Easy Cranberry Sausage and Apple Stuffing
This Cranberry Sausage and Apple Stuffing is as classic as it gets. It combines seasoned sausage, tart apples, and dried cranberries baked to make a delicious holiday side dish. Make your stuffing from scratch and watch it become everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving dish.
The one thing you can always count on showing up on the table during the holiday season is the dressing or the stuffing. Usually, it’s one or the other, and sometimes it’s both. This recipe is very versatile and very easy to customize just like my cranberry jalapeno relish. It only takes a few minutes to prep and can be made in advance.
It’s a known fact that the sides make the holiday meal. Yes, turkey and ham are great, but who can resist the delicious sides? A few of my favorites are pineapple casserole, chicken and dressing, and sweet potato casserole.
Dressing vs. Stuffing? The Great Debate.
Growing up, we always had dressing for Thanksgiving. Depending on what part of the country you’re from, it might be called dressing or stuffing.
Is there a difference? If you were to ask anyone living in the South, the answer would be an immediate YES! But No matter where you are from, this stuffing is amazing.
What is Dressing?
The dressing is a mixture of ingredients usually served alongside your turkey. It’s cooked in another dish and not inside your turkey. The dressing is made to “dress” up your meals, and in the South, it is typically made with cornbread. This Southern Cornbread Dressing is amazing and served in my home every Thanksgiving.
What is Stuffing?
This Sausage Apple Stuffing is a mixture of bread, seasonings, fruit (cranberry and apples), and butter. Stuffing is typically stuffed inside the turkey and cooked. Although some choose to serve it on the side. This cranberry sausage stuffing is served alongside the turkey.
For more Holiday Sides, be sure to check out 23 Southern Side Dishes for Thanksgiving.
Homemade Stuffing Ingredients
Bread—This apple cranberry stuffing recipe requires good bread. Italian, sourdough, or French bread will hold up to the liquid in this stuffing mixture.
Sausage—Sausage is the star of this dish and adds depth and savory flavor. Choose your favorite brand. Pork sausage adds more fat, which provides more flavor. Use turkey sausage if you prefer, or sweet Italian sausage.
Onion and Celery are two essential ingredients in any stuffing that provide an aromatic base and crunch. The onions will soften and become sweet as they cook, adding flavor. Use white, sweet, or yellow onions. The celery will add flavor and complement the other ingredients.
Apples and Cranberries— Granny Smith Apples are my favorite for this stuffing recipe. They hold their shape and add tartness and sweetness. Dried cranberries add a burst of flavor, freshness, and chewy texture.
Eggs— The eggs act as a binder and hold the stuffing together.
Stock– Turkey, chicken, or even vegetable stock will work for this stuffing.
Butter— Everything is better with butter.
Seasonings— Salt, black pepper, poultry seasoning, and Rosemary are simple seasonings with a huge taste.
How to Toast the Bread
- Start by cubing your bread. I like to keep the bread in 1-inch cubes or around that size.
- Place bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast in a 350-degree oven for 7-10 minutes. This should dry the bread out nicely and make it slightly crunchy. Drying the bread will also allow it to soak up all of those good juices.
Recipe Tip: I bought a loaf (14oz) of Italian bread, cubed it up, and put it in the freezer. Then, when I was ready to make the stuffing, all I had to do was toast it up a little bit. I used almost the whole loaf of bread for this recipe.
How to Make Sausage Cranberry Stuffing
- Prepare: Toast the bread cubes.
- Brown the sausage.
- Saute the onion and celery with seasonings.
- Mix ingredients in a large bowl.
- Pour into the baking dish.
- Bake until golden brown on top.
Easy Thanksgiving Stuffing Tips
- Use Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, or Granny Smith apples. These seem to work the best in this sausage and cranberry stuffing recipe.
- Use bread that will hold up to the broth and keep the crust on the bread. Italian or French Bread will work nicely for this stuffing.
No Thanksgiving table is complete without the Cranberry Sauce. This Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Orange is delightful.
Recipe Variations
- Use Italian sausage instead of regular sausage.
- Swap out the apples for pears, or use a combination of both.
- Use fresh herbs.
- Add some sauteed mushrooms for an earthy flavor.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Stuffing
Store leftovers in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. They will keep for 3-4 days and reheat nicely in the oven or microwave.
For more Sausage Recipes, be sure to check out my Sausage and Mushroom Pizza.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can prepare this stuffing a day in advance and refrigerate it before baking. Allow all ingredients to cool before mixing, and wrap it tightly before storing. Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before baking.
You can also cook the sausage, cube the bread, and prep the vegetables a day early. Allow everything to cool and store in separate containers in the fridge.
Yes. Eggs act as a binder and hold everything together and in place.
Yes. You want your stuffing moist but not soggy. Using the correct bread will give you moist stuffing without the sogginess.
Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith apples work the best in this stuffing recipe.
Easy Holiday Side Dishes
Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes
Holiday Desserts
Cranberry Stuffing
Ingredients
- 8 cups bread dry, cubed, loosely measured
- 1 pound ground sausage
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 teaspoon salt & pepper
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried Rosemary or 2 teaspoons fresh Rosemary
- 2 large Granny Smith Apples cored and diced, do not peel
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- 2 ¼ cup chicken stock or turkey stock
- ½ cup melted butter
- 2 eggs beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place cubed bread on a large baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes, or let sit on the counter for several hours until dried out. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, brown sausage until done. Remove sausage from the skillet, and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Drain grease, leaving about a tablespoon in the skillet.
- To the skillet, add onion and celery and cook over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add poultry seasoning, Rosemary, salt, and pepper. Stir in and cook for another 3 minutes.
- In a large bowl, add bread cubes, cooked sausage, onion and celery mixture, apples, cranberries, and 2 cups of the stock, melted butter, and eggs. Stir well to ensure all is mixed well.
- Pour into a greased 9 x13 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes in a 350-degree oven.
- After 45 minutes: Remove stuffing from the oven. Uncover. Return to the oven for an additional 15 minutes.
- The stuffing should be lightly golden on top.
The apples and cranberries made this stuffing so special. We loved it! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
So true, what makes a good turkey or any piece of thanksgiving meat meals is the sides! Lovely fruity recipe! Gonna be a hit for thanksgiving table!
This is the best stuffing I’ve made! Definitely making it again for Thanksgiving this year!
My new go-to. Love the addition of the dried cranberries, it totally makes it!
This looks fantastic! I’ve been wanting to switch it up with the stuffing that I prepare this year and so I’m excited to make this!
This is most festive stuffing ever cant wait to try this!