Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing

Classic Sausage Herb Stuffing with Fresh Apples and Cranberries make this the most savory Thanksgiving stuffing recipe. This Homemade Sausage Stuffing is the perfect Thanksgiving side dish recipe.

Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing

This sausage stuffing is such a classic Thanksgiving side dish.  This Sausage Apple Stuffing is always crowd-pleasing and a popular side dish recipe! I love the combination of French bread, savory sausage, herbs, fresh apple, and dried cranberries.

What ingredients are in Classic Stuffing?

This Thanksgiving stuffing is as classic as it gets — savory sausage, crisp apples, sweet and tart cranberries, fresh sage, all baked together to make the perfect Thanksgiving side dish.

• French Bread
• Breakfast Sausage
• Onions
• Butter
• Celery
• Fresh Apples
• Dried Cranberries
• Sage
• Parsley
• Chicken Broth
• Eggs
• Salt and Pepper

What type of sausage to use in stuffing?

You can use your favorite type of breakfast pork sausage. I suggest the breakfast sausage in a rolled package. I like to use the Jimmy Dean regular or hot sausage. If you want your stuffing to be a little spicy, I suggest using hot sausage.

What type of apples to use?

I suggest using a firm, crisp, yet sweet apple in this stuffing recipe. I use Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp apples. You can leave the peels on the apple or remove the peels, depending on preference. I peel the apples before dicing them into bite-size pieces.

What type of bread should I use in stuffing?

So what bread should be used in this Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing? It’s debatable but I put some of them to the test.

The winner was a high-quality white sandwich bread or a hearty French Bread. This isn’t the 98 cent special that you may or may not have grown up on.  You want substantial white sandwich bread that will hold up to the chicken broth without getting soggy.  I found that the Arnold, Oroweat, or Sara Lee Artesano gourmet bread does the trick.

Challah and french bread are alternatives as well.  Challah is slightly sweet but it dense enough to hold up to the chicken broth.  

My favorite bread to use is French bread as it is much heartier than white bread so it may be slightly tougher but it lends itself to a more crispy crust. I like to cut them into larger pieces which stand up against the chicken broth.

Thanksgiving is a huge deal in our home and we gather together with our extended family. I am beyond excited to spend the next {nine} days sharing our family’s favorite tried and true Thanksgiving recipes. Thanksgiving isn’t complete without stuffing on your plate, right?  This Sausage Herb Stuffing Recipe always gets nice and cozy next to my turkey and mashed potatoes.

If you are looking for the best Thanksgiving recipes, click here. You will find popular green bean casserole, the award-winning best pumpkin pie recipe, how to make homemade dinner rolls, and the creamiest mashed potatoes recipe!

This Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing is your perfect classic dressing.  You can’t go wrong with a classic!

I will teach you all of the secrets to getting the most flavorful Thanksgiving stuffing.

This Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing starts off with sauteing the onions in browned butter to give it a rich depth of flavor. The sausage brings heartiness to this dish and crisp granny smith apples give it a touch of sweetness.

There is no shortage of herbs in stuffing to bring out the freshness factor.  The chicken broth and eggs keep it moist and delicious.

The finishing touch is dried cranberries which bring a tart sweetness.

The photo below shows how to cut the bread. I prefer to make large bite-size pieces.

This stuffing can be cooked inside the bird or placed in a dish and cooked in the oven.  

Stuffing tends to be moister when cooked inside the turkey but I found that this recipe stays moist even when cooked inside the oven.

This Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing is one that my entire family will gobble up and will be a crowd pleaser on your table as well.

Find all of my Thanksgiving recipes HERE. 

Popular Thanksgiving Side Dishes:

Classic Butter Herb Stuffing

Best Sweet Potato Casserole

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

Perfect Creamy Mashed Potatoes

SaveSaved Pin Print

5 from 7 votes

Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing

By: Melissa Stadler, Modern Honey

Classic bread stuffing with sausage, dried cranberries, and crisp apple. A perfect Thanksgiving side dish!

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 -12

Equipment

• emile henry 9 x 13 baking dish
• mixing bowl set
• measuring cups and spoons
• spatula set
• 12 inch cast iron skillet

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ (1) 16-ounce pkg. Breakfast Sausage
• ▢ 2 Onions chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup Celery chopped (optional)
• ▢ 6 Tablespoons Butter
• ▢ 2 Granny Smith Apples peeled and diced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Pepper
• ▢ 12 cups French Bread or High-Quality White Sandwich Bread cut into 3/4 in cubes (about 1 1/2 lb. full loaf)
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons Sage
• ▢ 1/2 cup Fresh Parsley Leaves diced
• ▢ 2 cups Chicken Broth (may add more if you want a moister stuffing)
• ▢ 3 Eggs
• ▢ 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries or Cherries
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Melted Butter (optional to drizzle on top of stuffing)

Instructions 

• Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and fully cooked. Remove from pan and set aside.
• Heat butter over medium- high heat. Add chopped onions and celery (optional) and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Continue to cook until the onions are a golden color.
• Add the apples and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
• Add the bread cubes, sage, and parsley. Stir to mix.
• Whisk the chicken broth and eggs together in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the bread cubes. Stir in dried cranberries and cooked sausage. Gently toss to mix the ingredients.
• Stuff turkey with stuffing or pour into greased 9 x 13 pan. Optional: drizzle with 2 Tablespoons of melted butter.
• Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-44 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove foil and let it toast up in the oven.

Notes

What type of sausage to use in stuffing?

You can use your favorite type of breakfast pork sausage. I suggest the breakfast sausage in a rolled package. I like to use the Jimmy Dean regular or hot sausage. If you want your stuffing to be a little spicy, I suggest using hot sausage.

What type of apples to use?

I suggest using a firm, crisp, yet sweet apple in this stuffing recipe. I use Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp apples. You can leave the peels on the apple or remove the peels, depending on preference. I peel the apples before dicing them into bite-size pieces.

What type of bread should I use in stuffing?

So what bread should be used in this Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing? It’s debatable but I put some of them to the test.

The winner was a high-quality white sandwich bread or a hearty French Bread. This isn’t the 98 cent special that you may or may not have grown up on.  You want substantial white sandwich bread that will hold up to the chicken broth without getting soggy.  I found that the Arnold, Oroweat, or Sara Lee Artesano gourmet bread does the trick.

Challah and french bread are alternatives as well.  Challah is slightly sweet but it dense enough to hold up to the chicken broth.  

My favorite bread to use is French bread as it is much heartier than white bread so it may be slightly tougher but it lends itself to a more crispy crust. I like to cut them into larger pieces which stand up against the chicken broth.

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 93mg, Sodium: 8007mg, Potassium: 216mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 783IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 62mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 -12

Calories: 327

Keyword: cranberry apple sausage stuffing

Like this? Leave a comment below!Jump to Comments

The countdown is on! Thanksgiving is only 11 days away. What are you looking forward to the most? I would love to hear! xo

Happy Cooking!