Cranberry Sausage Stuffing
Here is a Cranberry Sausage Stuffing recipe that is a delicious healthier version of the classic side dish perfect for your Thanksgiving Table or Holiday Meal. It can be made ahead to keep the big day a little bit more stress-free.
I originally shared this recipe on November 19, 2011. I have updated the images and some of the text today.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe
This Thanksgiving side dish is made healthier by using whole wheat bread and only 1/4 cup of heart-healthy extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter. The addition of toasted pecans, sausage, fresh herbs and dried cranberries add amazing flavor and texture making it an extra special holiday season staple.
The Sausage Cranberry Stuffing can be made ahead, so the next day all you have to do is once the roast turkey comes out of the oven, pull the stuffing out of the fridge and pop it in the oven. This recipe is an absolute favorite and it makes delicious leftovers.
Ingredients for Cranberry Sausage Stuffing
- Whole-wheat bread cubes: This is a better choice because it has more fiber than white bread.
- Pecans: Toasting the nuts intensifies their nutty flavor and makes them crunchier, which adds amazing flavor to this delicious stuffing.
- Extra virgin olive oil: This is the least processed form of olive oil, so it retains its natural antioxidants and nutrients.
- Celery: Adds a nice crunchy texture and is a key ingredient for stuffing.
- Shallots: Onion’s demure cousin with a subtle sweet flavor.
- Sausage: Italian sausage, breakfast pork sausage or fully-cooked chicken breakfast sausage can be used.
- Dried Cranberries: Add great color, a pop of sweetness and a delicious chewy texture.
- Parsley: Chopped parsley adds a bright and fresh note.
- Sage: The savory earthiness of fresh sage is a must have stuffing flavor.
- Seasonings: Salt, black pepper and dried thyme complement the other ingredients perfectly.
- Eggs: Used to bind it all together and add lightness to the bread.
- Stock: Unsalted turkey or chicken stock can be used. Ensures moist stuffing. Store-bought broth totally works, but home-made chicken stock or homemade vegetable stock will take this turkey stuffing with sausage to the next level. Make sure and check out the recipe notes.
How To Make Cranberry Stuffing
Step 1: Dry out the bread and toast the nuts.
Spread bread cubes in a single layer a large baking sheet. Spread pecans out on another baking sheet. Bake both until the nuts are fragrant and lightly browned and the bread is dry and toasted.
Step 2: Sauté the veggies.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add celery and shallots, and cook, stirring often until the celery is softened and the shallots are starting to brown. Stir in sausage, cranberries, ¼ cup parsley, sage, salt and pepper and remove from heat. Chop pecans and stir in.
Step 3: Add the liquids, combine ingredients and prepare to bake.
Coat a 9 by 13-inch (or similar sized) baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk eggs and stock in a large bowl. Stir in bread cubes and celery mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and cover with foil. If making ahead, place the foil covered baking dish in the refrigerator.
Step 4: Bake until set up and steaming.
Transfer to the oven and bake until the center of the dish is set up and the stuffing is steaming hot. Remove foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown and the stuffing is piping hot all the way through.
Expert Tips and FAQs For This Recipe
Taking a few extra minutes to toast the cubed bread will ensure that your stuffing has that awesome moist texture inside and gets those awesome crispy bits on the top. The bread will absorb more stock and become more flavorful. It has just the right balance of crispy and moist.
Yes! Prepare it all the way through the part where you cover it in foil in step 3. Then refrigerate the stuffing overnight. Continue with step 4, but add another 5 to 10 minutes of baking before you remove the foil. (Make sure it is steaming hot before you remove the foil.)
Absolutely! It is the glue that holds all the ingredients together and the moisture adds a fluffy (less dense) texture.
It can be frozen. Just wrap it well in plastic wrap and then foil. Label and date it and it will hold for up to 3 months.
More Recipes For Your Thanksgiving
- If you are not making a large meal, try making Roast Turkey Tenderloin instead of the whole thing!
