The Best Stuffing Recipe for Thanksgiving

If you're looking for a truly special side dish for your holiday menu, look no further. The Best Stuffing Recipe is the perfect complement to a juicy Thanksgiving turkey or a Christmas Pork Crown Roast. Nice and crisp on the top layer with an interior that is soft and fluffy. Loads of flavor from herbs, onions, garlic, celery, apples, and Italian sausage.

Stuffing is definitely one of the most popular side dishes for a Thanksgiving dinner. There's never been a year, as long as I can remember, that stuffing wasn't on the menu as a side dish. (Well, except for the year when we were away from family and ended up ordering pizza. Yep, we did that.) This year I've added chopped apples and sausage to our family's traditional Thanksgiving stuffing and I think you'll agree that is pretty dang good. 

Besides stuffing recipes for Thanksgiving, there are so many wonderful sides to include on your Holiday table. What about Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Green Beans with Feta and Olives, Sautéed Brussel Sprouts with Dates and Blue Cheese and of course, Roasted Candied Rainbow Carrots. Check out this Hasselback Potato Ring as a rustic but elegant side. How to even choose!

 Ingredients for  Best Stuffing Recipe with Sausage and Apples

• Day Old Ciabatta Bread.  I chose ciabatta because it's crusty on the outside but chewy on the inside which soaks up the chicken stock but holds up well while cooking. 
• Mild Italian Sausage. You can use mild, sweet, or hot Italian sausage. It's all to your taste preference.
• Sweet Onions. 
• Celery Ribs.
• Honeycrisp Apples.  Choose types that are a sweet-tart variety with a texture that is firm and crisp. Pink Lady and Piñata work really well also.
• Garlic Cloves.
• Parmesan Cheese. This adds a nutty, salty aspect. It is best to freshly grate this prior to adding it to the recipe.
• Italian Parsley
• Fresh Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. It is best to use fresh herbs but you can substitute one teaspoon each of dried herbs if necessary. 
• Chicken Stock. Choose stock over broth. It is richer with more depth of flavor. 
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Eggs. The eggs act as a binder and prevent the stuffing from becoming crumbly. It also creates a fluffy texture on the interior of the stuffing. 
• Butter. For greasing the pan.

How to Make a really good Stuffing for Thanksgiving

• Dry out the bread. Cut the ciabatta bread into ½ to 1-inch cubes. Spread the cubes in a single layer. Bake at 300 degrees until the bread is completely dried out.
  • You can purchase day-old bread a few days ahead of time, cube it and let it set out on the counter (open air) until ready to make the stuffing. If push comes to shove, another alternative is to buy a 15-ounce package of cubed stuffing mix.

• Cook the Italian sausage. Fry the sausage over medium heat until browned. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and blot it with paper towels to absorb the grease.
• Sauté the onions and celery. Heat the sausage grease over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and celery to the skillet. There's no need to stir continually but stir frequently in order to promote consistent browning and cooking.
  • Linger Pro Tips
    • To save time, prep the vegetables ahead of time and store them in ziplock bags in the fridge. 
    • Cut the onions and celery to a uniform size and shape. This will ensure they cook evenly.
    • If there's more grease than what covers the bottom of the pan, pour off the excess. Let the sausage grease get hot again before you add your vegetables. 
    • The rule for sautéing vegetables: heat the pan then add the oil. Heat the oil then add the vegetables. 
    • Don’t cook the vegetables until they're completely tender because they will continue to cook after you add the apples. 

• Add chopped apples and garlic. Cook the apples with the onions and celery until all are softened. Wait to add the garlic because it can burn quite easily creating a bitter flavor. Sauté for one minute. 

• Combine veggies and apples with bread cubes, parmesan cheese, parsley and fresh herbs. Use a large mixing bowl as this makes ALOT of stuffing. 
• Add the chicken stock. Start with one cup of stock. Toss everything together. Continue adding ½ cup at a time until the stuffing starts to clump together and is moist, not wet. 
  • Linger Pro Tip.
    • I always choose stock over broth as the stock has a richer flavor because of the gelatin that is released from the simmering bones when cooking.
    • Adding the stock can be a little tricky. Add too much and you have soggy stuffing, add too little and it's dry as a bone. You've added too much if there is a puddle of liquid at the bottom of the bowl. If that is the case, throw in more bread cubes to soak it up. 
• Season with salt and pepper and add the eggs. There are no fancy seasonings in this dish. Salt and pepper, that's it. Keep it simple, that's my motto. The best time to season is after everything (except the eggs) is mixed together. Taste and see if it needs more or not. Then you can add in the eggs. 

How to Cook Homemade Stuffing

• Generously butter a 9x13-inch casserole dish and spoon in the stuffing. Cover it with foil and bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to cook for another 10 or 15 minutes. 
  • Linger Pro Tip.
    • Is it best to cover or uncover while baking? Both. You should cover it with foil during the first part of cooking until the center is heated through. The foil helps prevent it from drying out while it cooks. But uncover it for the remaining time so that it will be golden brown and crisp on top. 

What to serve with it

• Pork Crown Roast. This is literally one of my all-time favorite entrées to serve during the holidays. You can stuff the crown itself with plenty of eft-overs as a side dish to pass around. 
• Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin. This cut of meat is prepared for those holiday occasions that deserve a special extravaganza. 
• Boneless Leg of Lamb. This is an entrée that will prove to be the show-stopping beauty at your Thanksgiving get-together.

What's the difference between Stuffing and Dressing?

Traditionally stuffing refers to a mixture that is used to "stuff" another food, for instance, a turkey. Whereas dressing is cooked in a pan outside of the turkey cavity. So if we're going to be accurate, this recipe would be considered a dressing. But, over the years, it has become commonplace to interchange the names. 

Best Bread for a Homemade Stuffing Recipe

Challah, unsliced French or Italian loaves, brioche, sourdough, and even cornbread. I chose ciabatta for this recipe. You want to avoid overly soft bread or white sandwich-type loaves. Stale dried-out bread makes the best stuffing. Whatever you do just plan ahead to purchase at least a day ahead of time.

Can This recipe be made ahead of time?

Yes, absolutely. This is a great way to get a jump-start on your Thanksgiving menu which frees up much-needed time the day of. Assemble the stuffing as directed the day before but don't cook it. Cover it tightly with foil and place it in the refrigerator overnight. On Thanksgiving morning bring the stuffing to room temperature and bake it according to the directions. 

Can you Freeze Thanksgiving Stuffing?

Stuffing freezes beautifully. Store in individual airtight containers or freezer bags. These will last in the freezer for up to three months. Reheat in a 325°F oven, covered, for about 15 minutes or until heated throughout. 

More Holiday Side Dish Recipes

Hasselback Potato Ring

Sautéed Brussel Sprouts with Dates and Blue Cheese

Roasted Green Beans with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Bundles

Candied Carrots with Orange-Maple Glaze

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

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