And here we are, into one of the busiest times of year. Thanksgiving is an especially busy holiday, what with cooking that big feast, hosting out of town guests, and entertaining the kids during their fall school break. That’s why I am always looking for short cuts and ways to make Thanksgiving just a little easier – but no less fabulous (see my tips for having a low-stress Thanksgiving, plus my easy Thanksgiving menu and shopping list, in this post). Today’s recipe is the perfect example of finding that balance between easy and delicious for a Thanksgiving side dish.
This recipe is a hack on boxed stuffing – so easy but so good that your guests will think you made it from scratch! Yay for short cuts!
I developed today’s Halloween recipe as part of the Allrecipes Allstars Tastemakers program. Rate, review, and photograph my recipe for Easiest Sausage Stuffing on Allrecipes here, and see the full recipe along with some of my cooking tips below.
Ground sausage with sage adds an especially nice flavor, but you can make this with any mild ground breakfast sausage. The recipe starts by browning the sausage with the vegetables so that the oil from the sausage helps cooks the veggies. Combining the sausage browning with the vegetable sautéing is not only super easy, but also a time saver.
I always drain sausage, bacon, etc. on a paper towel-lined plate to soak up excess oil.
The stuffing mix is prepared according to package directions, then the sausage and vegetable mixture is mixed in.
No kidding, guys – the taste and texture make this seem 100% homemade. And who needs to stress over stuffing anyway, especially when the boxed stuff tastes pretty darn good? I say save the effort, and put it towards one of your specialty or high-impact dishes instead. Your guests will love this one, and won’t care how little fuss it took you to make it.
Serve it up with a simple turkey gravy, like this one from Allrecipes.
Here’s the recipe. You’ll want to pin this one for when you need a holiday meal short cut!
Easiest Sausage Stuffing
This hack on boxed stuffing is so easy but so good that your guests will think you made it from scratch! Ground sausage with sage adds an especially nice flavor, but you can make this with any mild ground breakfast sausage.
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package ground breakfast sausage
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 (6 ounce) packages dry bread stuffing mix
Instructions
- Combine sausage, celery, and onion in a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is browned and crumbled, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer cooked mixture to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up excess oil.
- Pour water into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in butter until melted.
- Add stuffing mix, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes.
- Add cooked sausage mixture and stir to combine.
Carrie says
How many does this serve?
Ramona Cruz-Peters says
If you go by the serving size on the two boxes of stuffing, it would be 12. But if I’m being realistic, I’d say 8.
Pat says
I make this every year, sometimes add diced granny Smith apple in it to….so delish
Ramona Cruz-Peters says
I’m so happy to hear that! I bet the apple is a delicious addition.
Ceil Rieker says
I’ve been making tis for a lot of years. Don’t need a recipe. Sometimes I add mushrooms and an apple as well with all the other ingredients. Try using leftover packaged stuffing mix to meat loaf instead of bread crumbs, but, you need to crush them up. You can also use chicken stock instead of water.
Ramona Cruz-Peters says
That’s a brilliant idea for meatloaf! Thanks for sharing.
Peg says
Can this dish be made ahead of time and reheated in microwave?
Ramona Cruz-Peters says
Yes, definitely! I would recommend that you let it cool completely on the counter before refrigerating, that way you don’t end up with extra condensation that could make the stuffing soggy during the reheat process.
Flo says
Could i make it the day before, refrigerate and then bake it the next day?
Ramona Cruz-Peters says
Yes, I don’t see why not!
Amanda Marie Pletcher says
Can this be cooked inside the turkey?
Ramona Cruz-Peters says
I’ve not tried it personally, but I think you can. I’d follow the method in this recipe from Food & Wine, which includes browning the sausage and sauteeing the veggies first, like mine. The difference is they don’t cook complete the dried bread crumbs first, so you’d mix the boxed mix components directly with the sausage and veggies before stuffing into the bird (vs cooking the stuffing all the way then mixing with the sausage): https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/roasted-turkey-italian-sausage-stuffing
Lucretia says
I been doing this for years. I always make a day I n advance. I bake in the oven that day I’m serving. I add pieces of butter and poke a few slits and add a little chicken broth before I bake
Ramona Cruz-Peters says
Thanks for sharing your tips for making this in advance! That sounds great!
Rhonda says
How long and what temp if baking/warming next day did you use? Thanks
Ramona Cruz-Peters says
I’m sorry I didn’t see this until now. I tend to use no more than 350 and just check on it until it feels right. You could even sprinkle some drops of water over it mid-way through the heating process to keep the bread on top moist.