This sausage stuffing recipe has sweet apples and crunchy cashews. The texture is moist with a crispy edges. Prepare in the oven or smoker.
Table of Contents
Our family sausage stuffing recipe
Usually, my father-in-law is in charge of the stuffing or dressing that we enjoy around the holidays. He makes it so great every time.
I asked him for his stuffing recipe, and he was gracious enough to share it with me.
He uses boxed stuffing mix, because he likes that it already has the herbs and seasonings mixed in. In addition to that, he loves sautéing up different meats, fruits and vegetables and stirring those in.
He’s been known to add sausage, smoked turkey, giblets, apples, carrots, mushrooms, craisins and onions.
He said his secret to great stuffing is adding more liquid than the box calls for and baking it in the oven, so it’s crispy on top and moist inside.
I’ve shared a version of his recipe below. You can bake it in the oven like he does, or throw it on your smoker for added flavor.
Ingredients
- Sausage: For the flavors of fall, grab a tube of Jimmy Dean’s Sage Sausage. It has the perfect herbs mixed right in.
- Celery
- Apple: Any variety works. I like Honeycrisp or Gala.
- White or Yellow Onion
- Fresh Garlic
- Chicken Broth or Chicken Stock
- Butter: I prefer to use Kerrygold salted butter, but unsalted butter is fine, too.
- Stove Top Turkey Stuffing Mix: I like the boxed stuff because it already has the herbs mixed in. If you prefer to use plain dry bread cubes, you’ll need to add spices.
- Cashews
- Kosher Salt
Substitutions: For more turkey flavor, consider adding giblets or pieces of smoked turkey to the stuffing.
See the full recipe card below for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to prepare sausage stuffing
Heat your grill or smoker to 400F degrees with an indirect heat zone. You can also bake this in a 400F-degree oven.
- STEP ONE: Place a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Cook the sausage, stirring often, until it’s browned.
- STEP TWO: To the browned sausage, add the chopped celery, apple, onion and garlic. Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
- STEP THREE: Pour the chicken broth into the pot. Add the butter. Continue cooking until the butter is melted.
- STEP FOUR: Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the box of stuffing, cashews and salt.
- STEP FIVE: Transfer the stuffing into a greased 13×9 baking dish.
MAKE AHEAD TIP: You could stop at this point and place the dish in the fridge for up to one day. Then, when you're ready to finish the stuffing, take it out of the fridge for 30 minutes and move onto the next step.
You will likely need to add 10-15 minutes to the cook time to make sure it's fully warmed through.
- STEP SIX: Place the casserole dish on the smoker over indirect heat or in the oven. Bake the stuffing for 25 minutes. You want the top to be a little crispy and golden brown.
PRO TIP: To ensure it's fully warmed through, use a Thermapen ONE digital thermometer to make sure the internal temperature is 165F degrees.
How to serve stuffing
This sausage stuffing is great with smoked chicken or turkey. We especially love it with Christmas Dinner or our Thanksgiving meal.
For an awesome leftover sandwich, pile stuffing, turkey and cranberry sauce on two slices of bread and drizzle on a bit of gravy.
Storage
Store leftover sausage stuffing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat it in the microwave.
GCG Pro Pitmaster Tips
- Use sage sausage for more authentic Thanksgiving flavor
- Sauté the veggies, to lightly soften them
- Boxed stuffing mix is great because it already includes the herbs and spices
Frequently Asked Questions
Some other ingredients that you can mix into this recipe include dried cranberries or raisins, sliced mushrooms or fresh herbs like parsley or sage.
Personally, I don’t think stuffing needs to be made with eggs. If you add enough chicken broth to the breadcrumbs, the stuffing will turn out perfectly moist.
Both stuffing and dressing start with the same basic recipe. The difference is how they’re finished. Stuffing is usually inserted into the cavity of a turkey and cooked inside. Dressing is usually cooked separately in a baking dish.
Despite the difference, the word stuffing is often used to refer to dressing.
More Thanksgiving side dishes
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Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Cashews
Ingredients
- 1/2 tube Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage, 8 ozs
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 apple, chopped
- 1/2 white or yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 box Stove Top Turkey Stuffing Mix
- 1/3 cup cashews
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat Grill: Preheat your grill or smoker to 400F degrees with an indirect heat zone. You can also bake this in a 400F-degree oven.
- Brown Sausage: Place a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned through.
- Sauté Veggies: Add the chopped celery, apple, onion and garlic. Sauté, until tender.
- Mix: Pour in the broth and butter. Once the butter is melted, remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the stuffing, cashews and salt.
- Smoke: Transfer the stuffing into a greased 13×9 pan. Smoke it over indirect heat or bake it in the oven for 25 minutes. The top will start to get crispy, but the inside will still be moist.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
