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    Meals » Recipes » Side Dishes

    Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure for more information. Published: Nov 1, 2021 by Dee

    Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing is a delicious stuffing recipe with sourdough bread, tart apples, dried cranberries and savory sausage. This Thanksgiving stuffing recipe is the perfect addition to your holiday meal! via @meamel

    Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing is a delicious stuffing recipe with sourdough bread, tart apples, dried cranberries and savory sausage. This Thanksgiving stuffing recipe is the perfect addition to your holiday meal!

    Jump to Recipe -
    cranberry apple sausage stuffing on a serving spoon on Thanksgiving table

    If you're looking for a new Thanksgiving side dish, try our favorite homemade stuffing recipe. This easy cranberry apple sausage stuffing is a flavorful blend of rosemary bread cubes, seasoned sausage, crisp apples and dried cranberries.

    Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

    We have been making this sausage apple cranberry stuffing for several years now. My entire family says it is the best stuffing recipe ever! Even my picky, stuffing-hating kids had no complaints.

    I'm all about keeping our Thanksgiving menu as simple as possible, so I stick with easy side dishes like stovetop candied yams, Instant Pot corn casserole, mashed potatoes and green beans.

    This sausage stuffing is no exception. Because, even though it has a lot of different flavors, it's super easy to make.

    Ingredients

    • Sourdough bread cubes -- I use rosemary bread
    • Butter
    • Yellow onion -- or white
    • Celery
    • Breakfast sausage
    • Dried cranberries -- Craisins
    • Green apple -- (Granny Smith apples) or any fresh apples, peeled and chopped
    • Sea salt
    • Ground black pepper
    • Dried Italian seasoning mix
    • Organic low sodium chicken stock -- or broth

    How to Make Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing

    This homemade sausage apple stuffing recipe starts out with dried bread cubes that you make from a loaf of crusty rosemary sourdough bread.

    I found this bread in the bakery section of a couple of different stores near us, and it really adds a ton of flavor to the stuffing.

    If you can't find rosemary bread, use plain sourdough bread, whole wheat bread or white bread.

    Making the bread cubes is easy. You just cut up the bread, and place the cubed bread in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Toast it in the oven for about 20 minutes, and you're done.

    mix sausage cranberry mixture with toasted bread cubes

    When the bread is done, start the sausage mixture. I use breakfast sausage, but you can use Italian sausage, turkey sausage or chicken sausage.

    First, melt butter, and saute the onion and celery in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then, add the sausage, and cook until brown.

    Add the apples, cranberries and seasonings, and stir until combined. Pour sausage mixture to a large bowl. Then, add the dried bread cubes, 2 cups chicken stock or broth, and mix well.

    At this point, you either bake the stuffing in a casserole dish or baking pan, or you use it to stuff your turkey.

    We usually cram what we can into the main turkey cavity, and then we save the rest of the stuffing to use with leftovers.

    cranberry apple sausage stuffing baked in casserole dish

    Make ahead of Time

    You can also make this stuffing ahead of time -- That's what we do. You can prepare and bake the bread cubes 3 to 4 days in advance. Store them in an airtight container in a cool, dry place at room temperature.

    Then, make the sausage mixture the night before Thanksgiving, and add the prepared bread cubes.

    Store the stuffing in an airtight container overnight. Just cook it the night before, and it's ready to use the morning of Thanksgiving.

    It makes Thanksgiving Day so much easier by cutting down the prep time on that day!

    sausage apple cranberry stuffing in casserole dish

    Variations

    We really like the flavor of rosemary bread, but you can use whatever type of bread you'd like. White bread, whole grain bread, and plain sourdough will work just as well.

    You can some fresh rosemary in place of the rosemary bread!

    Instead of pork sausage, use chicken sausage or turkey sausage-- it's up to your personal preference. You can also substitute turkey stock or vegetable broth for the chicken stock.

    Or, forego the sausage completely for a meatless stuffing!

    Green apples pair well with the tart cranberries, but if you find them too sour, use sweet apples instead.

     sausage stuffing on spoon

    How to Store

    Store any leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I don't recommend freezing this cranberry stuffing, though, because the toasted bread chunks won't thaw well.

    Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or bake larger portions in the oven.

