This rustic apple sausage stuffing is the side dish I make every Thanksgiving. Savory pork sausage, sweet apple and tart fresh cranberries meet fennel, mushrooms and fresh sage, then bake until the top turns golden and crisp.
This year I updated the recipe. I now start with the vegetables in butter and olive oil, so the onion, fennel and mushrooms build a deeper base before the sausage goes in. It’s a smaller batch, made in one skillet and baked in the dish you serve it in.
Why You’ll Love This Apple Sausage Stuffing
- Sweet, savory and tart in every bite
- One skillet plus one baking dish that goes straight to the table
- Sized for a smaller holiday table: 6 servings from 4 cups of bread
- Easy to assemble a day ahead
Other Thanksgiving and Holiday Sides
Ingredients for Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries
- Bread cubes: store-bought stuffing cubes save time. See bread options below.
- Olive oil and butter: the oil keeps the butter from burning; the butter adds richness.
- Onion, fennel and mushrooms: fennel brings a soft, sweet anise note and mushrooms add savory depth.
- Pork sausage: plain or sage pork sausage, casings removed. Turkey or chicken sausage also works. Use what you like.
- Fresh sage: the classic stuffing herb. Or use 1/2 tbsp dried sage.
- Apple: a firm, tart-sweet apple holds its shape.
- Cranberries: fresh or frozen give juicy, tart pops. Dried work in a pinch but are sweeter.
- Chicken broth: moistens the bread. Vegetable broth works too.
Bread options: stuffing cubes, stale bread or gluten-free
- Store-bought stuffing cubes: already dry and ready to use. Choose plain, unseasoned cubes.
- Day-old bread: cut a sturdy loaf (French, sourdough or white sandwich bread) into 3/4-inch cubes. Leave them out overnight, or toast at 300°F for 15 to 20 minutes until dry but not browned.
- Gluten-free: use your favorite gluten-free bread, cubed and toasted the same way, or pick up gluten-free stuffing bread, which many stores now sell.
Best apples for stuffing
Choose firm apples that stay in pieces when baked: Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Fuji or Gala.
How to Make Apple Sausage Stuffing
It is very easy to make this stuffing with apples and cranberries for Thanksgiving and the holidays and if you are a big fan of stuffing, I would go as far as to say, it is easy enough to make it throughout the year. Here is how;
- Sauté the vegetables. Melt butter with olive oil, then cook the onion, fennel and mushrooms until soft.
- Brown the sausage. Add the sausage, crumble it and season with salt, pepper and sage.
- Add the fruit. Stir in the diced apple and cranberries.
- Prep the dish. Spread the bread cubes in your baking dish.
- Combine. Stir the broth into the skillet, spoon everything over the bread and fold.
- Bake. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring halfway.
Watch how to make it
Serving Suggestion
Serve with Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, Pull Apart Dinner Rolls and Roasted Squash, or alongside oven-roasted beef brisket and lemon butter chicken any time of year.
Variations
Variations and swaps
- Vegetarian: skip the sausage, double the mushrooms and use vegetable broth. Or make my Apple Sage Stuffing.
- Add crunch: stir in 1/2 cup toasted pecans or walnuts before baking.
- Bigger crowd: double everything and bake in a 9×13 dish, adding 10 to 15 minutes.
- Toppings: extra sage, chopped parsley, turkey gravy or cranberry sauce.
Yes. Cube a sturdy day-old loaf and let it dry overnight or toast it at 300°F for 15 to 20 minutes. Dry bread soaks up broth without turning mushy.
For this recipe, no. Baking uncovered and stirring halfway gives a moist middle with a golden, crisp top.
Yes, use about 1/2 cup. They’re sweeter and chewier than fresh or frozen.
Plain or sage pork sausage, removed from its casings. The fennel, sage and onion add the rest of the seasoning.
Softening the onion, fennel and mushrooms first in butter and oil gives them room to brown, which adds flavor before the sausage joins in.
It’s best baked separately. If you stuff the bird, pack it loosely and make sure the stuffing reaches 165°F.
Looking for more wholesome holiday side dishes?
- Kale Pomegranate Salad
- Maple Glazed Green Beans
- Instant Pot Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
- Apple Cranberry Frisée Salad
- Garlic Parmesan Butternut Squash
Rustic Apple Sausage Stuffing
Ingredients
- 4 cups bread cubes (store-bought stuffing cubes, gluten-free stuffing bread, sourdough or day-old bread)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup onion diced, (about 1 medium onion)
- 1/3 cup fennel chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms chopped
- 12 oz pork sausage links (about 3 sausages), casing removed
- 1 whole apple diced
- 1 cup cranberries fresh or frozen
- 1 tbsp fresh sage (or 1/2 tbsp dried), chopped plus fresh leaves for garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the bread cubes in a baking dish.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the onion, fennel and mushrooms and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, until softened and the mushrooms have released their liquid.
- Add the sausage and break it into small pieces. Season with salt, pepper and sage. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the sausage is cooked through.
- Stir in the apple and cranberries and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pour in the broth, stir, then spoon the mixture over the bread cubes. Fold gently until the bread is evenly moistened.
- Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden and crisp on top.
- Garnish with fresh sage and parsley and serve straight from the dish.
Notes
- Frozen cranberries go in straight from the freezer; no need to thaw.
- Too dry halfway through? Drizzle in 2 to 4 tbsp more broth when you stir.
- Make ahead: assemble in the baking dish, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Let it sit out 20 minutes, then bake, adding 5 to 10 minutes.
- Fridge: store leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days.
- Freezer: freeze up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat: splash with broth, cover with foil and warm at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
