My Apple and Sausage Dressing is a sweet and savory classic stuffing. This stuffing is the perfect combination of flavors. It’s super easy to make and is sure to become a family tradition for your holidays.
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Why this Sausage and Apple Stuffing Recipe is a Keeper
This dish is simple, satisfying, and completely customizable. I made this for Thanksgiving dinner last year and it was a total hit.
- Classic Comfort Flavor: It offers the traditional, savory, herbaceous flavors expected in a holiday stuffing (sage, thyme, onion, celery).
- Perfect Balance of Sweet and Savory: The combination of savory sausage and sweet/tart apples creates a complex and balanced flavor profile that is more interesting than a plain stuffing.
- Texture Contrast: It delivers a desirable mix of textures: the crispy, browned top, the soft, moist interior, and the chunky bits of sausage and softened apples.
- Customizable: The base recipe is robust enough to handle various substitutions and additions, making it easy to tailor to family preferences or ingredients you have on hand.
What is the Best Type of Bread for Stuffing?
Some great brads to use for stuffing include sourdough bread, crusty Italian bread, or any other stale or day-old bread. You could also use cornbread to make it a cornbread stuffing.
Fun Fact
Ancient origins: The earliest known stuffing recipes date back to ancient Rome. A cookbook called De Re Coquinaria included stuffed dormice, hare, and even pig.
Ingredient Notes for Thanksgiving Stuffing
All of the required ingredients are easy to find at the store, but some of the ingredients may be around the kitchen already.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Bread: Be sure to use slightly stale stuffing cubes so that they don’t soak up too much broth.
- Apples: I prefer to use Granny Smith apples, but you can also use another firm, crisp and tart variety.
- Sausage: Use an Italian sausage to make this apple and sausage stuffing recipe for your Thanksgiving table.
Variations and Substitutions for the Best Sausage Dressing
This turkey stuffing with apples recipe is super flexible. Switch it up to make it work for your tastes.
- Sausage: Mild or hot Italian sausage, sage breakfast sausage, turkey sausage. Adjust seasoning (salt/pepper/herbs) if using a highly seasoned or unseasoned sausage for the apple and sausage dressing.
- Apples: Granny Smith (tart), Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji (sweeter). Use a crisp apple that holds its shape well.
- Bread: Sourdough, whole grain, cornbread, pre-cubed stuffing mix, or a blend. Sourdough adds a nice tang. Cornbread offers a distinct flavor and texture.
- Liquid: Turkey stock/broth, chicken broth. Turkey stock adds the most authentic holiday flavor.
- Add-ins: Chopped pecans or walnuts, dried cranberries or cherries, sautéed mushrooms. Nuts add crunch. Dried fruit enhances the sweet/savory balance.
- Herbs: Fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme instead of dried. Use about 3 times the amount of fresh herbs as dried.
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Special Equipment Needed for Sausage Stuffing Recipe
You don’t need anything fancy, but this tool makes it easier to know when it’s done.
- Instant-Read Thermometer: Essential for ensuring the stuffing reaches the safe internal temperature of 165 degrees.
How to Make Sausage Apple Dressing
This recipe comes together in 4 quick and easy steps. Since this is some of the best stuffing I’ve ever had, it quickly became one of my favorite recipes.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Brown the Sausage: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage for 5 minutes, then add the onion and celery. Continue to cook until sausage is no longer pink, crumbling as it cooks.
- Add the Apples and Seasonings: Add the thyme, Poultry Seasoning and chopped apples. Stir and cook until apples soften.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the dried bread cubes, dried cranberries and chopped pecans. Then, stir in the cooked sausage meat mixture.
- Add Moisture and Bake: Whisk an egg into the turkey stock, and pour mixture over the ingredients in the mixing bowl. Transfer the stuffing to a prepared baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes.
Make-Ahead Suggestions for this Thanksgiving Side
Prepare the stuffing in advance to streamline your holiday baking or cooking process.
- 2-3 Days Ahead: Cut the bread into cubes and allow it to dry out on a baking sheet at room temperature (or toast it in the oven).
- Cook Ahead: Cook the sausage, onions, celery, and apples. Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
- Make Ahead: Fully make the stuffing (combine bread, sausage mixture, herbs, and liquid/eggs), cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove from fridge and bake as directed.
