Description
This World’s Best Thanksgiving Stuffing is a classic, savory side dish featuring a flavorful blend of pork sausage, sautéed vegetables, and cubed French rolls baked to perfection. The recipe balances moisture and texture with a rich broth and eggs, making it an essential accompaniment to your holiday feast.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Vegetables
- 1 (16 ounce) package pork breakfast sausage
- 2 cups diced celery
- 2 cups diced onion
- 2 cups diced mushrooms
- 1 stick butter
Bread Base
- 6 to 8 cups French rolls, cubed
Liquid and Eggs
- 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 diced celery, onions, and mushrooms. Cook slowly until the vegetables are soft, golden brown, and all their liquid has evaporated. This step ensures the stuffing won’t become soggy. Avoid washing mushrooms with water; instead, wipe them clean with a damp paper towel to prevent excess moisture.
- Cook Sausage: Add the pork breakfast sausage to the skillet with the sautéed vegetables. Break the sausage into small crumbles and cook thoroughly until no longer pink.
- Season Mixture: Season the sausage and vegetables with poultry seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste; a good baseline is 2 tablespoons poultry seasoning, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, and 2 teaspoons each of salt and pepper.
- Prepare Bread: Place cubed French rolls in a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. There is no need to toast or dry the bread beforehand. Alternatively, mix all ingredients in a bowl for easier combining.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the cooked sausage and vegetable mixture to the bread cubes and toss to combine evenly.
- Add Eggs and Milk: Whisk the eggs with the milk, then pour the mixture over the bread and sausage mixture. The mixture will appear very soggy at this point; this is expected.
- Add Broth: Pour the chicken or turkey broth over the mixture, stirring gently to combine. The bread should absorb the liquid without floating in excess broth. Keep some extra bread cubes on hand to adjust consistency if it becomes too wet.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Optionally, brush melted butter on top of the stuffing for a crispier crust. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and the center is firm. If the top browns too quickly before the center sets, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
- Rest and Serve: Let the stuffing rest for 10 to 15 minutes after baking to set before serving. This ensures better texture and easier slicing.
Notes
- Omitting mushrooms requires adjusting the bread and broth quantities to maintain proper moisture balance.
- Do not wash mushrooms with water to avoid excess moisture; instead, clean them with a damp paper towel.
- For extra crispy topping, brush melted butter on the stuffing before baking.
- The stuffing should be quite moist before baking, as the bread absorbs the liquids during cooking.
- Resting the stuffing after baking improves texture and makes it easier to serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12 of recipe
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 710mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
