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apple and sausage stuffing in a serving dish
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Apple & Sausage Stuffing Recipe

This Apple & Sausage Stuffing recipe is filled with traditional flavors everyone at the Thanksgiving table will love. The savory sausage, celery and onion pair perfectly with the fresh sage and the sweetness of the apples. Best of all, this side dish can be made ahead of time!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 8 -10 servings
Author Tessa Arias

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf (1 pound) of crusty bread, sourdough or country loaf, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound Italian sausage
  • 1 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 1 cup celery, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
  • 1/2 fennel bulb, sliced into 1/4-inch slices*
  • 1 cup Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced into quarter rounds
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped**
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup (227 grams) whole milk
  • 1 cup (227 grams) low-sodium chicken broth
  • 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 large eggs, lighten beaten
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to preference, to finish
  • Fresh sage leaves, optional, to garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place bread cubes in a single layer on a large sheet pan. Toast in the oven for 25 minutes, tossing halfway through, until toasted but not hard. Set aside to cool.
  • Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Butter a 9x13-inch glass baking dish, or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and sauté, until browned and cooked through, breaking up into pieces, about 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage to a large bowl.
  • In the same pan with remaining grease from sausage, add the onion, celery, fennel, apple and bay leaf to the skillet and sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, salt, and pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Discard the bay leaf. Remove from heat. Remove vegetable mixture to the bowl with sausage.
  • Add the bread to the sausage and vegetables, and mix to combine.
  • In a large measuring glass or medium bowl, whisk together the milk, chicken broth, cooled melted butter, Dijon mustard, and lightly beaten eggs. Pour wet ingredients over the sausage and vegetable mixture and mix together until well combined. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Lightly season with salt and pepper to preference.
  • Bake uncovered for about 50 minutes, or until cooked through and browned on top.
  • Garnish with fresh sage leaves. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

*Substitute fresh fennel with 1 teaspoon of fennel seed if fresh fennel is hard to find (or eliminate entirely if desired).
**Substitute fresh sage with 2 teaspoons dried sage.