Eric's Sausage and Herb Stuffing
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
Instructions
- 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 9x12-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.
Get ready for everyone to fight over seconds—this stuffing is that good.