Everyone needs a good apple sausage stuffing recipe that always turns out delicious. This sausage stuffing is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is in a week! Make sure you’ve seen our homemade stuffing recipe and spiced turkey. As a side, you can try our garlic mashed potatoes or cheesy scalloped potatoes and top it all with homemade turkey gravy! And, don’t forget the best sausage stuffing recipe here!
Apple sausage stuffing for Thanksgiving
I love Thanksgiving with all its fixings, the turkey, side and pies. But this apple sausage stuffing is the one dish I really look forward to. The crispy topping and fluffy texture of stuffing is just perfect for Thanksgiving. Whatever you call it, stuffing or dressing, I say it’s one of the best parts of Thanksgiving especially if it’s made with sausage and apples!
Do you cook stuffing inside the turkey?
I always cook the stuffing separately either in a pan on stove top or in a dish in the oven. Cooking stuffing inside the turkey keeps too long and also might make the turkey a bit dry. Therefore it’s always safer to cook it separately.
How to make homemade sausage stuffing
This apple sausage stuffing recipe is one you’ll probably need this Thanksgiving, especially if you’ve never made stuffing with apples. It’s full of exciting flavors that go so well together and make the best side dish for the big day.
To make apple sausage stuffing, cook the chicken sausage over medium high heat until browned and cooked. Transfer the browned sausage to a plate and set it aside. Then in the same pan, cook onions, celery and apples. Add in the spices, salt and pepper, croutons and stir well. Then mix in the chicken stock and transfer everything to an oven safe dish and bake in the oven until crispy on top, about 30 minutes.
What temperature do you cook sausage stuffing?
Since everything in this apple sausage stuffing cooked prior to going in the oven. Cooking the dish at 350 degrees F for about thirty minutes is enough.
Do you cook stuffing covered or uncovered?
I usually cook the stuffing uncovered so it gets that crispy top that I love the most. You can also bake it covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for the last ten minutes.
Can I make sausage stuffing ahead of time?
You can make stuffing up to two days ahead of time. Cook the sausage, onions, celery and apples with the spices, mix with croutons and chicken stock. Transfer the mixture to an oven safe dish and cover tightly. Refrigerate until ready to cook and then cook for 30 minutes at 350F.
Can I freeze stuffing?
Yes, stuffing keeps well in the freezer for up to three months. Store stuffing in an airtight container and freeze. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven at 350F for 30 minutes or until heated through.
Thanksgiving stuffing flavors
You can elevate this basic apple sausage stuffing recipe quite simply:
- Sausage apple cranberry stuffing: leave the celery out and add cranberries instead. This one would have a tart flavor that would be perfect with apples.
- Apple stuffing: leave out the sausage and use sage to add more flavor.
- Vegetarian stuffing: use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- Turkey sausage stuffing recipe: Leave out the chicken sausage and use turkey sausage instead.
Notes and tips for this apple sausage stuffing recipe:
- You can use either store bought or homemade croutons. Store bought croutons are usually smaller and yield a denser stuffing whereas homemade croutons usually make a more sparse stuffing. Learn how to make croutons and put them on everything from Bon Appetit.
- Any kind of sausage would work in this recipe so go with what you love most. I personally prefer chicken or turkey sausage and award bonus points if it’s spiced.
- Don’t want to use the oven? Just cover the pan after adding the chicken stock and turn the heat to medium low and let the stuffing cook for 25 to 30 minutes.
- I used granny smith apples for this recipe because of the sweet and tart flavor they bring to the dish. Honeycrisp or pink lady apples would work very well, too. The apple should be crisp and not soft.
Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes?
- Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
- Homemade apple cranberry sauce
- Slow cooker Turkey breast recipe
- Thanksgiving Sandwich
- Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Apple Sausage Stuffing Recipe
Everyone needs a good Apple Sausage Stuffing Recipe that always turns out delicious. This recipe is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving!
Ingredients
- 6 oz Chicken Sausage
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Onion Diced
- 2 Stalks Celery Chopped
- 2 Granny Smith Apples Diced
- 1/2 cup Parsley Chopped
- 2 tsp Fresh Thyme Chopped
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 6 cup Croutons
- 1 1/2 cups Chicken Stock More if needed
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 F. Coat an oven safe dish (9X9 or 9X13) with non stick spray.
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Place a large pan over medium heat. Once heated, cook the chicken sausage and break it into pieces as you cook. Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate. Set aside.
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In the same pan, melt the butter and add the olive oil. Saute onion and celery until translucent.
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Add in apple and cook for 5 minutes.
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Add in cooked sausage, parsley, thyme, salt, smoked paprika and maple syrup. Stir well so that everything is combined.
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Mix in the croutons and stir well.
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Mix in chicken stock using a wooden spoon.
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Transfer the stuffing to the oven safe dish. Make sure everything is well combined.
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Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy on top.
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Serve hot.
Recipe Notes
- You can use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. Also, turkey broth would work great, too.
- Instead of chicken sausage, you can use veggie sausage, beef sausage, pork or turkey sausage. These would change a flavors accordingly but the texture will be mostly the same.
- If you like all parts of the stuffing to be soft and not crispy, cover the dish with an aluminum foil and then bake in the oven.
- For a stove top version, after adding the chicken stock, cover the pan and cook over medium low heat for 20-25 minutes.
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