Make Ahead Sausage and Herb Stuffing Recipe (Freezes Well)
You never know when a recipe is going to turn into a well-loved tradition. This make-ahead sausage and herb stuffing recipe has been on our holiday table for more than 15 years, and at this point, Thanksgiving and Christmas wouldn’t feel quite the same without it.
This sausage and herb stuffing also freezes well, which makes it one of my favorite make-ahead holiday side dishes. I usually double or triple the recipe and freeze an extra pan for Christmas dinner just like my Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole. It’s simple and full of the fresh-from-the-garden flavor I love. Find all of my recipes here.
Key Takeaways: Make-Ahead Sausage and Herb Stuffing
- The Make Ahead Sausage and Herb Stuffing Recipe highlights fresh ingredients and garden-grown herbs, creating a comfort dish perfect for holiday meals.
- This beloved recipe has been a family tradition for over 15 years, making it a can’t-miss dish for Thanksgiving gatherings.
- Key ingredients include bread, Italian sausage, onion, celery, fresh herbs, and chicken stock, which contribute to its savory flavor.
- To enhance its taste, spoon turkey pan drippings over the stuffing before baking for a rich flavor.
- The recipe can be prepared ahead of time and frozen, making it convenient for holiday dinner planning.
Why I Love Sausage and Herb Stuffing
I first copied the recipe into my binder years ago, and over time it’s become one of those splattered, well-used pages I reach for every holiday season. The fresh herbs are what make it special. Rosemary, thyme, sage, and fennel add so much flavor, especially when they come straight from the garden.
I love hosting Thanksgiving. For me, it always comes down to two simple things: food and family. And every year, without fail, this sausage and herb stuffing is on the table. The easiest mistake is not making a double batch; trust me, you’ll want more than you think.
It also happens to be one of the most forgiving dishes to prep ahead, which makes hosting so much easier. You can assemble it a day in advance or freeze it, then bake it when you’re ready.
Key Ingredients
This stuffing keeps things simple, but each ingredient plays an important role in building that classic, savory flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Bread: Look for a herbed or sourdough loaf for the best flavor and texture. Now that Proof Bread is here in Mesa, I love using their sourdough for this recipe.
- Italian Sausage: I love using both sweet and hot Italian sausage to balance rich, subtle sweetness, with a kick. Feel free to adapt this to your family’s preference.
- Onion: Builds the perfect base flavor and adds a little sweetness as it cooks down. Learn how to grow onions in your garden.
- Celery: A must-have for traditional stuffing. Adds perfect texture and flavor to every bite. Read this for more information on how to grow celery.
- Fresh Herbs: The standout flavor in this sausage and herb stuffing comes from a blend of fresh herbs—rosemary, thyme, sage, and fennel seed. If possible, use fresh herbs. These articles will teach you how to grow rosemary, how to grow thyme, how to grow sage, and how to grow fennel seed.
- Chicken Stock: Keeps everything moist and brings all the flavors together. If you have a little extra time, homemade chicken stock adds incredible depth to this stuffing, but store-bought works just fine too.
- To make your own, add a leftover chicken carcass from your rotisserie to a large pot with onion, celery, carrots, a few garlic cloves, and a handful of your favorite fresh herbs. Cover with water, bring to a simmer, and let it cook gently for 2–3 hours. Strain out the solids, season with salt to taste, and that’s it—you’ll have a rich, flavorful stock that makes a big difference in dishes like this.
A Note About Flavor
If you’re making this as part of your Thanksgiving spread, there’s an easy way to give it that classic, savory flavor of stuffing cooked inside the turkey, without actually stuffing the bird.
After roasting your turkey, spoon about ½ cup of the pan drippings or basting liquid over the stuffing before it goes into the oven. It adds moisture and infuses everything with that rich, roasted turkey flavor.
If you’re making this for a regular meal (which is just as good), you can skip this step—the stuffing is still delicious on its own.
Make it Freezer Friendly
- Prepare the stuffing completely (including the butter), then transfer to a disposable foil pan. One batch fits fills a 9×13 pan.
- Cover tightly with foil and label with the name, and baking instructions so it’s ready to go when you need it.
- Freeze until ready to use. When you’re ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C), covered, for about 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until hot and lightly golden on top.
I always make extra stuffing. I usually double or triple the recipe for Thanksgiving, depending on how many people are coming, and freeze an extra pan for Christmas dinner.
