Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (2024)

by Melissa 22 Comments

This stuffing recipe is so easy. Sausage, apples and cranberry combined with fresh herbs and buttery toasted bread crumbs!

Stuffing Recipe Easy

This stuffing recipe only takes a few minutes to prep and couldn’t be easier to pull together. I use fresh apples, dried cranberries and browned sausage to bring store bought bread crumbs to life. For this recipe, I have aways used unseasoned bread crumbs. I just discard the dried seasoning packet. Last time I was at the store, they only had seasoned breadcrumbs and it turned out great too! So I think it’s ok to use what is available, just adjust added salt as needed.

Sauté the onions and celery in a large sauté pan. Then add sausage, breaking up as it browns. Stir in fresh herbs, apples and cranberries and get ready for your house to smell like Thanksgiving! I think it’s the fresh sage that really reminds me of the holidays!

Next, stir in breadcrumbs and stock. Top with melted butter and bake covered until stock is absorbed, then uncovered until lightly toasted.

This can easily be made ahead and baked right before serving. Just allow extra time for baking since it will be chilled from the refrigerator. I also have a slow cooker stuffing recipe if you need to free up space in the oven during a holiday meal.

Easy Thanksgiving Stuffing Tips

Prepare stuffing up until baking 1-2 days ahead of time and refrigerate to cut down on day-of prep.

Use fresh herbs for that traditional Thanksgiving flavor.

You can use any kind of apple – Granny Smith, Golden Delicious or Honey Crisp work really well!

Stuffing Recipe Easy

5 from 19 votes

Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (7)

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Stuffing Recipe Easy - Cranberry Sausage Apple Stuffing

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

55 mins

Course:Dinner

Cuisine:American

Keyword:Thanksgiving

Servings: 11

Ingredients

  • 2tablespoonsof olive oil
  • 1medium onion diced
  • 2stalks of celery diced
  • 1poundof sausage
  • 1teaspoonof salt
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 2tablespoonsof fresh sage minced
  • 2teaspoonsof fresh rosemary minced
  • 2tablespoonsof fresh flat leaf parsley chopped
  • 1large golden delicious apple cored and diced
  • 3/4cupsof dried cranberries
  • 2cupsof turkey or chicken stock
  • 6cupsof dry unseasoned bread cubes
  • 4tablespoonsof melted butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large sauté pan, heat onions and celery over medium heat until softened. Add sausage, breaking up as it browns. Once sausage is cooked through, season with salt, pepper and stir in fresh herbs. Then stir in diced apples, cranberries, bread crumbs and stock.

  2. Transfer stuffing mixture to a 9x13 baking pan that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray, drizzle melted butter over stuffing mixture and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 25 minutes covered, then for another 20 uncovered until stuffing is lightly toasted. Sprinkle with additional fresh herbs before serving.

This is one of our traditional Thanksgiving family recipes and I think you are going to love it!

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Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (10)

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Comments

  1. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (11)Katie

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (12)
    This looks like the most delicious stuffing recipe! I can’t wait to try it! It’s going to be a hit!

    Reply

  2. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (13)wilhelmina

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (14)
    I am glad I didn’t wait until Thanksgiving to try this stuffing, it is way too delicious to only serve once a year!

    Reply

  3. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (15)Katie

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (16)
    I love the addition of the apple and cranberry to this. The whole family did too!

    Reply

  4. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (17)Kimberly

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (18)
    Perfection! Absolutely nothing beats homemade stuffing!

    Reply

  5. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (21)Lisa

    What type of sausage do you use?

    Reply

    • Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (22)Melissa

      Breakfast sausage.

      Reply

  6. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (23)Krissy Allori

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (24)
    I loved this stuffing recipe. The best part is that it really is easy to make. The cranberries give that little burst of sweet that I love.

    Reply

  7. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (25)Matt

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (26)
    You had me at sausage, apples, and cranberry! Seriously awesome stuffing recipe! 🙂 Thanks so much!

    Reply

  8. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (27)Stephanie

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (28)
    Such a great stuffing recipe! I really loved the apples and cranberries in it!

    Reply

  9. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (29)Suzy

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (30)
    I’ve seen lots of stuffing recipes around but I really love the idea of adding apples and cranberries! Trying this for the holidays!

    Reply

  10. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (31)Eden

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (32)
    This stuffing was so good!! I love the cranberries in it and it turned out super moist! LOVE!!

    Reply

  11. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (33)Lisa

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (34)
    I just made this and OMG this is amazing!!! I could only find the seasoned bread cubes and I used sweet Italian sausage. This is now my go to stuffing! I have to work on Thanksgiving tomorrow (I’m a nurse) and I’m bringing in a huge tray of this for our potluck meal!

    Reply

  12. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (35)Michelle

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (36)
    Made it for Thanksgiving! I used hot Italian sausage and it was delicious! Thanks for posting this one!

    Reply

  13. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (37)Lisa

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (38)
    My family RAVED about this stuffing at Thanksgiving 🙂 I used more like 10 cups of bread cubes (and, thus, extra broth)…it was amazing

    Reply

  14. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (39)Katie

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (40)
    I love the addition of cranberry and apple in this stuffing! It adds the perfect amount of sweetness to it. We love it!

    Reply

  15. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (41)Natalie

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (42)
    The addition of apples & cranberries take this stuffing to a new level!! Adding this to our Thanksgiving menu!

