Favorite Easy Sausage Cranberry Stuffing
A sweet and savory stuffing recipe made with sausage, cranberries, and herbs. Perfect for holidays or any meal that deserves something special.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 239kcal
Equipment
- 13x9 inch baking pan or equivalent
- large bowl and spoon
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 loaf artisan bread* homemade Easy Artisan Bread is great
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage, mild or hot (hot adds a nice spice)
- 1/4 cup butter (or all oil to keep it dairy free)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (or use all butter)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or thyme - your choice, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sage or poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt & pepper (or to taste)
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries (or other fruit of choice)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar (I promise this is what makes this dish, but of course you can lower the amount or omit it)
- 1 to 1 ½ cups chicken broth**
Instructions
- Cut bread into cubes (about 1/2-inch or smaller in size) and lay out on a large (13x18") baking sheet to dry while proceeding with recipe. Generously butter a 13x9-inch pan.
- Brown sausage in a large skillet and remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl that is big enough to toss all the ingredients together.
- In the same skillet, heat butter and oil. Add onion, celery, and garlic and cook until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.
- Scrape the contents of the skillet into the bowl with the sausage and then add bread cubes, seasonings, cranberry and sugar. Toss to mix and pour the broth over all the ingredients, stirring as you do to evenly distribute the broth. Mix well, making sure al the bread is moist, but not too soggy.**
- Spoon the stuffing evenly into the prepared pan (at this point you can refrigerate the dish for up to two days, covered tightly or freeze - see notes).
- When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the stuffing for 35-45 minutes, or until nicely browned and crisp on top.
Notes
*The loaf size will vary, but it should be about a 9-10" round loaf or a 10-11" long rectangle loaf. If using the easy artisan bread recipe, it will be half the recipe to make a 9-10" round loaf.
**The amount of broth needed depends on how big your loaf of bread was - bigger loaves will need the larger amount. You want to aim for moist, but not soggy.
TO MAKE AHEAD:
- Refrigerate: After filling the pan with the stuffing mixture, cover it tightly and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Freeze: Make the dressing but don’t bake it. Let it cool and then freeze in the pan covered tightly in plastic. Thaw overnight before baking.
- Two Options to Bake After Freezing: 1) For a drier, fluffier stuffing, stir, place it in a baking dish (if it wasn't frozen in the dish), cover with foil, and bake according to directions (remove foil for browning if desired). 2) For a more moist stuffing, drizzle with a bit of extra broth, cover with foil and bake. Remove the foil (option to dot it with butter) and place back in the oven to brown the top.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.75cup | Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 526mg | Potassium: 130mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 124IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg
