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Easy Sage and sausage stuffing made with sourdough bread, fresh herbs, prunes, and breakfast sausage for a deeply flavorful holiday side everyone will love!
For more stuffing recipes, make my croissant stuffing and sourdough stuffing next!
This Sage and Sausage Stuffing is the moment, and I’m so excited to share it with you! I partnered with California Prunes to bring a little magic to this classic holiday side, and let me tell you… those prunes are the secret ingredient nobody sees coming but everyone absolutely LOVES. They melt right into the sausage, herbs, and sourdough, adding this deep, jammy sweetness that makes the whole dish sing.
You get all the cozy flavors you love – the sage, the thyme, the buttery onions.. but with an extra layer of richness that feels gourmet without trying too hard.
I love this recipe because it tastes nostalgic and elevated at the same time, like the stuffing you grew up with but glow’d up just a bit. The prunes add moisture, so every bite is tender, savory, and perfectly balanced.
It’s the kind of stuffing that makes people pause mid-bite and say, “Hold on… what is that flavor?” And that’s when you smile and say, “Oh, honey… that’s the California Prunes doing their thing.”
Happy Thanksgiving!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Sausage Stuffing
- Easy recipe! Cook everything in a skillet, toast the breadcrumbs, and combine and bake. Then you’re done!
- Completely from scratch! I love stovetop stuffing mix but we’re leaving it behind and toasting our own bread cubes. Thanksgiving day is once a year, it’s time to go all out!
- I give you step-by-step recipe instructions for reliable and delicious results every single time!
Key Ingredients
(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post)
- Breakfast Sausage brings rich, savory flavor and plenty of fat that coats the bread and makes the stuffing taste . Browning it creates caramelized bits that deepen the overall flavor and give the dish that classic holiday warmth.
- Fresh Sage, Thyme, and Rosemary are the soul of stuffing! Sage brings earthiness, thyme adds floral notes, and rosemary adds a piney, woodsy flavor.
- Prunes add a chewy, jammy sweetness that balances the saltiness of the sausage and the herbs. They also provide a richness that makes the stuffing taste more complex and gourmet. Don’t skip this!!
- Molasses and Soy Sauce play up the flavor of the prunes and balance out the sweetness with a bit of umami and deep caramel-like notes. Together they amplify every flavor in the pan.
- Sourdough Bread gives tang and structure, helping the stuffing stay custardy inside but crisp on top.
- Onions, Celery, and Garlic create the savory backbone of the recipe. When sautéed in butter and sausage drippings, they soften, sweeten, and give the stuffing that nostalgic Thanksgiving flavor everyone loves. If you have leftovers, make some of my seafood gumbo next.
- Eggs bind the stuffing and help it set into a plush, scoopable texture. They keep the center soft and custardy while helping the top crisp beautifully.
- Chicken Broth hydrates the bread and carries all the seasonings throughout the entire pan. It also ensures the stuffing stays moist without becoming soggy.
Substitutions and Variations
- You can use dried herbs instead of fresh herbs as needed. You’ll need about 1 1/2 tsp of parsley, thyme, sage, and a 1/2 tsp of dried rosemary.
- Use a different bread. White sandwich bread is a popular and accessible choice. You can also use French bread for a neutral base, brioche for richness, Italian bread for sturdiness, or cornbread for a softer, more Southern-style stuffing.
- If you don’t have any molasses or soy sauce, omit the molasses and add about 1/4 cup more prunes. For the soy sauce, you can use balsamic vinegar or worcestershire sauce instead.
- White wine is often used in stuffing for added flavor. You can sub out about 1 cup of chicken broth and replace it with a dry white wine.
- Add more stuff! Try adding toasted walnuts, sautéed mushrooms, crispy pancetta or bacon – whatever you’d like! You can even use a spicy Italian sausage for a kick of flavor. This sage sausage stuffing is already loaded but feel free to take it up a notch!
How To Make Sausage Stuffing
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut up bread of choice into about 1 inch chunks. Drizzle with a little olive oil and place onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, until slightly golden brown and hard.
Step 2: In a large skillet over medium heat, add ground breakfast sausage, onion, and celery. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink, then add in the butter. Once melted, add in chopped prunes, diced garlic, and fresh herbs – fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with kosher salt and black pepper, then pour in molasses and soy sauce. Stir to combine, then remove from heat and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and chicken broth, then pour the egg mixture into the pan.
Step 4: Add toasted breadcrumbs into a large bowl and slowly pour in the sausage/broth mixture, letting the bread absorb the liquid before adding more. Once all of the liquid is added, fold in chopped pecan and apples. Let the stuffing sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to allow the bread to absorb all of the liquid. Add to a 9×13 baking dish or casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops of the stuffing are golden brown. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Pro Tips
- Toast the bread until it’s truly dry. You want those cubes lightly golden and crisp all the way through, not just on the edges. If the centers are still soft, the stuffing can turn mushy later. Give them an extra couple minutes if needed.
- Don’t drown the bread. The bread should be moistened, not soggy. Remember: it will hydrate even more as it bakes. When adding the broth, add in about 1 cup at a time, letting the liquid absorb into the bread.
- Cool the mixture slightly before adding the eggs and broth. If it’s too hot, it can scramble the eggs. A quick 10 minute cool ensures your stuffing sets into that plush, custardy texture.
- Add the liquid gradually so the bread doesn’t collapse. Let the bread drink up the sausage mixture in stages. When it’s fully hydrated, it’ll feel soft but not soggy.
- Bake covered, then uncovered. Covering keeps it moist and tender. Removing the foil for the last 10–15 minutes gives you that golden, crunchy top everyone fights over.
How To Serve
Stuffing is one of my favorite side dishes (next to my 3 cheese mac and cheese, of course). Of all of the sides of the Thanksgiving table, stuffing pulls everything together – kind of like a savory bread pudding, but better.
I like to serve this sausage stuffing recipe with a herb roasted turkey, some raspberry cranberry sauce, green beans with smoked turkey, a shaved brussels sprouts salad, candied yams, collard greens, and some buttermilk fried chicken to round out my plate!
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! You can use several different types of bread! Sourdough, brioche, French bread, or even cornbread all work beautifully. Just make sure the bread is fully dried and toasted so it can soak up all that sausagey-herby goodness without getting mushy.
Nope! You can swap in Italian sausage, turkey sausage, chicken sausage, or even plant-based sausage. Breakfast sausage just gives you that sweet-savory holiday flavor that pairs perfectly with sage.
Yes! You can assemble the entire dish (uncooked), cover it tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Just add 5 to 10 extra minutes to the bake time. You can also bake it fully and reheat it at 300°F until warm.
Make sure your bread is fully dried out and only add broth until the mixture is moistened but not dripping. The bread should feel soft but still hold its shape. Also, let the mixture sit for 20 minutes before baking. This helps the bread absorb the liquid evenly.
Yes! The eggs help the stuffing set into that plush, sliceable texture, but you can leave them out. Just reduce the broth by ¼–½ cup so it doesn’t get too wet.
For food safety, it’s actually unsafe to stuff turkey with stuffing and bake it that way. It’s best to bake stuffing in a casserole dish!
More Holiday Side Dishes
Thanksgiving
Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
Thanksgiving
Stove Top Candied Yams
Thanksgiving
Cornbread Pudding
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If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below! You can also tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can celebrate your beautiful creations!
The recipe and blog post was made in partnership with California Prunes! I received compensation and product in exchange for this work. My opinions on their prunes are genuine. Thanks for your continued support!
Sage and Sausage Stuffing
Equipment
- Large Skillet
- 9×13 Baking Dish/Casserole Dish
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Sourdough Bread, , cut into 1-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
- 1 lb Ground Breakfast Sausage, (I used Jimmy Dean)
- 1 large Yellow Onion, (chopped)
- 4 Celery Stalks, (chopped)
- 1/2 cup Salted Butter
- 3/4 cup Prunes, (chopped)
- 3 cloves Garlic, (diced)
- 6 Fresh Sage Leaves, (chopped)
- 1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary, (chopped)
- 4 sprigs Fresh Thyme, (stems removed)
- 1 tbsp Molasses
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 3 large Eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut up bread of choice into about 1 inch chunks. Drizzle with a little olive oil and place onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, until slightly golden brown and hard. 1 loaf Sourdough Bread
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add ground breakfast sausage, onion, and celery. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink, then add in the butter. Once melted, add in chopped prunes, diced garlic, and fresh herbs – fresh sage, rosemary, and thyme. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with kosher salt and black pepper, then pour in molasses and soy sauce. Stir to combine, then remove from heat and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. 1 lb Ground Breakfast Sausage 1 large Yellow Onion 4 Celery Stalks 1/2 cup Salted Butter 3/4 cup Prunes 3 cloves Garlic 6 Fresh Sage Leaves 1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary 4 sprigs Fresh Thyme 1 tbsp Molasses 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and chicken broth, then pour the egg mixture into the pan. 4 cups Chicken Broth 3 large Eggs
- Add toasted breadcrumbs into a large bowl and slowly pour in the sausage/broth mixture, letting the bread absorb the liquid before adding more. Once all of the liquid is added, fold in chopped pecan and apples.
- Let the stuffing sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to allow the bread to absorb all of the liquid. Add to a 9×13 baking dish or casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 40 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops of the stuffing are golden brown. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- Toast the bread until it’s truly dry. You want those cubes lightly golden and crisp all the way through, not just on the edges. If the centers are still soft, the stuffing can turn mushy later. Give them an extra couple minutes if needed.
- Don’t drown the bread. The bread should be moistened, not soggy. Remember: it will hydrate even more as it bakes. When adding the broth, add in about 1 cup at a time, letting the liquid absorb into the bread.
- Cool the mixture slightly before adding the eggs and broth. If it’s too hot, it can scramble the eggs. A quick 10-minute cool ensures your stuffing sets into that plush, custardy texture.
- Add the liquid gradually so the bread doesn’t collapse. Let the bread drink up the sausage mixture in stages. When it’s fully hydrated, it’ll feel soft but not soggy – like a well-seasoned sponge that holds its shape.
- Bake covered, then uncovered. Covering keeps it moist and tender. Removing the foil for the last 10–15 minutes gives you that golden, crunchy top everyone fights over.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
