This sourdough stuffing recipe with sausage is my absolute favorite stuffing to make for Thanksgiving. Tangy sourdough bread cubes, savory sausage, the classic aromatic combo of garlic, celery, onions and herbs, wine, butter, broth, and eggs all come together to make the best sourdough stuffing recipe!
Of course this sourdough stuffing recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas alongside my Dry Brined Spatchcocked Turkey, but I think stuffing is too good to only have once or twice a year. It makes a delicious addition to any fall or winter meal.
Check out my Thanksgiving Side Dish post as well as some of my other side dishes including: red skinned mashed potatoes, roasted honey nut squash, pumpkin dinner rolls, roasted acorn squash, crispy smashed potatoes.
And if you love sourdough, be sure to visit these recipes: sourdough discard sandwich bread, no yeast sourdough pizza crust, sourdough discard banana bread, and overnight sourdough pancakes.
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Ingredients
I like a lot of celery in my stuffing but you can reduce the amount or leave it out altogether if you're not on team celery. See Variations below for a lot of options.
- sourdough bread cubes: lightly toasted in the oven or left out to become stale for a day or two.
- breakfast sausage: I like a plain breakfast sausage for this but sage, maple, or even spicy sausage would be really good.
- unsalted butter: it is rare I call for unsalted butter but it's easy to oversalt this especially if your broth is salty so be careful.
- celery: I like a lot but as I said above, feel free to reduce or even leave it out if you are not on team celery.
- yellow onion: a sweet or white onion would substitute fine here.
- garlic: fresh garlic is best but in a pinch you could use a teaspoon of garlic powder
- white wine: a dry to semi-dry white. If you are alcohol free just leave it out and maybe add the tiniest splash of vinegar for a bit of brightness.
- fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme: these are my favorite but feel free to switch it up and use your favorite herbs.
- chicken broth: or turkey bone broth if you have some lying around
- eggs: this helps bind the stuffing and adds moisture.
- poultry seasoning: a Thanksgiving classic that adds a ton of flavor to this stuffing along with the fresh herbs.
- salt and pepper to taste: I added about a teaspoon of each
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
How to make sourdough stuffing with sausage
- You have two options with the bread cubes: either leave them out on a baking tray to dry out for a day or two or place them in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes, tossing once halfway, until they are lightly toasted and very dry. The toasting option gives a bit more flavor but the first option is hands off and does not require oven time which is a nice little cheat.
- Place prepared bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Butter a 9x9 or 8x13 dish and set aside.
- In a bowl or large measuring cup add broth and eggs and whisk well. Set aside.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add sausage. Break up with a wooden spoon and cook, stirring often, until the sausage is cooked through and no longer pink. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Add butter to same skillet and melt before adding celery, onion, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add fresh herbs, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning and stir to combine. Add white wine and cook for about 5 minutes more, scraping the pan to loosen any brown bits. Remove from heat.
- Add the sausage and vegetable mixture to the bread cubes and toss to combine. Add broth and egg mixture to the stuffing mixture and stir well.
- Transfer the mixture to prepared baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes until browned and internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
- Do not refrigerate uncooked stuffing. Once assembled it must be cooked right away.
- Wet and dry mixtures can be made ahead and refrigerated separately. Assemble just before baking.
- Refrigerate cooked stuffing within two hours of serving and consume within 3-4 days.
- To reheat cooked stuffing, cover with foil and place in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Uncover for 5 minutes to crisp the top.
Variations
Feel free to switch up the ingredients and add something you love. Here are some ideas:
- Instead of sausage use bacon or use a combination.
- Sliced or diced sauteed mushrooms.
- Diced apple and walnuts for a fun fruity twist and some crunch.
- Replace the celery with diced fennel bulb or use a combination of both.
- Chopped and sauteed carrot, parsnip, or artichoke for some extra veggies.
- Chopped chestnuts and a pinch of nutmeg for an old-fashioned flavor.
- Make it vegetarian or even vegan by omitting sausage, eggs, and butter as needed. The stuffing will not be as moist without the egg but it will still be delicious.
