Italian Sausage Sourdough Thanksgiving Stuffing 

Gone are the days of boring stuffing side dishes!! We’re here to change the narrative of boring bland stuffing side dishes at your Thanksgiving table this year. 

If we’re being honest, some stuffing recipes are bland, lack texture and color. And can end up being the side dish that’s there out of tradition but one that many reach for. If we could describe this dish in a couple words, it would be “it’s like a warm hug”.

Our modern twist on the traditional stuffing recipe is chunky and full of warming herbs and vegetables. Chunks of sourdough bread, peppery Italian sausage, onions, carrots, celery, chestnuts and a handful of seasonal herbs are tossed in a buttery cheesy broth mixture and baked to perfection. The edges are crisp with soft flavorful insides. Each bite is a flavorful surprise. And good thing this dish makes a large batch because you’re going to want a second helping. This Italian Sausage Sourdough Stuffing is sure to be the talk of the table! 

Why You’ll Love this Sourdough Stuffing

• Packed with Flavor and texture. No one likes a soggy, bland stuffing stuffing! And this Sourdough stuffing is far from that. The edges get nice and crispy in the oven but the insides are soft and pillowy. Plus, is packed with lots of delicious veggies, herbs and peppery Italian sausage making each bite a treat!
• Perfectly tender! The bread and veggie mixture is tossed in a mixture of eggs and broth to add just the right amount of moisture, as to not make the stuffing too soft. 
• Full of veggies! As we mentioned previously, this stuffing is loaded with vegetables that add so much flavor a depth to this dish – sweet yellow onion, softly baked carrots and celery make a delicious mire pots
• Chestnuts are a must.You’ll love them! They are a fun fall addition to this dish – and our favorite ingredient! We search for the bites with chestnuts in them, because they’re that delicious in this mixture. Chestnuts add a buttery, nutty taste to the dish that is irresistibly good. 

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How to make Sourdough Thanksgiving Stuffing, Step by Step:

Step 1. Prepare baking dish and preheat oven.

First thing we always recommend is prepping your baking dishes. That way when you have everything mixed together, you can pour in the dish and bakes. 

Start by buttering a 9×13 inch baking dish – we love this one from Crate and Barrel. Preheat your oven to 350ºF to warm up while you’re making the stuffing. 

Step 2. Cook sausage and vegetables. 

In a skillet over medium heat, cook Italian sausage until nice and browned. We used Italian pork sausage because it has a delicious peppery and heavy flavor. 

Once the meat is cooked, line a bowl with paper towels and pour the meat into the bowl. The paper towels will help to soak up any excess grease. 

In the same skillet, make your mirepoix – which is a blend of chopped onion, celery, carrots and garlic. You’ll cook them down until they are soft. Before removing from the heat, add in fresh rosemary, thyme and parsley. 

If your dish isn’t already smelling amazing at this point, it will be after the herbs!

Step 3. Whisk together cheesy broth mixture.

The cheesy broth mixture adds moisture and structure to the stuffing. In a large bowl, whisk together, eggs, chicken broth and parmesan.

You want to make sure your bowl is large enough to mix together the vegetables, meat and bread. If you don’t have a 7-10 quart bowl at home, split the mixture in half in two bowls. 

Step 4. Toss sourdough chunks, vegetables and sausage into broth mixture.

Now we’re at the fun part! Add cubed sourdough chunks, vegetables and sausage to the eggy broth mixture. Gently toss everything together until coated. 

Step 5. Bake and serve hot!

Pour the stuffing mixture into the buttered pan and bake in a preheated oven for 45-50 minutes. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. The top should be nice and browned and a bit crispy. 

Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with the rest of your thanksgiving sides!!

Tip: Keep an eye on the stuffing mixture. Depending on your pan or how your oven cooks, you may need to adjust the baking time to give or take 5-10 minutes. 

Tips for making the Italian sausage stuffing

• Chop bread and vegetables into bite sized pieces. The sourdough should be sliced into 3/4 inch cubes. You want your veggies to be cut fairly small that way they can cook through all the way. That way you avoid a crunchy carrot or slice of celery in their bite of stuffing.
• Bake until edges are browned crispy. You know when the stuffing is done, or close to being done, when the top and edges of the stuffing to be a bit brow and crispy. The insides will still be nice and soft, but the outsides will cook for form a nice crust. 
• Press the mixture into the pan, don’t mash. This dressing makes a large batch and will be a chunkier than most traditional dressings. When you pour the mixture into your baking dish, gently press the mixture with the back of a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. The sourdough will be very soft and soggy at this point, so make sure you do not mix and mash too aggressively to maintain the desired texture.