- This Cornbread Stuffing with Apples and Pecans has a vegetarian and gluten-free version.
- Gluten-Free Walnut and Kale Quinoa Stuffing has all the traditional flavors with celery, sage and dried cranberries, but there is no bread or gluten and it is egg-free.
- For a smaller feast try this stuffing with our Juicy Roast Chicken instead of a whole turkey!
- Don’t forget the Cranberry Relish!
And all of my Thanksgiving recipes can be found here!
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
PrintCranberry Sausage Stuffing
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Description
Cranberry Sausage Stuffing (dressing) is a classic Thanksgiving side dish with toasted pecans, sage and celery. Here’s how to make ahead the day before.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of whole-wheat sandwich bread, crusts removed and cubed (about 8 cups)
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 stalks of celery with leaves, finely chopped
- 2 large shallots, minced
- 8–ounces cooked crumbled italian or breakfast sausage or fully-cooked chicken breakfast sausage, diced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt (see ingredient note*)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups unsalted chicken or turkey stock (see ingredient note*)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread bread cubes out on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Spread pecans out on another baking sheet. Bake both until the nuts are fragrant and lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes and the bread is dry and toasted, about 20 minutes and.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add celery and shallots, and cook, stirring often until the celery is softened and the shallots are starting to brown, 6 to 9 minutes. Stir in sausage, cranberries, ¼ cup parsley, sage, salt and pepper and remove from heat. Chop pecans and stir in.
- Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch (or similar sized) baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk eggs and stock in a large bowl. Stir in bread cubes and celery mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.
- Transfer to the oven and bake until the center of the dish is set up and the stuffing is steaming hot, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until the top is browned and the stuffing is piping hot all the way through, about 10 minutes longer. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Notes
To Make Ahead: Can be prepared through step 3, refrigerate up to 1 day ahead. Before removing foil, bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until the stuffing is steaming hot.
Ingredient note*: Here is how to make homemade stock. If you don’t have time to do that, you can substitute full sodium store-bought broth. If you do, decrease the kosher salt to ½ teaspoon total.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: side dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3/4 cup each
- Calories: 208
- Sugar: 5.6 g
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 2.7 g
- Protein: 7.5 g
This stuff was so delicious! I’m going to make it again soon.
Thank you, Sherry. I really appreciate that.
I am such a stuffing lover and would be happy just eating this without the turkey. I agree, everyone should make their own stock, it’s so good.
This looks so delicious, I won’t wait till Thanksgiving, but eat it for breakfast!
I love cranberries in stuffing! This recipe looks so warm and comforting – a perfect Thanksgiving side for sure!
I’ve never had cranberries in my stuffing but it makes total sense. Can’t wait to try something new this Thanksgiving.
this looks fantastic, I usually go for the standard vegetarian stuffing but I love the idea of using sausage as well!!!
oh my gosh, this sounds like the most amazing stuffing! Love cranberry sausage combination. I never stuff the turkey either!
This Christmas for sure I am trying this stuffing. It really looks moist and delicious. I am sure my family will love the change and will enjoy it.
So excited to hear that! I hope you enjoy it and please come back to let me know how it goes.
I never knew that this would be called dressing. I always called it stuffing (I’m Canadian). Anyway, this stuffing looks delicious and full of amazing sweet and savoury flavours. Great tips too.
It’s so funny to know about the differences about colloquialisms for certain dishes. My husband and I got into a big back-and-fourth about what Chop Suey was when we first met. To me Chop Suey was a stir fry of sorts, and to him it was pasta and beef sauce. Either way, I am glad you like this recipe Marie.
Looks so delicious and perfect for Thanksgiving!
I am so glad you like it Natalie. Thanks so much!
This dressing looks amazing! I too like my ‘stuffing’ to be a little crispy so this is perfect!
I love the crispy top in contrast with the moist interior. It’s the best part!
Stuffing is my favorite part of Thanksgiving! This recipe looks so tasty!
I have to agree with you there Danielle! It’s usually my first bite of the meal.