Mom’s Sausage Stuffing
Mom’s Sausage Stuffing recipe is a homemade stuffing made with sausage, onion, garlic, celery, hand-torn bread, and plenty of spices. It’s always a big hit and Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without it!
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Recently, my friend asked for my Mom’s Sausage Stuffing recipe and I decided that not only do I need to actually write it down, I need to put the recipe on this blog so everyone can have access to THE BEST STUFFING EVER!
My mom has been making her awesome sausage stuffing every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember.
When I lived near her, we would usually make it together; someone is chopping veggies, while the other is cooking the sausage or tearing the bread.
We never had her recipe written down and we don’t measure anything, so when someone would ask for the recipe I was never really able to give it to them.
Even though the military has sent me across the country from my mom, I still make Sausage Stuffing for my own family every Thanksgiving and usually, on Christmas too.
I love the moist bread combined with the veggies, pieces of sausage, and all the seasonings that give it that quintessential stuffing flavor.
To me, the best part is the top where the bread pieces get a little crispy from cooking in the oven. Yum!
Ingredients needed to make this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Pork sausage
- Loaf of bread
- Celery
- Onion
- Garlic
- Butter
- Poultry seasoning, white pepper, black pepper, salt
- Chicken stock
📍This is just a summary. The full recipe with exact ingredient amounts and instructions is on the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to make Mom’s Sausage Stuffing:
- Tear the bread into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl and set aside.
- Cook the sausage in a pan, then add it to the bowl with bread, leaving some of the sausage drippings in the pan.
3. Add the butter, veggies, and seasonings to the now empty sausage pan. Cook the veggies until they’re tender.
4. Pour the buttered, seasoned veggies over the bread pieces (including all the melted butter), add the sausage, and combine.
5. Gradually pour in the chicken stock while stirring the stuffing to make sure the stock is evenly distributed.
6. The bread should be moist. Pour into a greased casserole dish, bake for 30 minutes and that’s it! The top should be nice and crispy, while the stuffing underneath is nice and moist!
Some people say “stuffing” is when you put it in the turkey, otherwise it is called “dressing”. I don’t stuff my bird and I don’t call it “dressing”, so I guess I’m breaking all the rules!
What to serve with sausage stuffing
Other holiday favorites:
What kind of bread is best for stuffing?
Fun fact: I never buy a good loaf of bread for this recipe.
I always get the cheapest loaf of white bread on the shelves!
You can, however, use sourdough, rye, or most other types of bread that you enjoy eating, you just may need more broth if it’s a dense bread.
What kind of sausage is best for stuffing?
I buy the 1 pound tube of plain pork sausage.
They do offer it in “Sage”, “Maple”, and other varieties, but I like the plain best so I can season everything myself.
A lower-fat sausage like turkey won’t produce quite the same results since we cook the veggies in the sausage drippings. I know, not healthy, but it’s Thanksgiving!
Looking for more holiday side dishes? Here are some favorites:
- Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes
- Curry Spiced Roasted Carrots
- Slow Cooker Herbed Baby Potatoes (shown below)
- Braised Cabbage & Onions
- Herbed Butter Garlic Rice
NOTES:
- You’re going to need to season the butter/veggies liberally with salt and pepper. Remember, we’re seasoning a whole loaf of bread!
- The poultry seasoning I use is Frontier Organic Poultry Seasoning. Not only is it organic, it’s the best-tasting one I’ve found! In addition to the typical ingredients (sage, thyme, marjoram, and black pepper), it also contains onion, celery seed, and cayenne.
- This post was updated 12/20/25 to add a video and make the recipe card easier to read.
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Mom’s Sausage Stuffing
Equipment
- 2 1/2 quart casserole dish
- large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 (20 ounce) loaf of white bread hand-torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 pound pork sausage
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup diced celery (about 3 stalks)
- 1 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- dash white pepper
- Plenty of salt & black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock if there are dry spots after mixing well, you may need to add a little more
Instructions
- Place torn bread in a large bowl and set aside. This can be done hours ahead if you want to save time.
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Cook sausage until done and add it to the bowl with bread. Leave the sausage drippings in the pan and add the butter, onion, garlic, celery, poultry seasoning, white pepper, salt & black pepper. Cook until the veggies are tender.
- Add the veggies and any leftover butter from the pan to the bowl with the bread and sausage. Gradually pour chicken stock over the bread mixture while stirring, to fully incorporate everything. When the stuffing mixture is moist and well-seasoned, add it to a greased 2 1/2 quart casserole dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is a little crunchy. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Did you make this recipe? Rate it and let me know in the comments below! ♥
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I made this for Thanksgiving we all had seconds
I’m so happy to hear that! Glad you enjoyed it :)
I haven’t tried this yet, but witha loaf of bread and sausage all other recipes call for a 9×13 baking dish. 10 to 12 cups of cubed bread, there is way too much. I think I will try for my first attempt the larger casserole dish. Your opinion?