FAQ
The best bread for stuffing is a hearty loaf of sourdough or artisan bread. The tanginess of sourdough is a welcome contrast in a stuffing recipe. Do not use a light or fluffy loaf such as white sandwich bread as it will just disintegrate when the wet ingredients are added.
Bread should be quite dry to absorb all of the flavors of the wet stuffing mixture. Either toast bread cubes in a low to moderate oven or leave them out to dehydrate at room temperature for a day or two.
To add moisture to dry stuffing add a little bit of chicken or turkey broth, cover with foil and place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes.
To fix soggy stuffing bake with the lid off. If the stuffing is very wet, transfer to a larger baking dish to spread it into a thinner layer and bake uncovered until dried and the top crisps. Be careful not to burn the top.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Brandied Pear Cheesecake with Brown Butter Hazelnut Crust
- Make Ahead White Wine Turkey Gravy
- Cranberry Pear Butter
- Biscoff Cheesecake
Sourdough Stuffing Recipe
This sourdough stuffing recipe with sausage is my absolute favorite stuffing to make for Thanksgiving. Tangy sourdough bread cubes, savory sausage, the classic aromatic combo of garlic, celery, onions and herbs, wine, butter, broth, and eggs all come together to make the best sourdough stuffing recipe!
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 8 cups sourdough bread cubes
- 1 pound breakfast sausage
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups diced celery
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste (about 1 teaspoon of each but this will depend on how salty your broth is)
Instructions
- You have two options with the bread cubes: either leave them out on a baking tray to dry out for a day or two or place them in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, tossing once halfway, until they are lightly toasted. The toasting option gives a bit more flavor but the first option is hands off and does not require oven time which is a nice little cheat.
- Place prepared bread cubes in a large mixing bowl.
- Butter a 9x9 or 8x13 dish and set aside.
- In a bowl or large measuring cup add broth and eggs and whisk well.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add sausage. Break up with a wooden spoon and cook, stirring often, until the sausage is cooked through and no longer pink. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Add butter to same skillet and melt before adding celery, onion, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add fresh herbs, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning and stir to combine. Add white wine and cook for about 5 minutes more, scraping the pan to loosen any brown bits. Remove from heat.
- Add the sausage and vegetable mixture to the bread cubes and toss to combine. Add broth and egg mixture to the stuffing mixture and stir well.
- Transfer the mixture to prepared baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes until browned and internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
Notes
- Do not refrigerate uncooked stuffing. Once assembled it must be cooked right away.
- Wet and dry mixtures can be made ahead and refrigerated separately. Assemble just before baking.
- Refrigerate cooked stuffing within two hours of serving and consume within 3-4 days.
- To reheat cooked stuffing, cover with foil and place in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Uncover for 5 minutes to crisp the top.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: side dish, Thanksgiving
- Method: stovetop, baking
- Cuisine: American
Food safety and instructions for stuffing a turkey
This stuffing recipe has not been tested inside a turkey. If you choose to stuff your turkey follow the USDA guidelines below:
"Spoon the stuffing in loosely - about ¾ cup of stuffing per pound. It's generally recommended to stuff smaller or medium size birds. This makes it easier to take an internal temperature reading (minimum 165ºF), whereas large birds mean larger cavities, causing you to go much deeper into the center of the stuffing to get a good thermometer reading.
Stuffing should be moist, not dry, because heat destroys bacteria more rapidly in a moist environment."
"Once the bird is stuffed, it should be placed immediately in an oven set no lower than 325°F. Check out the cooking chart for recommended cooking times for stuffed turkey of various sizes. A food thermometer should be used to check the internal temperature of the turkey in the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the wing and the innermost part of the thigh and inside the stuffing to ensure all locations reach 165ºF. If the turkey reaches a safe temperature and the stuffing has not, be sure to leave the bird in the oven until the stuffing reaches 165°F. Remove the turkey from the oven and let it stand 20 minutes before serving."
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods (no longer than 2 hours in most cases)
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