    You can also use leftover stuffing to make a delicious leftover turkey stuffing casserole!

    cranberry apple sausage stuffing on a serving spoon

    Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing

    Published by Dee
    Cranberry Apple Sausage Stuffing is a delicious stuffing recipe with sourdough bread, tart apples, dried cranberries and savory sausage. This Thanksgiving stuffing recipe is the perfect addition to your holiday meal!
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Share by Email
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    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
    Course side
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12
    Calories 144 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 6 cups rosemary bread cubes
    • ½ cup butter
    • 1 yellow onion, diced
    • 1 ½ cups celery, diced
    • 1 pound breakfast sausage
    • ½ cup dried cranberries Craisins
    • 1 green apple, peeled and chopped
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning mix
    • 2 cups organic low sodium chicken stock

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 300 degrees
    • Spread bread cubes evenly in a single layer on a large baking sheet, and bake until toasted and light brown. Remove from oven, and set aside
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
    • In a large skillet, melt the butter, and saute the onions and celery over medium high heat until slightly soft
    • Crumble sausage into skillet, and cook until brown 
    • Stir in apples, cranberries, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and remove from heat
    • Place dried bread cubes in a large bowl. Add sausage mixture, pour in chicken stock, and stir until well combined
    • Pour stuffing into a greased baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated throughout and golden brown on top. Or, use as stuffing for turkey 

    Notes

    Use plain sourdough bread or your favorite bread if you can't find rosemary sourdough bread.
    Can be made ahead of time -- see post for instructions.

    Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 144kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 356mgPotassium: 120mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 302IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? Please comment and rate it! Show me your dish on Instagram!Mention @meatloafandmelodrama or tag #meatloafandmelodrama!

    Recipe originally published in 2017 and updated in 2021.

    cranberry apple sausage stuffing in baking dish

    I hope you enjoy this apple cranberry sausage stuffing recipe as much as we do!

    For new recipes perfect for the holiday season, be sure to subscribe to the newsletter!

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Patrick says

      November 09, 2021 at 11:06 am

      Wow super easy and tasty! Could eat tons of this! A new one to make for the holidays or any Sunday dinner.5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        November 09, 2021 at 1:02 pm

        Thank you so much! Glad you liked the stuffing!

    2. Leels says

      November 21, 2017 at 8:15 am

      This looks absolutely perfect! I can't wait for thanksgiving, looking at all of these gorgeous posts is making me go crazy! I think we're making a cornbread stuffing this year though! Will def try yous when i can!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        November 21, 2017 at 1:42 pm

        Thanks so much! Some year, I'm going to try a cornbread stuffing. 🙂

    3. Miz Helen says

      November 17, 2017 at 11:51 am

      We will really enjoy the combination for your awesome stuffing. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday. Come to next weeks Thanksgiving party on Tuesday at 8:00 am, CST, see you then!
      Miz Helen5 stars

      Reply
      • Sher bear says

        November 23, 2022 at 12:35 am

        I’m gonna blind rate this recipe since it sounds so yummy .Going to try this recipe .This thanksgiving 2022 I can’t wait to try this stuffing . My family loves stuffing . Should I drain the sausage first ?5 stars

      • Dee says

        November 23, 2022 at 8:25 pm

        It depends upon how much liquid there is. I usually don't drain it since there is hardly any grease.

    4. Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says

      November 14, 2017 at 10:39 pm

      I love adding cranberries and apples to stuffing! So good!

      Reply
    5. Angie | Big Bear's Wife says

      November 14, 2017 at 9:03 pm

      Perfect Thanskgiving day stuffing recipe! Such a great side dish!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        November 14, 2017 at 10:05 pm

        Thanks, Angie! My family is crazy about this stuffing!

    6. Michelle Goth says

      November 14, 2017 at 1:20 pm

      I love the addition of sausage to stuffing. Looks delish!5 stars

      Reply
    7. Kimberly says

      November 13, 2017 at 8:45 pm

      Homemade stuffing is the best!

      Reply
    8. Erin Dee says

      November 13, 2017 at 7:25 pm

      I love all the delicious flavors going on in this stuffing! It's sure to be a big hit on the Thanksgiving menu!

      Reply
    9. Patricia @ Grab a Plate says

      November 13, 2017 at 5:58 pm

      I could just eat a pan of stuffing on Thanksgiving and be so happy! This looks great -- I love the cranberry-apple combo!

      Reply
    10. Kristen Chidsey says

      November 13, 2017 at 7:31 am

      I couldn't agree more that EASY side dishes are best. And I love the cranberry and apple addition here.

      Reply
      • Dee says

        November 13, 2017 at 8:11 am

        Thanks, Kristin. I love the cranberries and apples, too! 🙂

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    I’m the blogger, chief cook, recipe developer and photographer behind Meatloaf and Melodrama. I absolutely love to create easy, budget-friendly, homemade meals and treats for my family. I also love to think of new ways to repurpose leftovers so that my family will actually eat them!

    More about me →

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