Hi Linda. I just got back from vacation, so I am just now seeing this. A 2.5 quart is the perfect size for this recipe. Hope you enjoyed it!
First time stuffing chef! My Dad has always made the stuffing in the past. I know he will love this as much as I do!
Have been using this recipe for years and it is always a hit thank you!
You listed chicken stock as an ingredient but not included a quantity. What is it? One teaspoon? 20 gallons? Don’t post incomplete recipes.
You must have been at the top of the post where it says: “Ingredients needed to make this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe)” and when you scroll down to the recipe card or click the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the post, it takes you to the recipe where full instructions and ingredient amounts are, which is where it says “1 1/2 cups of chicken stock”. Hope you have a good day.
It says 1 1/5c of stock, right in the recipe
I see why this recipe has so many stars, kudos to your mom too!
The best stuffing recipe ever!!!!!
I made this stuffing for my extended family yesterday to bring to Thanksgiving dinner. It was a huge hit and there wasn’t a morsel leftover! My niece asked me to make 2 dishes of it next year for Thanksgiving. Even my picky husband loved it! Thanks for the fabulous recipe!
You just made my day with this review, Kathy! Thank you so much!
Hi Kaylen!
Can I make this 6 hours before serving? And then reheat when ready to serve?
I’m sure it would be great. Sorry I just now got this, I was cooking for Thanksgiving :)
Hi! Can you make this the night before? If so is there anything I should leave out until I’m ready to bake?
I never make mine the night before, however, there are many people in the comments that have and mention how to do it :) Enjoy!
If you are adding parsley. how much?
I don’t add parsley because the poultry seasoning I linked to contains: Organic Sage, Organic Thyme, Organic Onion, Organic Black Pepper, Organic Marjoram, Organic Celery Seed, Organic Cayenne, and is extremely flavorful. Some parsley wouldn’t hurt though! Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
Do you bake covered or uncovered?
Uncovered. Enjoy!
I make this recipe every year, it was my Grandmothers. But she always wisked an egg and put it into the stuffing? I’m confused? She also added fresh parsley. What do you think?
I’ve never added an egg. Honestly, this stuffing is perfect as-is and I can’t imagine adding an egg. Fresh parsley would be nice though!
This will freeze, hold and be fine over multiple days, just add a splash of stock or water when reheating. Youre welcome Kaylen. —Michelin chef
Can you make this before and refrigerate before baking? Trying to figure out best way to prepare ahead
You could, but I think it would dry out and not be as good as it is if it’s freshly made. Enjoy :)
Every year I make stuffing ahead of time. I freeze it before baking and then cover it with foil to cook it. after it’s warmed/defrosted all the way through, I take the foil off so it can get brown and toasty on top. No one knows/cares that I do this! It takes just like the fresh version to me.
How long would you bake if using a muffin pan…stuffin’ muffins :)
I’ve never made it in a muffin pan, but I would check on them at the 15-minute mark to see how they’re doing and add more time if necessary.
I read that thats why some people add egg is to make the kinda stiffing that you can slice. maybe add some for stuffin muffins too? Happy thanksgiving! Thank you for this recipe i never made it from scratch before till now but i love this! I ate some before i added stock and holy balls…so good!
Can you make thiss recipe ahead and freeze it let me know thank-you
I wouldn’t recommend making it ahead and freezing it because it would probably dry out and have an unpleasant texture.
I have always made this about 4 days in advance and froze it. Then thaw it and heat in oven at around 300 for 30 minutes or however long it takes to heat up depending on how much you have. It has always tasted just as though it was made that same day!!
Can you make the night before and cook the next day?
I’ve only made the day of. If you make it the day before, I worry that it would dry out.
I always make the night before, holding back on most of the liquid. Gives the flavors time to marry. Keep it covered. Turkey day, add stock to taste. Especially helpful if you plan on stuffing the bird and have to get in the oven early!
I make this all the time. Big hit with my kids. I do omit the garlic though.
My kids love it too :)
My mother made this recipe, I made it for my family, I am 88 and am making it again this Thanksgiving for the family.
And in-laws.
I love that, Helen! It’s my favorite too! Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
What about adding cranberries or apples to it?
I have to admit, I’m a savory stuffing girl, so I haven’t tried adding fruit to it :)
I soak 3/4 of a cup of dried cherries in brandy for a couple days beforehand – plus a few extra for nibbling – and include the cherries in the baking mix. My late wife did this and not only does it taste great, it helps me remember her.
Hi! You may have said this is your recipe- but do you cover the stuffing while cooking to start ? And remove at the end? Or uncovered the whole time?
