Description
This World’s Best Thanksgiving Stuffing recipe combines savory pork breakfast sausage, sautéed vegetables, and soft French roll cubes soaked in a rich broth and egg mixture. Baked to golden perfection, it creates a moist, flavorful stuffing with a slightly crispy top, perfect for your holiday feast.
Ingredients
Scale
Sausage and Veggies
- 1 16-ounce package of pork breakfast sausage
- 2 cups diced celery
- 2 cups diced onion
- 2 cups diced mushrooms
- 1 stick of butter (8 tablespoons)
Stuffing Base
- 6 to 8 cups of 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
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced celery, onion, and mushrooms. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, golden brown, and all the liquid has evaporated. This step is crucial to prevent soggy stuffing.
- Cook Sausage: Add the pork breakfast sausage to the skillet with the sautéed vegetables. Break the sausage into small crumbles and cook until fully browned and cooked through.
- Season Mixture: Sprinkle in poultry seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper according to preference (approximately 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, and 2 teaspoons each of salt and pepper). Stir well to combine flavors.
- Prepare Bread Base: Place 6 to 8 cups of cubed French rolls into a 9×13-inch casserole dish. No need to toast or dry the bread beforehand.
- Combine Mixtures: Pour the cooked sausage and vegetable mixture over the bread cubes. Toss to distribute evenly.
- Add Eggs and Milk: Whisk together the 2 eggs and 1 cup of milk. Pour this mixture over the bread and sausage, mixing gently. The mixture will be very wet but should not have excessive pooling liquid.
- Add Broth: Pour the entire 32-ounce carton of chicken or turkey broth over the mixture. Stir to combine thoroughly, allowing the bread to absorb the liquid. Keep extra bread cubes on hand in case the mixture is too wet.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Optionally, brush the top with melted butter for extra crispiness. Bake the stuffing uncovered for about 45 minutes until the top is golden and the center is firm. If the top browns too quickly before the interior sets, cover loosely with foil to finish baking.
- Rest and Serve: Allow the stuffing to rest for 10 to 15 minutes after baking before serving to let it set and improve texture.
Notes
- If omitting mushrooms, increase bread cubes and/or slightly reduce broth, as mushrooms absorb a lot of liquid.
- Do not wash mushrooms with water; wipe them with a damp paper towel to avoid excess moisture.
- The stuffing mixture will be soggy before baking but should absorb liquid during cooking to achieve perfect consistency.
- You can mix all ingredients in a bowl before transferring to the casserole dish to ensure even distribution.
- Cover with foil if topping browns too quickly to prevent burning while baking completely.
- Extra bread cubes on hand help adjust moisture levels if the mixture becomes too wet.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
