Apple Cranberry and Sausage Stuffing

This Apple and Cranberry Sausage Stuffing is loaded with classic Fall flavors. The wine butter and herb broth makes for a fun and delicious stuffing recipe for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even a great Fall dinner.

Can you believe we’re less than a month away from Thanksgiving?!  O.M.G.  I’m so not ready for that.  We need to firm up our Thanksgiving plans and of course, the menu.

For us, the side dishes are every bit as important as the main dish, sometimes even more so.  I can make a meal out of things like green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole or candied yams, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, rolls, and of course, stuffing!

I’ve always loved stuffing, in all forms… traditional, cornbread, even oyster!  But this sausage stuffing is so perfectly complimented by the crisp apples and sweet cranberries… it really takes it over the top into complete deliciousness.

Now technically, this recipe should be called a dressing.  Stuffing is a dressing that you stuff into a turkey.  However, in my family, we always called it stuffing, so that’s what I’m sharing it as today 🙂

With several make-ahead options, and a long list of variations and add-ins, you’re sure to find a method and flavor combo that works for you and your family!

How to make harvest sausage stuffing?

This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.

1. Toast bread. This draws the moisture out of the bread, so it’ll be the right texture for the stuffing.
2. Toast pecans. Toasting nuts enhances their flavor, so don’t skip this step.
3. Cook sausage. Crumble the sausage as you cook it in the skillet.
4. Add fruits. In a big bowl, add bread, pecans, sausage, cranberries and apples.
5. Cook onion. This brings out the natural sweetness of the onion, as well as softening the texture.
6. Add herbs. Stir in all the fresh herbs and then transfer the onion/herb mixture to the big bowl.
7. Deglaze. Add the wine and scrape the skillet so all those browned bits give off their flavor.
8. Add butter and chicken broth. Simmer a few minutes.
9. Add liquid and eggs. To the big bowl, add the broth/wine/butter mixture and the beaten eggs. Stir well.
10. Bake. Bake covered for a little over half the time, then uncovered, so the top will get nice and crispy/golden brown.

Variations of this recipe

• Stale bread – instead of toasting the bread, if your bread is stale, or day old, you can use that instead. Stale bread is good to use because it will absorb more of the broth and flavors.
• Types of sausage – for this recipe I usually use sage sausage or country mild, but any ground sausage will work. If all you can find is large links, just remove the casing before cooking.
• Dried herbs – you can use dried herbs if you can’t find fresh, just make sure to use about 1/3 of the amount, since dried herbs are more potent than fresh.
• Stuffing bread cubes – around the holidays, unseasoned bread cubes can be purchased at most grocery stores for stuffing, and can be used in this recipe.
• Types of apples – my favorite apple to use for this recipe is Gala, but feel free to use your favorite variety of apple.
• Alcohol-free – even though the vast majority of any alcohol is cooked off in this recipe, if you’d rather skip it all together, just omit the wine and replace it with an equal amount of more chicken broth.

Making sausage stuffing ahead of time

We all know the holidays are incredibly hectic, and your time is at a premium.  Thankfully, this stuffing recipe can easily be made or prepared ahead of time!  There are 2 main ways.

1. Made ahead – completely assemble this stuffing recipe, but don’t bake.  Let cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for up to 2-3 days.  Bake as directed.
2. Cooked and Frozen – bake stuffing as directed, then let cool completely.  Transfer to freezer-safe container, cover or seal, and freeze for up to 1-2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.  Transfer to baking dish and bake as directed.

When reheating stuffing, you might want to stir in a splash of extra chicken broth to get back the same moistness.

You can also prep this recipe ahead of time, which I prefer to do for all my recipes.

• Bread – Slice bread into cubes and keep sealed in a re-sealable plastic bag.
• Sausage – Brown sausage ahead of time, drain and cool, and keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Onions and herbs – Chop onions and herbs and keep them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.
• Pecans – Toast pecans, cool, and keep sealed in a re-sealable plastic bag.

Storage

Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within 3 days.