Eric’s Sausage and Herb Stuffing

Eric’s Sausage and Herb Stuffing combines savory sausage, sweet apples, and tangy cranberries with perfectly toasted bread. This dish is the ultimate sidekick for turkey, chicken, or pork.

Software (a.k.a. Ingredients)

16 cups 1-inch bread cubes white or sourdough, from a 1 1/2-pound loaf
8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter
2 cups medium-diced yellow onion about 2 onions
1 cup medium-diced celery about 2 stalks
2 Granny Smith apples unpeeled, cored, and large-diced
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage casings removed
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup dried cranberries

Procedure (a.k.a. The Magic)

Toast Those Bread Cubes
Preheat your oven to 300°F. Spread your bread cubes out on a sheet pan like they’re sunbathing and toast them for 7 minutes. Once they’re golden and dry, transfer them to a very large bowl. Raise your oven temperature to 350°F—things are about to heat up!
Butter and Sauté
In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Toss in the onions, celery, apples, parsley, salt, and pepper, and let them mingle for about 10 minutes. Your kitchen will smell amazing, so resist the urge to snack. Once the veggies are softened and aromatic, pour them over the bread cubes.
Sausage Time
Using the same sauté pan (because who loves extra dishes?), cook the sausage over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Break it up with a fork or spatula as it browns—it’s a team player, so it won’t mind. Once it’s fully cooked, toss it into the bread and veggie party.
Add the Liquid Gold
Pour the chicken stock and dried cranberries into the mixture. Give it a good mix—like, “I’m getting an arm workout” kind of mix. The goal? Every bread cube gets a little love.
Bake It Beautiful
Transfer the mixture into a 9×12-inch baking dish and spread it out evenly. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden-brown and the center is piping hot. Bonus points if you resist diving in before it hits the table.

Notes

Dry Bread = Happy Stuffing. Moist bread won’t give you that signature fluffy texture, so don’t skip the toasting step!

Want to prep ahead? Toast the bread and cook the sausage the day before. Assemble and bake the day of.

For extra flair, garnish with fresh parsley or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan.
Get ready for everyone to fight over seconds—this stuffing is that good.