This sourdough stuffing recipe is a flavor packed homemade stuffing that's perfect for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner! It's made with sausage, fresh herbs, and topped with pecans and dried cranberries for a sweet and savory twist.
This recipe is a fun spin on a classic stuffing recipe that everyone is sure to love!
For more thanksgiving sides, try this bourbon sweet potato casserole and slow cooker collard greens!
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One of my favorite things about this this time of year is all comfort food! Let's be clear - turkey is great, pot roast is awesome too, but my holiday table is not complete without a smorgasbord of mac and cheese, thanksgiving stuffing, sweet potatoes, greens ... beans, tomatoes, ham - YOU NAME IT! When it comes down to it, the thanksgiving meal is all about the sides.
Anyway, this sourdough bread stuffing is one of my favorite sides for a holiday meal. It's similar to my mom’s stuffing, but I use homemade sourdough bread. This recipe is easy to make and calls for only a few simple ingredients - sausage, celery, onions, fresh herbs, pecans, and dried cranberries, and of course sourdough bread.
It's an easy flavorful dish that is both savory and sweet - let's put it this way - your thanksgiving table is not complete without this sourdough sausage stuffing.
Leave the stuffing mix at the store. Simply combine everything and bake it up and you've got a delicious and easy sourdough stuffing on the table for everyone to enjoy!
Ingredients
- Sausage - I used breakfast sausage because I love the sage and fennel flavor! You can also use turkey sausage, italian sausage, maple sausage etc.
- Loaf of Sourdough Bread - I like to use day-old bread regardless if it's homemade or bought from a local bakery. You want a kind of stale bread for this thanksgiving stuffing recipe as it will hold up better and won't become too soggy. You can also use white bread or make your own sourdough bread. We're toasting it in the oven regardless so if you only have fresh bread, don't worry!
- Herbs - we're heavy on the fresh sage leaves (it's my secret to good stuffing) but we're also using rosemary and thyme and a little fresh parsley for garnish.
- Chicken broth - for more flavor.
- Eggs - to bind everything together.
- Yellow onion - try to dice up the onion as fine as possible to prevent big chunks in your stuffing.
- Celery - the celery key to a good stuffing!
- Pecans - pecans make this the best stuffing! It adds a nice unexpected crunch and pairs well with all of the herby flavors!
- Dried Cranberries - I love a bit of sweetness in this stuffing recipe - it really brightens and balances all of the savory flavors.
- Butter - I use salted butter because it has more flavor but you can use unsalted butter if you prefer.
Substitutions
- Make this recipe vegetarian by omitting the sausage and using vegetable broth in place of chicken stock. You can also use white wine for a little extra flavor.
- For a gluten free option, use gluten free bread instead.
- Omit the pecans if you have a nut allergy.
Tips for the Best Stuffing
- Use a large mixing bowl to mix everything together. This may seem like a no brainer but trying to mix the breadcrumbs and the broth is difficult if using a small bowl.
- Add the liquid to the breadcrumbs one cup at a time to allow the liquid to evenly disperse throughout the stuffing. This prevents some pieces from being too dry and other from becoming too soggy.
- Use fresh herbs! Fresh herbs provide the most flavor. Be sure not to overcook your herbs as they'll taste bitter.
- The best bread to use is day old bread that's kind of dry and hard. When the bread reaches this point, it holds onto the liquid better and won't become soggy.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Tear bread into medium sized bread cubes (about 1-inch cubes) and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Toast the bread in the oven on the top rack for 10-15 minutes, until hardened and slightly golden brown. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
While the bread toasts, cook the sausage. Add sausage to a large skillet over medium heat. Then add diced onions and celery and continue to cook down until sausage is thoroughly cooked and onions have softened. Season with salt and pepper. Then add fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, and thyme) and cook until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and chicken broth.
