All of the flavors of fall come together in this Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries for the perfect holiday stuffing recipe.

You can’t have Thanksgiving without the perfect side dishes! Some other great side dishes to serve with this Sausage Stuffing are the BEST Sweet Potato Casserole and Corn Casserole.

casserole dish of sausage stuffing with apples and cranberries

For me, Thanksgiving is always about the side dishes. Don’t get me wrong – I love the turkey and all, but nothing makes me more excited than a Thanksgiving buffet full of side dishes. Except maybe the pie. The pie always wins.

We seem to always have a few regular recipes that are on every Thanksgiving table, and some new recipes. This one is one of the regulars.

This Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries is actually one that my sister makes every year, and I LOVE it. This stuffing has so many flavors going on and it really brings all of the flavors of Thanksgiving to the table for me. This one is always a winner!

Ingredients

Bread: I use a mix of wheat bread and white bread, but you could do all of one or the other. I usually just use regular sandwich bread, but you can use what you have on hand.
Sausage: When I originally posted this recipe, I listed turkey sausage. But I have made it with pork sausage more often than turkey sausage, simply because it’s easier to find. But either will work!
Vegetables: You’ll want onion and celery, both for flavor and texture.
Spices: For the spices, I use sage, rosemary, and thyme. These are pretty typical stuffing spices.
Dried Cranberries: I think the cranberries are my favorite part of this stuffing. The sweet and tart works perfectly with the sausage.
Parsley: Parsley will add in some freshness.
Apple: The recipe calls for a golden apple, but you could really use any apple you want. The golden delicious is perfect because it is firm and a bit tart.
Chicken Broth: The chicken broth will help to keep the stuffing moist.
Butter: The butter will add great flavor, but it will also help to crisp up the top. You can use salted or unsalted butter.

How to Make Sausage Stuffing

Start by toasting your bread cubes.
While those are baking, cook your sausage and onion until the sausage is cooked through. Add in celery, sage, rosemary and thyme and cook another minute or two.
Combine the sausage mixture with the toasted bread cubes, dried cranberries, parsley, and chopped apple. Stir it all together.
Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish. Pour chicken broth and melted butter over the top, cover it with foil, and bake it.
Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes to brown the top, and it’s ready to be served!

spoonful of Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries

Tips and Tricks

I like cutting and toasting my own bread for the stuffing. You could use store bought bread cubes, but you’ll have a better outcome if you cut and toast them yourself. It really doesn’t add a ton of time, and it can be done ahead of time.
No one likes dry stuffing, so make sure you don’t overcook the stuffing.
This is best served warm, so plan to have this come out of the oven just before serving.
If you have any leftovers, cover them tightly and refrigerate. To reheat, bake it in a 350ºF oven until heated through. You may need to sprinkle on a little bit of chicken broth if it gets too dried out the second time around.

How to Make Stuffing Ahead of Time

This is an easy recipe to make ahead.

Prepare the recipe as written, but instead of baking it, cover the pan with foil and refrigerate.
Before you are ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.
Bake the stuffing according to the directions. If it is not quite to room temperature, add an additional 10 minutes to heat it through.