This super Buttery Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing is one of my favorite things to eat at Thanksgiving. It’s buttery and crunchy in just the right way.
As soon as fall arrives, we begin to incorporate stuffing into our regular meals. It pair so well with a tender pork roast or whole chicken. This sausage and cranberry stuffing is one of my favorite stuffing recipes.
What makes this stuffing so good is the copious amount of butter. The butter creates a wonderful crunch to the bread as it cooks, and melts perfectly with the sausage and sweet cranberries. No other stuff can hold a candle to it, in my opinion.
What Bread To Use
The biggest question facing you when you go to make stuffing is what bread to use. There are so many different options. For this recipe, I generally use whole wheat sliced bread, but you can use just about anything you want.
You can try sliced white bread, but I don’t think it turns out as good. A mixture of white and wheat works well. You can even use sourdough bread if you want to try something different.
It’s important that the bread be set out to get a bit stale before use. It does require some planning ahead, but it’s worth it because it keeps the bread from falling apart when the liquid is added.
How to Make Sausage & Cranberry Stuffing
Start by lightly toasting the cubed bread on a baking sheet in the oven. It takes just about 5 minutes at 350 degrees F. You don’t want it to be too crispy.
Transfer the bread to an 8×8″ baking dish.
In a skillet on medium high heat, cook and crumble the sausage, onion and celery. Then mix in the sage, rosemary, thyme and salt. Pour the sausage mixture into the baking dish with the bread. Add the cranberries and stir it all together.
Slowly pour the stock evenly over the top of the bread mixture. Stir it. Then pour the melted butter evenly over the top. Stir it gently, being careful not to break up the bread. It will be fairly moist, but don’t worry that all cooks away.
Cover it with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil, stir it all up, and cook for an additional 10 minutes to crisp the top of the stuffing.
What to Serve With Stuffing
We eat it with pork roast, these amazing Bacon-Wrapped Pork Chops or with a roasted chicken (try our quick and easy Instant Pot whole chicken recipe).
You might also like to serve it with these dishes:
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Buttery Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing
Ingredients
- 3 cups cubed stale or toasted bread approximately 5-6 slices of bread
- 1/2 pound ground pork sausage
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 3/4 cup onion, chopped (about half a large onion)
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped (about 3 stalks)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon sage fresh is best
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary fresh is best
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme fresh is best
- 1 1/4 cups turkey or chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ◦F (175 ◦C). Grease or butter an 8×8" baking pan.
- If you need to toast the bread cubes, spread them in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until toasted. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. If your bread is already stale or toasted, put them directly into the bowl.
- In a large skillet on medium heat, cook and crumble the sausage until browned. Transfer it to the baking dish with the bread. Mix in the dried cranberries.
- Melt the stick of butter in the same pan. Add the onion and celery. Sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Sauté for another minute.
- Stir in the stock and salt.
- Drizzle the buttery sauce over the top of the bread and sausage, making sure not to over-saturate one area. Stir carefully to combine. Allow it to rest for 3-5 minutes to soak up the liquid.
- Pour the stuffing mixture into the 8×8" pan and spread it out.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, depending on how crispy you like it. Remove from the oven and serve hot.
Notes
- There are about 4 large servings or 6 smaller servings in this recipe.
- You can leave out the sausage and/or cranberries if you wish.
- It’s best not to cook this stuffing in the turkey because it’s difficult to get it cooked through inside the bird.
- If you notice the top of the bread getting too dark or burned, put some tinfoil over the top for the rest of the baking time.
Nutrition
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Laura is a home cook, with 25 years experience behind the stove, who spends an extraordinary amount of time in the kitchen cooking. She loves making new recipes and finding wonderful new things to eat, both at home or abroad. She spends a lot of time researching, crafting, and perfecting her recipes and currently has a cookbook in development.