The most perfect stuffing doesn’t have to be made from scratch. Jazzing up pre-made stuffing can be just as delicious (if not more), and its silly easy and super quick! Try this homemade Stove Top Stuffing with Sausage and you may never go back to grandma’s recipe again.
Sausage Stove Top Stuffing
Say that 3x fast…There is definitely a place for those labor of love recipes passed down from generation to generation. But there’s also a place for quick and simple. And this stove top Thanksgiving stuffing recipe is the latter.
On the effort to outcome scale, this is definitely one of the best stuffing recipes I’ve ever tried. We take store-bought stovetop stuffing mix, and jazz it up with sautéed veggies, salty beef or chicken broth, and extra flavorful savory sausage.
Don’t stress yourself out on Thanksgiving by trying to bring the most involved recipes to the holiday table. A ‘shortcut’ recipe may be just what you need for mental sanity and the whole family loves it just the same.
If you want to check out other of my favorite seasonal recipes, also try this Thanksgiving Rice, this Fall Pasta Salad, Sourdough Stuffing or this Kale and Butternut Squash salad with similar harvest flavors.
Recipe Inspiration
I always leave the dressing/stuffing to my grandma. And while she is the best at it, and it truly is a family favorite, hers doesn’t include sausage (which I think is super yummy in stuffing). So I tested this recipe a few times to get it as close to ‘grandma’s dressing’ as possible, but one pot and under 30 minutes, in typical APOP fashion.
Seasoning MAKES this dish. We’re using a standard poultry seasoning in this dish that will compliment all the other flavors on your plate!
Recipe Ingredients
- Sausage – I used lean pork sausage. Ground makes for the best textured stuffing in my opinion, but if you prefer to use links, you can slice them into coins and add to this stuffing, too.
- Veggies – White or yellow onion, celery, and carrot.
- Pre-made stuffing – I used Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Cubed Stuffing, but you could make this with a couple of boxes of stove top stuffing (the dry stuffing mix).
- Beef Broth – You can use whatever broth you want – chicken stock, vegetable broth, etc. I give a range on how much you should use according to how dense you like your stuffing.
- Seasonings – salt, rosemary, paprika, and pepper. I also encourage you to experiment with adding fresh herbs like thyme or oregano.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Fruit: Try adding chopped apples or cranberries to your stuffing.
- Veggies: Shaved brussel sprouts or peas also go well in this recipe. Sauté them along with the other vegetables included.
- Sausage: I used lean pork, but you could also use another kind of sausage like maple flavored turkey sausage or lean ground pork. Or do shredded chicken or Slow Cooker Turkey Tenderloin.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add the ground sausage, seasonings and minced garlic. Use a meat masher or wooden spoon to stir and break apart the meat while cooking.
2. Add the small chopped vegetables (carrots, onions, celery) to the skillet with the browned sausage. Note: You want small, uniform pieces for uniform cooking. I use the small setting on the vegetable chopper.
3. Cover with a lid and allow vegetables to sauté for 5-8 minutes. Stir a few times to avoid burning. Pour the maple syrup in with the vegetable and sausage mixture. Stir again.
4. When the vegetables are almost fork tender, turn the heat down to low. Add in the stuffing cubes and pour 1 ¾ cups of broth over. Stir and make sure everything is coated.
Optional: if you prefer dense stuffing, add an additional ½ cup of broth Cover the skillet for 10 minutes and allow the bread cubes to absorb the broth. Fluff it with a fork and make sure all of the liquid is absorbed.
5. Then, turn the heat off and let sit with the lid on until ready to serve. Make sure all of the liquid is absorbed. Dense stuffing is GOOD!
6. Before serving, transfer the whole skillet to the oven to broil to crisp it and et the top golden brown. Serve warm. Enjoy!
PRO TIPS
Want to make your stuffing a day in advance before? Simply keep the stuffing in your oven safe skillet (cover with plastic wrap/airtight), remove the wrap before reheating and toss it in the oven at 350F for 20-30 minutes to reheat. I like to turn on the broil to crisp the top for 2-3 minutes too.
Cooking for a larger crowd? Simply use the ‘2x’ or ‘3x’ on the recipe card to multiply. I do recommend making it in a large sauce pot or 2 large skillets.
Recipe FAQs
Store your leftover stuffing in an airtight container for up to four days. Reheat for 60-90 seconds in the microwave. I suggest adding a little oil or butter on top before reheating to keep it from drying out.
No worries! Just transfer everything to an oven safe baking dish and then transfer to the oven. I like this Staub baking dish, because I can serve directly from it, too.
The sausage really is the star of the show here in my opinion – it adds tons of delicious savory flavor, but you can definitely make vegetarian. I suggest adding crumbled tempeh for a similar texture. I know you can find a smoked version at most grocery stores, which will help mimic the meaty taste, too.
Serving suggestions
Of course you can serve this on Thanksgiving alongside all the other wonderful holiday side dishes like Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes or an Pear and Pecan Salad or with cranberry sauce on top.
This easy sausage stuffing is also perfect for a non-holiday meal served with a hearty protein like Easy Grilled Chicken and a veggie like these Balsamic Roasted Green Beans.
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Stove Top Stuffing with Sausage
Equipment
- oven safe skillet a cast iron skillet works great if you have one
- Meat masher
- Rubber Spatula
- Measuring Cups
- vegetable chopper or knife and cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 lbs lean pork sausage
- 1/2 medium white onion
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 6 oz pre-made stuffing, I used 1/2 bag Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Cubed Stuffing
- 1 ¾ – 2 ¼ cups beef broth
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add the ground sausage and minced garlic. Use a meat masher or wooden spoon to stir and break apart the meat while cooking.
- Add the small chopped vegetables (carrots, onions, celery) to the skillet with the browned sausage. Note: You want small, uniform pieces for uniform cooking. I use the small setting on the vegetable chopper.
- Cover with a lid and allow vegetables to sauté for 5-8 minutes. Stir a few times to avoid burning.
- Pour the seasonings and maple syrup in with the vegetable and sausage mixture. Stir again.
- When the vegetables are almost fork tender, turn the heat down to low. Add in the stuffing cubes and pour 1 ¾ cups of broth over. Stir and make sure everything is coated. **Optional: if you prefer dense stuffing, add an additional ½ cup of broth**
- Cover the skillet for 10 minutes and allow the bread cubes to absorb the broth. Fluff it with a fork and make sure all of the liquid is absorbed. If not, keep on the heat until it is.
- Then, turn the heat off and let sit with the lid on until ready to serve.
- Before serving, transfer the whole skillet to the oven to broil to crisp it and et the top golden brown. Serve warm. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
Looking for this in MyFitnessPal?
If you’re using MyFitnessPal, search ‘A Paige Of Positivity’ and find Stove Top Stuffing with Sausage calories and nutrition facts. Disclaimer: for most accurate macronutrients and caloric breakdown, it is recommended that you input each ingredient into your MyFitnessPal food diary.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. It’s my passion to create dishes that can be shared with others. Tell me something you loved or just say hi!
This stuffing is AMAZING! It’s perfectly sweet, salty, and I couldn’t stop enjoying it.
Why would i slave over stuffing from scratch when this was so much better!!!!