Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing

Gateway Stuffing

This sausage and cranberry stuffing has all of the flavors I’m craving for Thanksgiving dinner! Hearty herbs, savory umami flavor from the sausage and bone broth, and sweet, tart cranberries make for a side dish that encompasses all the festive meal’s flavors into one!

If I’m being honest, I always avoided the stuffing when I was little. The squishy texture didn’t seem appealing and I never really understood what was in it. “Stuffing” isn’t the best of descriptors for a food, is it? Cut to my 20’s and wanting to make a mini Thanksgiving dinner for my now-husband and I to enjoy together before we went to spend the holiday with our own families. I knew stuffing was one of his favorite sides, so it had to be on the table. I read-up on several ways to make stuffing and landed on making something very similar to the recipe below. After I tasted it, I was sold! I love having the bits of sausage and cranberry in each bite to make the texture more interesting and the herby, savory flavor is a perfect pairing for turkey. These days, it’s not Thanksgiving to me without making this dish!

The Supplies

Ingredients

To make this sausage and cranberry stuffing, you’ll need the following ingredients:

In order to make this festive stuffing recipe, you’ll need the following pieces of equipment:

• Large mixing bowl
• Cutting board and knife
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large frying or saute pan
• Mixing spoon
• 9x12 casserole dish (like this one from Staub)

Recipe Tips

When you make this sausage and cranberry stuffing, here are a few tips to make sure it’s delicious:

• If your cubed bread isn’t dried out, place them on a baking tray and put them in a 250°F oven for about 10 minutes. This will toast the bread slightly, encouraging the drying out process before mixing them into the stuffing ingredients.

• Keep the heat low when cooking the onion and celery. For the best flavor, it’s best to get the onions jammy and not get any browning on them.
• I recommend turkey bone broth for this recipe, but it’s not available at the grocery store, look for a turkey stock, chicken stock, or chicken broth to substitute. 

Recipe Details

Dry Out Bread

To get this recipe started, cube a loaf of bread and spread out the pieces onto a tray or place them in a large bowl. Leave the tray or bowl uncovered overnight to let the pieces of bread dry out. The bread can be left out up to 24 hours, but I recommend having it sit out at least 12.

Brown the Sausage and Prep the Veggies

The next day, prepare the rest of the stuffing. Start out by browning sweet or mild italian sausage in a large skillet, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. Once the sausage is browned, pour it and any juices that were released in the cooking process over top of the dried bread in a large mixing bowl. 

Melt the butter in the same skillet used to brown the sausage and cook the onion and celery. This step is best to cook the onion and celery low and slow so they get really jammy. Once the onion and celery are cooked, add the garlic, herbs, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Let these cook for a minute or two, just until they become very fragrant, and then carefully pour the white wine into the pan. Let the wine simmer for a few minutes until it’s reduced by about half.

At this point, remove the pan from the heat and stir the turkey bone broth and the dried cranberries. 

Assemble the Stuffing and Bake

Pour the brothy mixture over top of the cubed bread and browned sausage. Give it a quick stir to begin to incorporate the ingredients together, then pour the whisked egg over the top. Continue stirring the stuffing until the ingredients are evenly distributed and the pieces of bread are soaked through with broth.

Transfer the stuffing into a 9x12 baking dish. Bake the stuffing for about 30 minutes in a 350°F oven until the top is brown and the center is set. Let the stuffing cool for a few minutes before serving and enjoy! This stuffing can absolutely be made in advance and reheated in the oven once ready to serve. Cover it tightly with cling wrap in the pan and refrigerate for up to 3 days. 

This stuffing recipe would go perfectly with a side of Cheesy Green Bean and Mushroom Casserole and Nana’s Corn Souffle.If you make this sausage and cranberry stuffing, be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating - I can’t wait to hear how it goes. As always, tag me on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook in your photos. It makes me feel like we’re getting to cook together!