Hi Cindy! I leave it uncovered the whole time. Enjoy :)
Hi. At 375′ how long does the sausage take to cook and how long are the veggies? Just want to plan out timing. Excited to try it this year and sounds like everyone loves it!
Hello. It will take about 10-15 minutes to cook the sausage and veggies, but the sausage needs to be cooked until it’s done, then add the veggies and cook them until they’re soft. Happy Thanksgiving!
Is it safe to make this the night before
In terms of safe, it should be refrigerated overnight. For the best texture, I would make it the day of, otherwise it may dry out.
If I double the stuffing recipe and bake it in a 9 X 12 baking dish, should I increase the baking time?
I don’t think you’d need to increase the baking time but I’d check it at the finish time and see if there are crispy bits on top. :)
Can I use store bought stuffing cubes for this recipe?
I have never used them. My mom created this recipe tearing up fresh bread and that’s the only way we make it :) It doesn’t take long to tear up the bread, so I highly recommend giving that a shot. Enjoy!
Best stuffing I’ve ever had
What kind of salt do you use? Table salt, kosher salt, sea salt?
I use whatever I happen to have on hand, which is usually sea salt. Salt is measured by weight because of the difference in size of salt crystals from one type to another, so I don’t measure salt for this recipe, each person can season to taste with whatever salt they want :)
Do you dry out the bread? Everywhere says if you don’t dry it out then it will be very soggy and soupy.
Yes. The first instruction on the recipe card says to “Place torn bread in a large bowl and set aside. This can be done hours ahead if you want to save time.” If desired, you can do it the night before. I always do it first thing in the morning :)
Have you ever made this placing turkey thighs on top be for placing. The oven and if yes, how long would you then cook?
No, I have not tried that. To be honest, the crispy top of the stuffing might be my favorite part :)
If I use Italian bread, is one loaf enough? Also, can I omit the garlic?
The recipe calls for a 16oz loaf of white bread, so I guess I depends how much your Italian loaf weighs. You can definitely omit the garlic :)
What kind of salt do you use? Coarse salt from a grinder, regular salt, kosher salt, sea salt?
You can season it to taste with your preferred type of salt. I don’t say how much salt because everyone’s tastes are different.
Easy and delicious!
This has been my go to stuffing since I found this recipe!! So so good! I use spicy Jimmy Dean pork sausage and sourdough bread. Everyone loves this stuffing!!
Loved this recipe! Tasted like what my mother use to make!
I love hearing that! Thank you so much for letting me know!
I’ve have been making this stuffing for 35 years. It is really an Irish stuffing. I add a little broth and bell’s seasoning which gives it a lot of flavor. You can add milk and eggs but I don’t. This is an excellent recipe.
For YEARS I have been trying to find the recipe my mom made every year. She passed away 6 years ago and never gave me the recipe and it was as close as it could get. Everyone loved it. Thank you so much!!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
My mother made this my whole childhood. I continued it for the last 50 years. I however do not cook the sausage and veggies beforehand. I mix all raw ingredients together then bake for about an hour or a little longer. Why do you cook the sausage n veggies first when it’s gonna bake in the oven?
Hi Debbie. I cook the sausage and veggies first even though it’s going to bake in the oven because the veggies sauté in butter and sausage drippings, giving them a depth of flavor that you wouldn’t get by baking them raw.
Debbie, my mom did the same. She added the sausage raw and also added a half cup of applesauce. The only problem with making it this way is that I cannot taste test to neck the spice level. We add sage to the dressing and we never know if the stuffing will be worthy of 2 Tums later that evening or 6. Lol
Just made this it is a 5 star recipe!!
My Mom made this recipe for years. It is the best and I just needed to find the ingredients. My Mom is gone now so I carry on the tradition. Thank you for posting. Happy Thanksgiving!
I am so glad you have it now! Happy Thanksgiving to you too :)
If I were to stuff the turkey, do I back off on some of the liquid?
This has only been made as a stand alone side dish, and not stuffed in the turkey, so I can’t say for sure. I’m not sure how much liquid/moisture is released in a turkey. You’ll have to let me know how it turns out :)
This is the absolute closest recipe to my grandmother’s dressing she made – when she passed away she took the recipe with her. I made this last year and my entire family agreed – keep this recipe! I do add chopped walnuts to it, my grandmother always did and it’s just completes it for me.
Happy Holidays!!
I’m so glad! It’s such a nostalgic dish! Glad you have it now. Happy Thanksgiving!
This is the tastiest stuffing I have had love the crunchy on the top and the inside is so moist making again!!
I made this last Thanksgiving my family loved it, making it again!!!
Made this last Thanksgiving. My family is begging for it again. Thanks for the great recipe
I love hearing that! Thank you for letting me know! Happy Thanksgiving!
Best stuffing I’ve ever had!!!
This stuffing is soooo good! Made it exactly as written and it came out perfect!
