This Ultimate Apple & Cranberry Sausage Stuffing is a family favourite that appears at our table every Thanksgiving. Cubed and toasted bread is flavoured with spicy Italian sausage, fresh herbs, cranberries and diced apples in this easy-to-make side dish.
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Why you'll love this recipe
This easy sausage apple cranberry stuffing recipe has been a family favourite for years.
If you're not a fan of cooking stuffing inside your Thanksgiving turkey, this will solve your problem.
This butter-free savory stuffing is flavorful, perfectly moist, and never soggy.
Toasting the bread first in the oven lets it absorb just the right amount of chicken stock.
Using Italian sausage takes away the guesswork of seasoning, and adds the bulk of flavor to the stuffing.
It develops even more flavor the next day, making it a great make-ahead dish.
Stuffing vs. dressing
"Stuffing" is the bread, vegetables and herbs that are cooked inside the turkey.
"Dressing" is basically the same thing, except it is cooked outside of the turkey.
Technically, this recipe would be considered a dressing, but the terms are used interchangeably.
Ingredients you'll need
- bread: cubed, preferably day-old; you can use a French baguette or Pullman loaf
- Italian sausage: squeezed out of its casing; you can use any type of sausage such as sweet Italian sausage, pork sausage, chicken, or turkey sausage
- red onion: diced
- fennel seed: whole; you can use ground if you like, about ½ tsp
- fresh sage: if you don't like sage, you can use other herbs like rosemary, thyme, or dried poultry seasoning
- sea salt & black pepper: to taste
- apple: any fresh, crisp apple will do; Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples are great choices
- dried cranberries: I used sweetened dried cranberries here which give it a pop of sweetness
- egg: beaten
- chicken broth/stock: poultry, or turkey stock
How to make it
Preheat oven to 350F.
Spread the cubed bread on a large baking sheet and bake in a single layer for 10 minutes, until lightly toasted.
Remove from oven and let cool. Set aside.
In a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat, add the Italian sausage (squeezed out of its casing), and break it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Fry for 1-2 minutes to release its drippings before adding in the red onions, and continue to stir.
Add in fennel seed, chopped sage, salt (if using) and black pepper.
Lower the heat, add in the cubed bread, apple and dried cranberries and toss everything to combine.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly (so that the egg doesn't get cooked in the pan).
Beat together the egg and chicken stock in a bowl.
Pour the egg liquid mixture over the stuffing and mix everything together with a wooden spatula so that the bread absorbs the liquid.
Transfer the stuffing to an oven-safe casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
How to serve
Serve the stuffing with roasted turkey, or turkey porchetta.
You can enjoy it on its own, or with various side dishes, such as Broccoli Cheese Tots.
How to store & reheat
Fridge:
Store the Apple & Cranberry Sausage Stuffing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Freezer:
Freeze the stuffing for up to 3 months.
Reheat:
To reheat, place the stuffing into an oven-safe container and bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, until warmed through.
You can also microwave the stuffing, but you will lose the crisp, toasted bread texture.
Substitutions & add ins
You can customize this stuffing/dressing to your liking.
Try adding in:
- toasted pecans
- walnuts
- celery
- leeks
Feel free to double the recipe to feed a larger crowd.
Other recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these recipes:
Holiday Roast Pork With Wild Rice & Mushroom Stuffing & Roasted Potatoes
Let me know if you try out this delicious holiday favourite -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Ultimate Apple & Cranberry Sausage Stuffing
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 4 C bread (about 1 baguette) cubed
- 2 links Italian spicy sausage
- ½ red onion diced
- 1 tablespoon whole fennel seed
- 2 tablespoon fresh sage chopped
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt optional (to your taste, depending on how salty the Italian spicy sausages are)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large apple or 2 small apples
- ½ C dried sweetened cranberries
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 ½ C chicken broth or turkey broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/177°C.
- Spread the cubed bread on a large baking sheet and bake in a single layer for 10 minutes, until lightly toasted.
- Remove from oven and let cool. Set aside.
- In a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat, add the Italian sausage (squeezed out of its casing), and break it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Fry for 1-2 minutes to release its drippings before adding in the red onions, and continue to stir.
- Add in fennel seed, chopped sage, salt (if using) and black pepper.
- Lower the heat, add in the cubed bread, apple and dried cranberries and toss everything to combine.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly (so that the egg doesn't get cooked in the pan).
- Beat together the egg and chicken stock in a bowl.
- Pour the egg liquid mixture over the stuffing and mix everything together with a wooden spatula so the bread absorbs the liquid.
- Transfer the stuffing to an oven-safe casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake at 350°F/177°C for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Tasia
The combination of flavors in this stuffing are lovely! The sweet apples go so nice with the spicy sausage and tart cranberries, another winner Michelle!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
YUM... this would the so perfect to serve for Thanksgiving dinner. Using the French baguette for the breading is such a fabulous idea!
David @ Spiced
I definitely prefer my stuffing outside of the bird! This version sounds fantastic with the apples + cranberries. And that French baguette would bring much better flavor than traditional bread cubes that they sell. Great recipe, Michelle!
2pots2cook
We always choose cooking our "stuffing" outside the bird. 🙂 Great ingredients Michelle!
Dawn
Stuffing is legit one of my favourite things to have on Thanksgiving. And this version with it's sweet and savoury components sounds delicious!!
David @ Spiced
Oh this sounds absolutely delicious! I love the sweet + savory combination here, Michelle. Perfect for holiday meals with the family!