- In a separate bowl, combine toasted bread, sausage and onion mixture, pecans and dried cranberries. Gently fold everything together then begin pouring in the egg and chicken broth mixture - one cup at a time, tossing between each addition.The bread should be moist, not wet/drenched. Pour melted butter on top and toss to coat. Generously season with salt and pepper as the dry bread tends to soak up a lot of the flavor.
Spray a casserole dish with oil or rub with butter. Add bread mixture into the dish and bake in the oven for 30 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes uncovered.
What to serve with Stuffing
This stuffing is an ideal with with:
- Herb Roasted Turkey
- Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
- Baked Mac and Cheese
- Cranberry Raspberry Sauce
- Honey Sriracha Brussels Sprouts
Recipe FAQs
Sourdough is a great option for stuffing as it has a lot of flavor and is a dense bread that will hold its shape when dipped in liquid.
Traditional stuffing is made with a dense bread cut up and baked with celery, onions, butter, herbs, spices, eggs and broth.
You do not need to add eggs to stuffing, however, eggs help hold the shape of the stuffing and prevent it from drying out.
More Thanksgiving Sides
- Grandma's Buttermilk Cornbread
- Easy Homemade Biscuits
- Raspberry Cranberry sauce
- Maple Mustard Green Beans
- Candied Yams
- Smoked Mac and Cheese
- Baked Beans with Ground Beef
- Sweet Potato Cornbread
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Let's stay connected on social media and continue to cook together! Also, if you decide to make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and leave a comment below! Tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can see your creations! I hope that you love this recipe as much as we do!
Sourdough Stuffing
Equipment
- 1 9x13 baking dish
- 2 Large Mixing Bowls
- 1 Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 Loaf Sourdough Bread cut into chunks (12 cups)
- 1 ½ lbs Breakfast SausageÂ
- 4 Celery Stalks (diced)
- ½ Yellow Onion (diced)
- 6 Fresh Sage Leaves (chopped)
- 2 tbsp Fresh Thyme
- 1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary (chopped)
- ½ cup Pecans (chopped)
- ½ cup Dried Cranberries
- 3 cups Chicken Broth
- 3 Large Eggs
- ½ cup Salted Butter (melted)
- Salt and pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Tear bread into medium sized bread cubes (about 1-inch cubes) and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Toast the bread in the oven on the top rack for 10-15 minutes, until hardened and slightly golden brown. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
- While the bread toasts, cook the sausage. Add sausage to a large skillet over medium heat. Then add diced onions and celery and continue to cook down until sausage is thoroughly cooked and onions have softened. Season with salt and pepper. Then add fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, and thyme) and cook until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and chicken broth. In a separate bowl, combine toasted bread, sausage and onion mixture, pecans and dried cranberries. Gently fold everything together then begin pouring in the egg and chicken broth mixture - one cup at a time, tossing between each addition. The bread should be moist, not wet/drenched.
- Pour melted butter on top and toss to coat. Generously season with salt and pepper as the dry bread tends to soak up a lot of the flavor.
- Spray a casserole dish with oil or rub with butter. Add bread mixture into the dish and bake in the oven for 30 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes uncovered.
Notes
- Use a large mixing bowl to mix everything together. This may seem like a no brainer but trying to mix the breadcrumbs and the broth is difficult if using a small bowl.
- Add the liquid to the breadcrumbs one cup at a time to allow the liquid to evenly disperse throughout the stuffing. This prevents some pieces from being too dry and other from becoming too soggy.
- Use fresh herbs! Fresh herbs provide the most flavor. Be sure not to overcook your herbs as they'll taste bitter.
- The best bread to use is day old bread that's kind of dry and hard. When the bread reaches this point, it holds onto the liquid better and won't become soggy.
- Make this recipe vegetarian by omitting the sausage and using vegetable broth in place of chicken stock. You can also use white wine for a little extra flavor.
- For a gluten free option, use gluten free bread instead.
- Omit the pecans if you have a nut allergy.
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