Thanksgiving Italian Sausage Stuffing
This Italian sausage stuffing is a family Thanksgiving recipe made with mild Italian sausage, celery, onions, mushrooms, and warm chicken or turkey broth. The broth is gradually worked into the bread until some of the cubes begin to break down, creating a soft, creamy center with crisp, golden edges after baking.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 258kcal
Cost: $15
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 medium pot
- 1 baking dish 9x13
Ingredients
- 1 lb mild Italian Sausage
- 1 12 oz bag Pepperidge Farm Cube Stuffing
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 oz mushrooms, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4-5 cups chicken broth or turkey neck simmered in water
- 3 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pour the chicken broth into a small pot and bring it to a gentle simmer. If using the turkey neck instead, add the turkey neck and 6 cups of water to a pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Keep the broth warm while you prepare the stuffing.
- Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter or olive oil. Once hot, add the celery and onion and sauté for about 8 minutes, until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, until they have released their moisture and most of the liquid in the pan has evaporated.
- Stir in the garlic, poultry seasoning, and salt. Cook for about 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Remove the Italian sausage from the casing and add it to the pan. Break it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon and cook until browned and no pink remains.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Add about 1 cup of stuffing cubes and 1 cup of warm broth to the sausage mixture. Stir until the broth is absorbed before adding another cup of stuffing and broth.
- Repeat the process, stirring frequently as you add the stuffing and broth. Stop adding broth once all of the bread is moistened and roughly half of the cubes are soft enough to begin breaking down while the remaining cubes still hold their shape. The mixture should look very moist and creamy, but there should not be broth pooling in the bottom of the pan. You may not need all of the broth.
- Remove the pan from the heat and spread the stuffing evenly in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until the center is soft and creamy and the top and edges are golden brown and crisp. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- If you have ground pork, you can make your own sausage mix. Just use our Homemade Italian Sausage Seasoning recipe.
- You can chop up the giblets and add them to the sausage for additional flavor.
- When stirring in the broth and stuffing, work slowly, and make sure there is no dry stuffing left in the saucepan before adding more stuffing. You want to make sure all of the broth is absorbed and the stuffing is well-mixed.
- Mix the stuffing often once you add start adding the stuffing cubes because it will stick once the stuffing cubes are added.
Nutrition
Calories: 258kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 721mg | Potassium: 252mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 81IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
