My sage and sausage stuffing is made with store-bought stuffing cubes and pre-seasoned sausage for a flavorful stuffing recipe that turns out perfect every time and never mushy! Plus, it takes so much less time than drying your own.

My Easy Sausage Stuffing Recipe

Sage and sausage stuffing is my 7-year old son Connor’s favorite dish to eat during the holiday season. Connor has always loved all kinds of bread recipes, so it was no surprise that he took a liking to stuffing the very first time he tried it!

While stuffing is super easy to make from scratch, my trick to making it even simpler is using pre-seasoned Italian sausage and store-bought stuffing cubes. Both of these ingredients are already loaded with flavor, so putting this recipe together requires almost no effort at all!

I asked Connor why this stuffing recipe (rather than turkey or mashed potatoes) was his favorite, and he said it’s because it’s “just like a warm hug.” Stuffing is pure comfort food for him, and I think he captured that feeling perfectly with the way he described it!

Looking for more hearty stuffing recipes? Be sure to give my cornbread stuffing, pineapple stuffing, turkey stuffing casserole, and my crock pot chicken and stuffing a try!

Sausage Stuffing Ingredients

• Italian sausage – Be sure to remove the casing so that the meat can be browned in crumbles! Spicy, mild, or any kind will work.
• Herb seasoned stuffing cubes – I find the store bought stuffing works best because it’s chopped to even sized pieces and hold their shape without getting mushy. It’s also a huge time saver when Thanksgiving is super busy!
• Chicken broth – This provides moisture and flavor. I’ve also used veggie broth and even water with success.
• Eggs – Helps bind all of the ingredients together.
• Olive oil – To cook and soften the vegetables. Any other kind of neutral oil will work.
• Celery, onion, and garlic – Adds some more texture and overall flavor to the stuffing.
• Fresh sage – The star herb of the dish! I only recommend using fresh sage, not dried sage, in my recipe.
• Fresh rosemary – This adds to elevated herby taste of the stuffing.
• Salt and pepper – Enhances the recipe as a whole.
• Butter or oil – To grease the baking dish.

I’ve made this stuffing with a bag of store-bought cubes and with my own sourdough cubes. The bagged cubes soaked up the broth evenly and gave me that soft, classic stuffing texture. My homemade ones had a little more chew and crispier edges. But they also took an extra 45 minutes in the oven, and on Thanksgiving I don’t have 45 extra minutes! So I grab the bag.

Also, a lot of stuffing recipes tell you to buy plain cubes, but I don’t! The herb-seasoned bags already have sage and onion flavor baked into the bread, so half the seasoning is done before I even turn on the stove. It’s a big reason my ingredient list is so short. I just add fresh sage and rosemary on top.

How to Make Sausage Stuffing

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with oil or butter and set it aside.

STEP TWO: Brown the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until it is fully cooked. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl.

STEP THREE: Using the same skillet, heat olive oil and cook the celery and onion for 5 to 6 minutes until they are softened. Add garlic, sage, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté the veggies and herbs for another 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer everything to the bowl with the sausage.

STEP FOUR: Add the stuffing cubes to the sausage-veggie mix and toss to combine.

STEP FIVE: In a separate bowl, mix the chicken broth and eggs together.

STEP SIX: Pour the broth mixture into the stuffing then gently stir until all ingredients are well combined. Let it sit for about 5 minutes.

STEP SEVEN: Spread the mixture evenly into the baking dish, then bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the top turns brown and the bread is a little bit crispy.

STEP EIGHT: Allow the stuffing to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve and enjoy!

Tips for the Best Sage and Sausage Stuffing

• Making a half batch? Use an 8×8 pan and bake for about 25 minutes. Doubling it? Use two 9×13 pans and swap their oven racks halfway through. Plan on about 35 to 40 minutes.
• Use pre-seasoned stuffing cubes for the best flavor. A lot of other recipes will tell you to use plain cubes, but I use pre-seasoned! I’ve tested this recipe with unseasoned ones and it tastes good, but already seasoned ones add so much more great flavor without needing to add yet another ingredient to the recipe. I look for an herb seasoned one.
• Check the stuffing cubes before baking. After the 5-minute rest, squeeze one. It should be soft all the way through with no puddle of broth at the bottom of the bowl. If it’s still crunchy in spots, add a little more broth, ¼ cup at a time.
• Sausage drippings add loads of flavor, which is why I leave some in the pan when it’s time to sauté the veggies.
• Letting the stuffing sit right before baking makes a huge difference! This gives the bread enough time to soak up the flavor from the broth.
• Use a veggie chopper to chop up the onions and celery super quick. This is how I keep my prep time down even more, but the time listed in the recipe card is when chopping by hand. It honestly saves so much time though.

Stuffing with Sausage Variations and Substitutions

• Homemade stuffing cubes work just as well as store-bought! When I make my own, I dice up a loaf of sourdough or French bread, then bake at 275 degrees F for about 45 minutes until crisp.
• To switch up the herbs in this recipe, I’ll reach for fresh parsley or thyme.
• Using spicy Italian sausage will add the perfect amount of heat. Spicy sausage is always my husband’s pick!
• For a milder flavor, I use turkey sausage instead of Italian sausage.

What to Serve with this Sausage Stuffing Recipe

I love serving stuffing alongside any hearty meat dish to make the meal complete. It’s not just for the holidays! This recipe tastes delicious with my boneless turkey breast, air fryer turkey breast, air fryer turkey tenderloin, and my scrumptious spiral ham.

Sage and Sausage Stuffing FAQs

Can I make sausage stuffing ahead of time?

Absolutely! It can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated overnight, then baked fresh the next day. Since it’s baking from cold, it will need another 10-15 minutes in the oven. It’s done baking when the temperature reads 165 degrees F. I also check it before baking, and if it looks dry, I add a splash of broth.

How to use leftover stuffing

This is such an easy way to use up leftovers! Roll cold stuffing into balls about the size of a golf ball. If they fall apart, mix in a beaten egg. Air fry them at 375 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway, until they’re crispy outside. Dunk them in gravy or cranberry sauce!

More Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

• Sweet potato casserole
• Green bean casserole with canned green beans
• Mashed potatoes
• Biscuit recipe
• Maple glazed carrots
• Mushroom gravy