Stovetop Sausage Stuffing
Stovetop Sausage Stuffing is the best stuffing recipe for the holidays! It's made on the stove, so you don't have to worry about it taking up room in your oven. The browned sausage adds so much flavor and you won't believe that there are only FIVE ingredients in this easy stovetop sausage stuffing recipe!
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November 2021 Update: This is one of my most popular holiday recipes, and I'm so glad you found it! I recently updated this post with step-by-step photos and new tips for making this recipe. I hope it will become a part of your Thanksgiving traditions, just as it is one of mine!
Does your family do a similar meal on Thanksgiving and Christmas? We always have.
Grab kid tested recipes that actually work for busy families who want wholesome meals without the stress!
Recently, my family switched Christmas Eve to a Mexican Christmas Dinner, but on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, it's all about roasted turkey and those Thanksgiving side dishes we all know and love.
The very first time I hosted Thanksgiving, my father-in-law offered to make his family's signature stovetop sausage stuffing recipe.
I'd never been much of a fan of stuffing or dressing before. I always found it was just a little bland or possibly dried out from being cooked in the turkey.
His family's version was neither bland nor dry, and I haven't made a different Thanksgiving Stuffing recipe since.
Stovetop Sausage Stuffing Recipe
This Thanksgiving stuffing recipe is a twist on the classic.
My stovetop sausage stuffing is made with just five ingredients:
- browned pork sausage
- chopped celery
- diced onions
- herb-seasoned stuffing mix
- chicken broth
It's fluffy, moist and absolutely packed with flavor.
Honestly, it's hard to believe how easy it is and that it only has just five ingredients!
This recipe will soon become one of your favorites too, I just know it!
Stovetop sausage dressing recipe
If you want to get very semantic about it, this is a stovetop sausage dressing recipe, but whatever!
Stuffing is defined as “a mixture used to stuff another food, traditionally poultry, before cooking.”
On the flip side, dressing is cooked in a pan outside of the turkey cavity. Dressing can be cooked on the stove or in a separate dish in the oven.
My recipe is not cooked IN the turkey in the oven and is cooked in a pan on the stove, away from the turkey.
So technically, the correct thing would be to call it stovetop sausage dressing.
But really... who cares? Whatever you want to call it, what's really important is that you enjoy it!
My family just loves this recipe for our Thanksgiving menu. It's a must, every single year.
Ingredients for stovetop stuffing with sausage
You only need a few ingredients to make this easy Thanksgiving stuffing recipe.
This stovetop sausage dressing recipe is made with browned pork sausage, chopped celery and onions, chicken broth and a herb-seasoned stuffing mix.
I use this Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing mix, but feel free to use any similar stuffing mix you can find.
The one I use has white and wheat bread with a mix of herbs, so something similar to that would work well.
However, cornbread stuffing or cubed stuffing will work just fine.
Tips for the best stovetop sausage stuffing
The key to making this stuffing is adding the broth slowly, even when you may be worried that there isn't enough liquid in the pot.
If you pour too much at a time it won't ruin the dish, it just won't be as airy and fluffy as it should be.
You can add the broth in a slow stream if you have the patience, but I prefer to add it ½ cup at a time.
Can stovetop stuffing be made ahead of time?
Yes, you can make this stovetop sausage stuffing recipe the day before. You can reheat it in the oven before serving your holiday dinner!
To reheat it, preheat the oven to 300°F. Cook for 15 minutes, until hot.
If the edges begin to crisp up and turn a darker color, cover the dish with foil.
Can you freeze stovetop stuffing?
Yes. Freezing leftover stuffing is a great way to have it ready for the next holiday, too!
Stuffing can be frozen for up to two months, so save your leftover Thanksgiving stuffing and use it for your Christmas dinner.
To freeze, place in a freezer-safe container after the stuffing has cooled to room temperature.
I love using these storage containers, but a freezer-safe ziptop bag will work too.
Can stovetop stuffing be baked in the oven?
Because the broth needs to be added slowly and not all at once, it really does need to be made on the stovetop instead of baking in the oven.
If you cannot make it on the stovetop on the day of, make it the day before and reheat in the oven.
Reheat it in a preheated oven at 300°F for 15 minutes.
How to make Stovetop Sausage Stuffing
You can make my sausage stuffing recipe in just a few easy steps! Here's how to make it:
First, get out all your ingredients. Dice and chop the onions and celery. Set aside for later.