- Day of Serving: If the stuffing was fully prepped, take it out of the fridge 30-60 minutes before baking to take the chill off.
Alternate Cooking Methods for this Thanksgiving Side Dish
Make this apple and sausage dressing another way by stuffing it in the turkey to bake, or using your crock pot.
- Slow Cooker: Assemble the stuffing (slightly reducing the liquid), transfer to a greased slow cooker, and cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 1.5-2.5 hours, or until heated through and safe. For a crispy top, transfer it to a baking dish and broil briefly at the end.
- Stuffing the Turkey (Use Caution!): If stuffing the bird, loosely fill the cavity right before roasting. Ensure both the turkey and the stuffing reach 165 degrees. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the center of the stuffing.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftover Casserole
- Store: Cool leftovers completely, then transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- Reheat: The best method for reheating is in the oven. Place stuffing in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil (to prevent drying), and bake. Uncover for the last few minutes for a crisper top.
- Microwave: Quickest way, but can dry it out. Add a tablespoon of broth or butter before heating.
- Use Leftovers: Mix with a little extra stock/broth and form into balls, then bake or pan-fry.
- Stuffing Waffles: Press stuffing into a waffle maker and cook until crisp for a unique side.
- Sandwiches: Serve with leftover turkey and cranberry sauce.
Questions About This Apple and Sausage Dressing Recipe
The main difference between stuffing and dressing is that stuffing is cooked inside a turkey cavity, and dressing is cooked on its own.
Be sure to add enough liquid to ensure the stuffing ingredients don’t dry out in the oven.
Expert Tips for Apple Sausage Stuffing Recipe
- Dry Your Bread: The single most important step in this sausage dressing recipe. Dry or toast your bread cubes to prevent them from turning into mush when liquid is added.
- Use Fresh Herbs: While dried herbs work, fresh sage and rosemary will give your apple and sausage dressing a significantly brighter, more authentic flavor.
- Don’t Overmix: Mix the ingredients just until the bread is moistened. Overmixing the apple mixture can crush the bread and lead to a gummy texture.
- Taste and Adjust: Taste the sausage apple stuffing before adding it to the bread. Adjust salt, pepper, and herbs to ensure the base flavor is perfect. The seasoning dulls slightly once baked, so don’t be afraid to season robustly.
- Moisture Check: The mixture should be moist but not soaking wet. If it looks dry, add a little more stock/broth. If it’s too wet, toss it with a few more dried bread cubes and let it sit for 10 minutes before baking.
- Serve With: Serve with Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan Cheese or in Leftover Thanksgiving Casserole.
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Apple and Sausage Dressing
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Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 cup Celery, diced
- ½ cup Onion, diced
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh thyme, minced
- 2 teaspoons Poultry Seasoning, homemade or store-bought
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
- 8 cups Italian bread cubes, dried
- 1 cup Dried cranberries
- ½ cup Pecans, chopped
- 2 cups Turkey stock
- 1 Egg
- ¼ teaspoon Salt and pepper, each
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook sausage, making sure to break it up into fine pieces.
- Cook for about 5 minutes then add celery and onions; continue cooking until sausage is no longer pink.
- Add thyme, poultry seasoning and apples; stir to combine.
- Cook for an additional 5 minutes to soften apples a bit.
- Meanwhile, place dried bread cubes in a large bowl.
- Stir in cranberries and pecans.
- Add sausage and apple mixture to bread cubes; stir to combine.
- Taste for seasoning; add salt and pepper as needed.
- Whisk egg into turkey stock and pour over bread cubes; stir to combine.
- Place mixture in a buttered baking dish.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
Christina’s Notes
- Toast Bread: For a crispier texture in your stuffing, consider toasting the bread cubes before using them in the recipe.
- Sausage Dressing: Make stuffing with jimmy dean pork breakfast sausage in place of traditional sausage.
- Top with Fresh Herbs: Garnish your stuffing with fresh herbs like parsley or sage for an extra burst of flavor and visual appeal.
- Pears: To add a fruity twist, you can also incorporate diced pears into your stuffing mixture for a unique flavor combination.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, scroll up on the page.