    Reply

  16. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (43)April

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (44)
    This stuffing is SO GOOD. The perfect addition to Thanksgiving.

    Reply

  17. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (45)Kristen

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (46)
    This stuffing was so good, I could not stop eating it and neither could my family. I will definitely have to make it again.

    Reply

  18. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (47)Lori

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (48)
    This is our GO TO stuffing every year. It’s a crowd pleaser!!! Last year I made this recipe and halved it completely to make one regular meat version and one meat-less version (used Impossible Brand fake pork) and it came out wonderful! My non-meating eat sisters loved it! The whole house smells like a holiday. It’s a must make every year for our Thanksgiving table. I love that I can make it in the slow cooker and free up the stovetop too.

    Reply

    • Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (49)Melissa

      Such a great idea! Thank you for taking the time to share!

      Reply

  19. Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (50)Dani

    Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (51)
    I absolutely LOVE this stuffing, and make it every year. Only a couple of us even like stuffing, but I make the whole batch each year just so I can enjoy all the leftovers myself. This recipe is what has lead me to slowly take over a lot of the cooking for Thanksgiving, and I can’t recommend it enough.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Apple Cranberry Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Fresh Herbs (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to stuffing for more flavor? ›

Fruit, especially dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, figs and apricots can seriously improve a dreary box of stuffing. That bit of sweetness plays beautifully with other flavors on the table. I've found that fresh fruits like apples and pears are stellar as well.

What does adding egg to stuffing do? ›

Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture.

Is it OK to make stuffing a day ahead of time? ›

No matter where you fall, getting a head start on what can be prepared before the big day is essential. One question that always crops up: Can you make stuffing ahead of time? The short answer to whether you can making stuffing ahead of time is yes.

Can I freeze cooked sausage stuffing? ›

If you're freezing leftover stuffing that has already been cooked, make sure to freeze it within 24 hours of making it. You don't need much equipment to freeze stuffing—just be sure to have some resealable freezer bags or airtight freezer-safe containers on hand.

Is stock or broth better for stuffing? ›

Homemade stock is the best, but if you don't have homemade, a good store bought stock will work as well. If you use a store bought stock, try to buy one with no/low sodium. I personally have started using bone broth in my stuffing and LOVE it.

Should stuffing be moist before baking? ›

The stuffing should be moist but not wet. If there is a puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl, you've added too much. Add more bread to soak up the excess moisture. If the mix is still dry and crumbly, add more liquid and toss gently until it starts to clump together.

Is stuffing better with or without eggs? ›

It's a matter of preference, but adding a beaten egg to your stuffing mixture acts as a binder and keeps the bread moist.

What makes stuffing unhealthy? ›

Stuffing is not strictly a healthy food, because it is typically high in calories, fat, sodium, and refined carbohydrates. 1 But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, All foods can fit into a healthy diet in moderation.

What is traditional stuffing made of? ›

Classic stuffing made with bread cubes, seasonings, and held together with chicken stock and eggs. A holiday staple!

Can you use week old bread for stuffing? ›

In fact, using stale bread and fresh bread will both leave you with equal amounts of mush. The longstanding tip to use old, stale bread for the perfect stuffing is actually a myth. Letting bread go stale doesn't actually dry it out. After sitting out on your counter, bread goes through the process of retrogradation.

Can you prepare uncooked stuffing ahead of time and refrigerate? ›

If you don't plan on stuffing the bird, but preparing the dressing as a side dish, you can prepare uncooked stuffing ahead of time as long as you freeze the stuffing immediately after mixing the wet and dry ingredients. USDA recommends that you never refrigerate uncooked stuffing.

Can I make stuffing the night before and reheat? ›

Absolutely. Most Thanksgiving stuffing recipes can be made at least partially in advance since: A) They're easily assembled a day or two ahead of Thanksgiving Day; and B) They're often baked using a two-step process (once covered with foil to cook through, then uncovered to achieve a crispy top).

Is it better to freeze stuffing cooked or uncooked? ›

If you want to prepare your stuffing in advance of Thanksgiving, freezing it uncooked will ensure it stays nice and moist. Simply follow the steps of your stuffing recipe, but before baking it, wrap the baking dish in plastic wrap first, then aluminum foil to make it air tight.

Why can't you refrigerate uncooked stuffing? ›

Because stuffing is an excellent medium for bacterial growth, it's important to handle it safely and cook it to a safe minimum internal temperature as measured with a food thermometer. Here are some common ques- tions consumers ask. Stuffing should not be prepared ahead.

What are the flavors of stove top stuffing? ›

There are a variety of flavors, including Chicken, Lower Sodium Chicken, Cornbread, Pork, Beef, Savory Herbs, Traditional Sage, Tomato & Onion, San Francisco Sourdough, Mushroom & Onion, Long Grain & Wild Rice and Roasted Garlic, Turkey, Apple and Cranberry.

How do you revive stuffing? ›

Heat the oven to 350°F and transfer the stuffing to an oven-safe dish (or, you can keep it in the dish that it was originally cooked in). If it seems dry, you'll want to add a splash of broth. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake again until crisp, 15–20 minutes.

How do you make stuffing moist after cooking? ›

Add Butter and Broth Before Reheating

Often upon refrigeration, the stuffing will soak up any excess moisture and will appear drier than when originally served. Depending on the amount of stuffing you plan to reheat, drizzle a few tablespoons or up to 1/4 cup of chicken or turkey broth into the stuffing to moisten it.

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