Then, brown the sausage in a large stovetop pan over medium-high heat until fully cooked.
Remove the sausage from the pan and place it in a separate bowl. Do not drain the grease — it's what helps make this recipe taste so good! Trust me that you don't want to put your sausage on a paper towel-lined plate.
Now add the onions and the celery to your frying pan and sauté for 3-5 minutes, using a wooden spoon to stir frequently so they do not burn.
Add sausage back to the pan.
Then pour in the stuffing mix and carefully mix to combine. (You can also do this in a large bowl if your pan isn't big enough).
Add chicken broth about ½ cup at a time, pouring it over the whole mixture. Let simmer until the broth is absorbed.
(If you combined your stuffing mix, veggies and sausage in a large bowl, it should reduce enough for you to add it back to the pan.)
Repeat adding in broth. You do not need to stir the stuffing too much, to keep it light and fluffy. Just keep adding broth until you run out!
It will look like the photo above when it's ready.
Then place your stovetop dressing in oven-safe pan to keep warm or serve immediately.
If making ahead of time, you can reheat it in the oven at 300°F for 15 minutes or until warmed through.
Make stovetop sausage stuffing without the mix
If you would like to try this recipe without the pre-made stuffing mix, you can. It will take a bit of work and more ingredients.
- ½ loaf white bread
- ½ loaf wheat bread
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 teaspoons parsley
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
Here's how to prepare the stuffing from bread.
- First, cut the bread into slices and dice it into 1-inch pieces. Leave it out overnight so that it dries out.
- Then toast the bread until browned and hard.
- Then, prepare the sausage, celery and onion as the recipe states below.
- Add the bread, salt, brown sugar and herbs.
- Stir to combine with the sausage, then slowly add the chicken broth as the recipe states.
What to serve with stovetop sausage stuffing
There are so many recipes that go perfectly with my stovetop sausage stuffing. Try topping your sausage stuffing with a homemade cranberry sauce. The balance of sweet, savory, and tangy is a wonderful combination.
To start your meal, any sausage lovers will adore snacking on skillet sausage dip while they watch the parade or some football.
You will, of course, need the perfect turkey recipe. I love this herb butter turkey breast whenever we have a smaller group to Thanksgiving.
For sides, try my garlic brown butter green beans, my favorite sweet potato casserole and Thanksgiving fruit salad.
For dessert, you'll want to make all your pies with my vodka pie crust! My grandma's pecan pie is a must at our house.
To drink, apple cider mimosas go perfectly with your Thanksgiving meal, too!
Whatever you choose to serve your stuffing with, let me know how it goes!
If you like this recipe, would you comment below and leave a rating to let me know? It helps my content continue to be seen by more people like YOU!
Stovetop Sausage Stuffing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup of celery chopped
- 1 cup of onions diced
- 12 ounce bag of herb seasoned stuffing
- 1 lb pork sausage
- 32 ounces of low-sodium chicken broth
Video
Instructions
- Dice and chop onions and celery. Set aside.
- Brown sausage in large stove top pan until fully cooked. Remove sausage from pan and place in separate bowl. Do not drain grease.
- Add onions and celery to frying pan and sauté for 3-5 minutes, using a wooden spoon to stir frequently so they do not burn.
- Add sausage back to pan. Then pour in stuffing mix and carefully mix to combine. (You can also do this in a large bowl if your pan isn't big enough).
- Add chicken broth about ½ cup at at time, pouring it over the whole mixture.
- Let simmer until broth runs out. Repeat adding in broth. Do not need to stir the stuffing.
- Place in oven-safe pan to keep warm or serve immediately.
Notes
CAN STOVETOP STUFFING BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?
Yes, make this stovetop sausage stuffing recipe the day before and then reheat in the oven before serving your holiday dinner!CAN YOU FREEZE STOVETOP STUFFING?
Yes. Freezing leftover stuffing is a great way to have it ready for the next holiday, too! Stuffing can be frozen for up to two months, so save your leftover Thanksgiving stuffing and use it for your Christmas dinner. To freeze, place in a freezer safe container after sausage has cooled to room temperature.CAN STOVETOP STUFFING BE BAKED IN THE OVEN?
Because the broth needs to be added slowly and not all at once, it really does need to be made on the stovetop instead of baking in the oven. If you cannot make it on the stovetop on the day of, make it the day before and it can be reheated in the oven.Nutrition
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