen by defrosting overnight in the fridge, and reheat in the oven until warmed through. Reheat portions from the fridge right in the microwave.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Healthy Side Dishes
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
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