This Sausage Apple Cranberry Stuffing is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser at Thanksgiving! This easy recipe is made with major flavor bombs - sourdough bread, Italian sausage, sweet apple, and dried cranberries. It's the ultimate classic side dish for the holidays!
Preheat oven to 350°F (175℃). Grease a large casserole dish (9x13" or 10.5x7.5" recommended) with butter or oil. Place sourdough cubes into dish.
Melt ½ tablespoon butter in a large pan over medium-high heat and add sausage. Crumble into small pieces and cook until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Then use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to casserole dish on top of the bread, leaving it unstirred.
Drain all but 1-2 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Heat over medium heat and add onion, apple, celery, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Cook for for 3-4 minutes or until onion starts to get translucent. Season to taste.
Next, add garlic, sage, thyme, and rosemary to the pan. Stir and cook for 1 minute, then add to casserole dish on top of sausage without stirring.
In a measuring cup or bowl, whisk together broth, egg, remaining 2 tablespoon melted butter, and ½ teaspoon salt. Pour into casserole dish and tilt to evenly distribute liquid. Let soak for 2-4 minutes without stirring. Bread should be moist but not soggy. If there is too much liquid after 4 minutes, stir in more bread cubes or drain excess. If the bread still looks dry, add more broth or melted butter.
Add dried cranberries and parsley to the stuffing. Use a spoon to gently mix together.
Cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes. Then turn temperature up to 400°F (205℃) and take out the casserole dish. Remove foil and gently stir the stuffing. Place immediately back into oven and bake uncovered for 15-25 more minutes until top is golden brown, keeping an eye on it. Let cool slightly before serving.
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Notes
Sourdough bread: It's best to use bread that's 1-2 days old and lightly stale. Cube the bread, place into a bowl, and place on your countertop to dry for 2 days. If you don't have time, lightly toast cubed bread in a 350° oven for 5-8 minutes or until lightly golden brown and dried.
Apple: Use a firm apple that will hold its shape after cooking. I love using Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Fuji for sweetness. You can also use Granny Smith if you'd like a tart flavor.
Make It In Advance: Follow the recipe as directed, but don't bake it yet. Instead, cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When you're ready to serve the stuffing. Bake as directed in the recipe but add extra cooking time while it's covered.
To stuff the turkey, first make sure both the turkey and stuffing are at room temperature before cooking. Right before you roast the turkey, line the cavity of the turkey with cheesecloth and add the uncooked stuffing. Roast at 325ºF (163ºC) until the internal temperature of both the stuffing and turkey reaches 165ºF (74ºC) in the thickest part of the thigh.
Substitutions:
Use any type of bread and ground meat you'd like.
If using dried herbs in place of fresh, halve the amount or replace with poultry seasoning.
You can use chicken or vegetable broth in place of turkey broth.