Thanksgiving Stuffing with Sausage and Mushrooms
This Thanksgiving Stuffing with Sausage and Mushrooms is abundant with incredible flavors and textures! Full of Italian sausage, sautéed mushrooms, mixed savory herbs and more, this recipe calls for a combination of challah bread and baguette, create a perfect foundation. It’s designed to pair perfectly with your Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey dinners, including the main bird, turkey gravy and all the other delicious sides, too!
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed, in small chunks⠀
- 1 stick unsalted butter, divided (1/2 cup)
- 2 cups small-diced onions
- 1 cup small-diced celery
- 1 Tbsp chopped garlic
- 1½ pounds white mushrooms, sliced
- 1 challah loaf, day old, cut into large cubes⠀
- 1/2 large baguette day old, cut into large cubes⠀
- 5 large eggs, beaten
- 1 bunch sage, stemmed, rough chopped⠀
- 1/2 bunch marjoram, stemmed, rough chopped⠀
- 1 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 Tbsp chopped thyme leaves
- 1 Tbsp chopped rosemary leaves
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese
- To taste salt and black pepper
- About 24 ounces low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth⠀
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and brown thoroughly. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt about 2 Tbsp butter, then add the onions, celery and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft (about 8 to 10 minutes). Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt an additional 2 Tbsp butter, then add the mushrooms and increase the heat to high. Cook the mushrooms until soft and all liquid has been evaporated, stirring occasionally. Do this in batches if necessary. Remove and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- In a very large bowl, combine the cubed bread with the cooked sausage and vegetables, eggs, all herbs and pecorino cheese. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Mix until all ingredients are well-combined. Add most of the broth and mix again. Let the mixture sit for about 15-20 minutes to allow for the bread to absorb the liquid. Then, add additional broth if necessary. The finished mixture should be very moist, but without excess liquid.
- Using some of the remaining butter, butter the bottom and sides of a 10” x 8” x 2½” (or similar) baking dish.
- Carefully transfer the stuffing mixture to the baking dish and spread it out evenly. Dab the top with the remaining butter, then cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil.
- Roast in the 350˚F oven until the stuffing reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F, about 1 ¼ - 1 ½ hours. Remove the aluminum foil about halfway through the cooking process so that the stuffing can form a crust. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- The cubed bread will fill about 16 cups, roughly.
- The exact amount of broth needed will depend on the texture and dryness of the bread. I suggest adding about half the amount indicated, and then increasing from there.
- This recipe can definitely be made in advance, up to 3 days, and reheated just before dinner. Cover and reheat at 350˚F until it reaches a 165˚F internal temperature.
- Alternatively, prepare the entire recipe without roasting up to 2 days in advance and hold in an airtight bag or container in the refrigerator. Then, place in baking dish and roast just before dinner.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!