How to Make Sausage and Herb Stuffing: A Visual Guide
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Step 2: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, breaking it up as it browns.
- Step 3: Stir in the chopped onion and celery. Cook until softened, about 10–15 minutes.
- Step 4: Stir in the rosemary, thyme, sage, and fennel seed. Cook just until fragrant, about 1–2 minutes. If preparing ahead, let the mixture cool completely before continuing.
- Step 5: In a large bowl, combine the sausage mixture, bread cubes, salt, and pepper
- Step 6: Pour in the chicken stock, starting with 2½ cups and adding more as needed (up to 3 cups) until the mixture is moist but not soggy. Stir in the egg.
- Step 7: Transfer to the prepared dish, spread evenly, and place uniform pats of butter over the top. If freezing, cover with foil, label, and place in freezer.
- Step 8: Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until hot and golden on top.
Make Ahead Sausage and Herb Stuffing FAQs
The worst mistakes you can make have to do with flavor. To ensure the best flavor, don’t overcook your herbs. Fresh herbs need only 1-2 minutes to become fragrant. Cooking them longer than that dulls their flavor. Sausage and chicken stock vary, so taste and adjust salt and pepper before baking.
For stuffing that isn’t too dry or too soggy, I recommend using slightly stale or dried bread. You can leave the bread out on the counter for a few hours or overnight. The mixture should be moist, but not soggy so start with less chicken stock and add more as needed. Don’t skip the covered bake time. Covering the dish with foil before baking keeps the stuffing from drying out before it’s heated all the way through.
Yes! You can fully assemble the stuffing up to a day in advance, cover it tightly, and refrigerate until ready to bake. This helps save time on busy cooking days and keeps flavors well-developed. The stuffing also freezes well either fully assembled (before baking) or after baking. For best results, store it tightly covered and freeze for up to 2–3 months, then thaw overnight before baking or reheating.
Looking for More Holiday Recipes?
Round out your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu with these other favorites from my kitchen.
- Roselle Hibiscus Holiday Sauce
A bright, cranberry-like sauce made from homegrown roselle hibiscus. Tart, beautiful, and perfect for Thanksgiving dinner. - Blue Cheese Thyme Scalloped Potatoes
Rich and creamy potatoes layered with thyme from the garden and just the right amount of blue cheese. - Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole (Freezes Well)
A tried-and-true family favorite that’s easy to prepare ahead of time and freeze for Christmas or Thanksgiving. - Irresistible Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
The perfect holiday appetizer—spicy, creamy, and wrapped in crispy bacon. - The Best Kale Salad You’ll Ever Make
A fresh, crunchy salad that balances out rich holiday dishes and holds up beautifully for leftovers. - Pomegranate Jalapeño Cream Cheese Dip
A festive and colorful dip with sweet pomegranate and just a touch of heat from jalapeños.
Baguette Stuffing With Sausage And Fresh Herbs
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage, breaking it up as it browns.
- Add onion and celery; cook until softened, about 10–15 minutes.
- Stir in rosemary, thyme, sage, and fennel seed; cook 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.
- If making ahead, let mixture cool completely before proceeding.
- In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, salt, and pepper.
- Add the sausage mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour in chicken stock, starting with 2½ cups and adding up to 3 cups as needed, until evenly moistened.
- Stir in the egg until fully incorporated.
- Transfer to prepared dish and spread evenly. Dot with butter and cover with foil.
- If freezing, label the foil lid and place in the freezer until ready to bake.
- Bake 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more, until hot and golden.
Notes
- Moisture matters: Start with 2½ cups of stock and add more as needed. The mixture should be moist but not soggy.
- Don’t overcook the herbs: Fresh herbs only need 1–2 minutes in the pan. Cooking them longer can dull their flavor.
- Use day-old or dried bread: Slightly stale bread absorbs the liquid better and gives you that perfect stuffing texture.
- Make ahead friendly: You can assemble the stuffing up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- Freezer tip: Freeze fully assembled (before baking) for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
- Crispier top: If you like the top extra crispy, add 5 more minutes uncovered, or turn on low broil for the last 2-3 minutes of baking.
Love this recipe!! So easy and so yummy!
when do you add the 3c chicken stock
Add it during step 3 when you mix everything together. Thanks for the head’s up about that. I updated the instructions and recipe.