Recipe

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This sausage apple bread stuffing is a delicious, savory-sweet recipe with Italian sausage, rosemary, tart apple, and dried cranberries.

After one bite, you'll see why this cranberry sausage apple stuffing is one of my most anticipated dishes of the holiday season!

Cranberry Sausage Apple Stuffing

I’ve been making this cranberry apple sausage stuffing for years, and it’s so good that I also created a gluten-free version. Fresh leeks, apples, and cranberries are cooked down into golden brown goodness, then baked to perfection with Italian sausage and bread.

The bread soaks up all the flavors and creates one delicious companion for roasted turkey. Hands down to the best homemade bread stuffing!

Ingredients

This stuffing combines day-old white bread, Italian sausage, celery, and leek. While leek is not typical, it adds a delish caramelized flavor and hearty texture. The sweet note comes from tart apples (Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Fuji are great options) and dried cranberries. For ultimate flavor and consistency, don’t skip the poultry seasoning, dried rosemary, and chicken broth or stock.

What’s the Best Bread for Stuffing

The best bread for stuffing is soft and dense with as few air pockets as possible. This means there’s more bread to soak up all the flavors and cooking juices. For best results, use hearty white bread, thick sandwich bread, challah, or brioche.

large serving bowl of sausage apple stuffing

How to Prepare Bread for Stuffing

Pre-baking the bread cubes in an oven prevents the stuffing from turning out soggy, so I don't recommend skipping this step. Of course, you can do this up to 2 days ahead and store the cubes in an airtight container.

side by side photos of cranberry apple stuffing being made

How to Make Cranberry Sausage Apple Stuffing

There are two ways to serve this sausage stuffing: bake it inside the turkey OR in a greased baking dish. Here’s how to prepare it both ways.

Toast the bread
Bake the bread cubes in an even layer on a baking sheet for 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Skip this step if using crisp and toasted store-bought bread cubes.
Brown the meat
While the bread toasts, cook the sausage, breaking up the meat with a spatula as it browns. Once done, transfer to a plate and keep the drippings in the pan; this will add extra flavor.
Add the veggies
To the same skillet, add the leeks, apples, celery, and poultry seasoning. Cook until the leeks are softened and golden brown.
Combine everything
Stir in the cranberries, cooked sausage, and bread cubes. Season with salt and black pepper, and toss to combine before adding the chicken broth.
Stuff the turkey
If you are going the traditional stuffed turkey route, stuff the bird with about 1 cup per 3 lbs. Tie the legs and roast until the thigh reads at 175F and the stuffing reaches 165F.
OR Bake in a baking dish
If you prefer to bake the dressing separately from the turkey, bake it covered with foil in a greased baking dish for 45 minutes, then bake it uncovered for an additional 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Note: the stuffing is supposed to appear wet and soggy, but as it bakes, the moisture will evaporate, and the mixture will become more cohesive. By the end of baking, it should have a golden-brown crust on top.

Stuffing is one of the best parts of Thanksgiving and this recipe is a favorite from my Giving Thanks eBook. You’ll find it along with 22 other mouthwatering dishes to choose from for an incredible holiday feast.

Full Thanksgiving Meal Plan

Inside this eBook, you'll find a full Thanksgiving menu with 23 easy recipes, a done-for-you prep plan with oven timing and kitchen tips for the big day. This is the kitchen assistant you need to pull off a simple and delicious holiday meal.

I Need This!

How to Make Stuffing Ahead

Prepare this cranberry sausage apple stuffing, but don’t bake it. Transfer it to a large bowl or baking dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. To bake, remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. Bake as directed.

More Thanksgiving Sides

Are you ready to make your Thanksgiving menu complete? Wow your guests with these easy fall roasted vegetables, these popovers, and these delicious Southern mashed potatoes. By the way this stuffing pairs incredibly well with my orange juice cranberry sauce!

Sausage Apple Stuffing with Cranberries

Servings: 12

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1

This sausage apple bread stuffing is a delicious, savory-sweet recipe with Italian sausage, rosemary, tart apple, and dried cranberries.

5 from 20 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

12 cups bread cubes, storebought or 10 bread slices, cubed
1 pound Italian sausage, out of the casing
6 cups coarsely chopped leeks
3 green apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
2 cups chopped celery
4 teaspoons poultry seasonings
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
1 cup dried cranberries
1 ⅓ cup chicken stock
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

For the Bread Cubes:

Preheat the oven to 300F. With a knife, cube 10 slices of bread into small, even, cubed-shaped pieces.
Spread the bread cubes in an even layer onto the baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden, stirring if needed. Remove from the oven and set aside.

For the Stuffing:

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat with a spatula as it browns. Remove the sausage from the skillet with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a plate. Keep the drippings in the pan.
To the same skillet, add the leeks, apples, celery, and poultry seasoning. Cook for 10 minutes until the leeks are softened and golden brown.
Stir in the cranberries, cooked sausage, and bread cubes. Season with salt and black pepper, and toss to combine before adding the chicken broth. The stuffing is supposed to appear wet and soggy, but as it bakes, the moisture will evaporate, and the mixture will become more cohesive.
Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Transfer the stuffing inside the pan and cover it with foil. Bake, covered for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 12 to 15 minutes until the top is golden. Remove from oven and keep warm or serve.

To use as stuffing in a turkey:

Place 4 to 6 cups of the stuffing mixture inside a 12 to 16 lb turkey, about 1 cup for every 2 to 3 lbs. Tie the legs and bake until the turkey thigh reaches an internal temperature of 175F and the breast and stuffing reach 165F.
Any leftover stuffing can be baked in a separate casserole dish as a side serving.