Description
This World’s Best Thanksgiving Stuffing recipe features a savory blend of sausage, sautéed vegetables, and French roll bread cubes soaked in a flavorful broth mixture, baked to perfection with a deliciously crispy top. Perfect for holiday gatherings, this stuffing combines traditional flavors with the perfect balance of moisture and texture for a crowd-pleasing side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Sausage
- 1 (16 ounce) package pork breakfast sausage
- 2 cups diced celery
- 2 cups diced onion
- 2 cups diced mushrooms
- 1 stick butter
Bread and Liquids
- 6 to 8 cups French rolls, cubed
- 1 (32 ounce) carton chicken or turkey broth
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs
Seasonings
- 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare and Sauté Vegetables: In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced celery, onion, and mushrooms. Sauté the vegetables until soft, golden brown, and all moisture has cooked off, which may take some time. Avoid washing mushrooms with water to prevent them from absorbing excess moisture; instead, wipe them clean with a damp paper towel.
- Cook Sausage: Add the pork breakfast sausage to the skillet with the vegetables. Break it up into fine crumbles and cook thoroughly until browned and no longer pink.
- Season Mixture: Sprinkle the cooked sausage and vegetables with poultry seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Use about 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, and a couple of teaspoons each of salt and pepper, adjusting to taste. Stir to combine well.
- Assemble Bread Cubes: Place the cubed French rolls into a 9×13-inch casserole dish. There is no need to dry or toast the bread. You can also mix the entire recipe in a large bowl if preferred.
- Combine Ingredients: Pour the sausage and vegetable mixture over the bread cubes and toss gently to combine, ensuring the bread is evenly mixed with the meat and veggies.
- Add Egg and Milk Mixture: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Pour this mixture over the bread mixture and toss again. The stuffing will appear quite soggy, which is expected.
- Add Broth and Final Mix: Pour the chicken or turkey broth over the mixture slowly, stirring to combine so the bread absorbs the liquid but does not float in it. If the mixture is too wet, keep some extra bread cubes on the side to soak up excess liquid.
- Bake Stuffing: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Optionally, brush the top of the stuffing with melted butter for extra crispiness. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes until the center is firm and the top is browned. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil to prevent burning.
- Rest Before Serving: Remove the stuffing from the oven and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving to allow it to set and flavors to meld.
Notes
- If mushrooms are omitted, increase bread cubes or slightly reduce broth as mushrooms absorb liquid.
- Do not wash mushrooms in water; clean with a damp paper towel instead to avoid excess moisture.
- Using a 9×13-inch casserole dish provides ample surface area for even baking.
- Resting stuffing before serving allows it to firm up and enhances flavor.
- Add melted butter on top before baking for an extra crispy crust.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 750mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