Read all the reviews and i’m sold this years thanksgiving stuffing will be Mom’s Sausage Stuffing…………..
Jesus, I can’t wait to hear what you think! :)
It’s sooo yummy!
This was basically my moms recipe too! I just remembered the ingredients and how to, so thanks for sharing!!
You’re welcome! Enjoy :)
Excellent flavor and very easy!!
I couldn’t take a photo before we all dug in. This is the best stuffing recipe ever! I tore my bread into bites about 5 hours before cooking it and I didn’t have any white pepper so I just used regular black pepper and it was wonderful. Thanks for sharing your family recipe!
I’ve been making this for years. Love it cold!
Going to make it all the time
I was looking for a stuffing with sausage that cooked in a pan as I always put it in the turkey and whats left around it, I needed to know the teperature and how long to cook it for. I use all the same ingrediants except I put everything raw in a big bowl with thyme, rosemary, sage and,savory. I mix it all up with my hands and stuff my turky. And everyone loves it, I think sausage added to it makes the best stuffing!
This was perfect! It finally convinced my husband that we don’t need to buy the stuffing bags of mini croutons.
We used Neese’s sausage, added cranberries (a must-have in our family), I didn’t have poultry seasoning so I used garlic/herb blend, and used bouillon cubes in water for the chicken stock. I like the cube look so I did cut the bread into cubes.
I’m so glad you were able to convert your husband to this stuffing! Homemade is truly best :) Thanks for sharing!
Exactly as our British version (minus the garlic) and just as yummy.
This is my mom’s recipe and she is from Liverpool :)
Perfect,a Holiday must have. And try and save some for the Thanksgiving Sandwiches.
Thank you! I haven’t tried it on sandwiches, but I have made leftover patties with turkey and sausage and fried them in a pan. Delish ;)
Hands down the best stuffing, I didn’t change a thing
Just had to let you know that I tried your stuffing recipe for Thanksgiving! My husband & grown son loved it! My son only likes Stove Top Stuffing. He tried yours and said to me: “Have you tried this? It’s awesome!” Thank you so much!!!
I’m so glad to hear that!
I made this today for the first time and it was delicious; we both loved it and it was the perfect complement to our Thanksgiving meal. Will definitely be making it again!
Thank you for letting me know, Laurie! I’m s glad you both enjoyed it! Happy Thanksgiving!
Has anyone ever let the bread cubes dry out on the counter for days in advance before making this?
Hi…I open the bag of bread for about 4 hours on the counter before using.
Mom always lightly toasted overlapping slices in the oven, then flipped them and baked the untoasted areas jut to dry out a little. I like the contrasting textures and toasty flavor.
Do you drain sausage or add some of the grease to the bread?
Hi there. Normally when cooking, I drain the grease, but when I make this stuffing I don’t. Personal preference though!
Can you make this ahead of time and leave in fridge overnight and just bake it right before serving?
I have never made it in advance. It may dry out a little bit, but if you plan for that, it should be ok! Enjoy!
I know this may be a silly question But I want to confirm! Is it 1&1/4 cup of broth?
Hi! Yes it is one and a quarter cups of broth or 1.25 cups of broth :)
I’m looking forward to trying your stuffing recipe but what kind of pork sausage do you usually use? Original? Bob evans? Jimmy Dean? Have you ever doubled it? Thanks so much!!
Hi there! I generally use a tube of Jimmy Dean “original”, but I have used other brands in the past. I have not doubled the recipe, but if you do, I would recommend using a wider pan rather than a deeper one as the crispy crust on the top is priceless ;)
I am a Stouffers stuffing girl and this is the first homemade stuffing that I liked. Will definitely be making this recipe for Thanksgiving!
This Recipe is the only Stuffing/Dressing recipe we have on Thanksgiving. My family has made this for at least 60 years. We do not use Garlic. Which I’m surprised. Maybe I need to add it to the recipe.
Kristi, I know what you mean. You just have to have this stuffing on Thanksgiving, or the meal isn’t complete. This is my mom’s recipe and she adds garlic, so I do, too. You’ll have to let me know how you like it with garlic ;)
Do you need to dry the bread out overnight first or can you use it right out of the bag?
Hi there! You can definitely use the bread right out of the bag! I like to have it sit in a bowl for an hour or two if I have time, but it’s still wonderful without that step! Enjoy :)
This is my Mom’s basic stuffing recipe and I assure you it is DELICIOUS stuffed in the bird!!
I have actually never put it inside the turkey before! I love the crunchy texture the top gets when it’s baked in the oven :) Glad you enjoy it!
The buttered veggies make all the difference. Best stuffing ever! Makes for great leftovers too….if you can stop yourself from eating it all
Hands down this is the best stuffing make it every Thanksgiving
Only stuffing we have now! So delicious
So glad you enjoyed this stuffing! It’s a family favorite! :)