Unforgettable Sweet & Savory Sausage Cranberry Stuffing (or Dressing!): The Ultimate Holiday Side Dish
Prepare to elevate your holiday feast with a truly extraordinary side dish that consistently steals the show: our family’s cherished Sausage Cranberry Stuffing Dressing. Crafted with fresh, crusty artisan bread, this recipe achieves a perfect equilibrium of sweet and savory flavors that is absolutely irresistible. Forget bland, traditional stuffings; this unique blend promises a taste experience that guests rave about year after year, leaving a lasting impression long after the last bite.
✩ What readers are saying…
“I just have to say I made that sausage cranberry stuffing last year. I will never make any other kind of stuffing. By far the best I’ve ever experienced.” -Jodi Kidd
Every holiday season, our household eagerly anticipates the arrival of this incredible Sausage Cranberry Stuffing. It’s more than just a dish; it’s a culinary highlight that embodies the warmth and tradition of festive gatherings. While we generally prioritize healthy eating throughout the year, some occasions call for special indulgence, and Thanksgiving is undoubtedly one of them. This recipe is a delightful exception, so spectacularly delicious that it earns a place of honor at our holiday table without question.
This recipe is one part of our family’s simple homemade Thanksgiving – you can see the other recipes (and decor) we use on the All Thing Thanksgiving page.
Stuffing or Dressing? A Holiday Dilemma Solved
You might notice I interchangeably call this dish “stuffing dressing.” It’s a common point of confusion during holiday meal planning! Traditionally, “stuffing” refers to a mixture cooked inside the turkey, absorbing all those delicious juices. “Dressing,” on the other hand, is baked separately in a casserole dish. Although I’ve always referred to this recipe as “stuffing,” I never actually stuff it into the turkey. Cooking it separately offers several advantages: the turkey cooks more evenly and quickly, and the stuffing itself develops a superior texture. Plus, who wants dry, clumpy stuffing when you can have a perfect blend of crispy and moist? For these reasons, “dressing” is technically the more accurate term, but to avoid any confusion (and because it tastes so good no matter what you call it!), I simply use both. Mostly, we just call it our family’s favorite holiday side dish – a culinary delight we anticipate all year long.
My preferred method of preparing this dish involves baking it in a shallow pan. This technique is crucial for achieving that coveted contrast: a beautifully crisp, golden-brown top that gives way to a wonderfully moist and flavorful interior. Every forkful delivers a symphony of tastes and textures: the rich, savory notes of onion and Italian sausage, the hearty substance of homemade bread, and a delightful touch of sweetness from the cranberries and our special, non-traditional ingredient. It’s a game-changer for anyone accustomed to dense, overly wet stuffing.
Crafting the Perfect Sweet-Savory Balance
This Sausage Cranberry Stuffing Dressing recipe is inspired by a much more decadent version made by Brian’s cousin, which is legendary in our extended family for its sheer deliciousness. While his rendition is wonderfully indulgent, my version offers a slightly lighter take, carefully balancing flavors without compromising on taste. I believe it successfully captures that incredible sweet and savory harmony that makes the original so beloved, providing a delightful alternative that’s just as memorable.
The secret to this dressing’s superior texture and flavor starts with its foundation: quality bread. Forget those pre-packaged, dried bread cubes that often result in a crumbly or overly soggy stuffing. This recipe truly shines when made with fresh, crusty artisan bread. My personal favorites are Easy Artisan Bread or Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread, but any good quality, crusty loaf from your local bakery will work beautifully. There’s no need to dry the bread out for hours; a brief airing while you prepare the other ingredients is sufficient. I find that a fresher bread base absorbs the savory broth and aromatic juices more effectively, leading to a more flavorful and moist interior.
The Power of Key Ingredients: And a Secret Touch of Sweetness
The ingredient list for this delightful stuffing includes many beloved staples, but it’s the thoughtful additions that truly set it apart. You’ll find traditional stuffing basics like aromatic onion and crisp celery, which form the savory backbone of the dish. Italian sausage, whether mild or hot, adds a rich, meaty depth – we often opt for hot Italian sausage to introduce a subtle, warming spice that complements the other flavors beautifully. Fresh garlic and a choice of rosemary or thyme contribute an herbaceous complexity, while a touch of sage or poultry seasoning ties everything together with classic holiday notes.
Then come the unique elements: dried cranberries, providing a lovely tart counterpoint to the richness, and a secret, rather untraditional ingredient – a hint of brown sugar. I know what you might be thinking: “Sugar in stuffing? Isn’t that odd, especially when we’re trying to cut down on sugar?” Please, don’t leave yet! Trust me when I say that this small addition of brown sugar is the magical touch that transforms this dish from merely good to absolutely incredible. It doesn’t make the stuffing overtly sweet; rather, it amplifies the natural sweetness of the cranberries and rounds out all the savory flavors, creating an unparalleled depth and balance. Remember, this is a special occasion dish, enjoyed perhaps once or twice a year, making it the perfect opportunity to indulge a little and experience something truly extraordinary.
This recipe is a prime example of how the synergy of thoughtfully chosen ingredients can elevate a dish far beyond the sum of its parts. It’s more than just bread, onions, and celery; it’s a culinary creation where a few slightly non-traditional elements work together to produce something truly memorable. This is the stuffing that sparks conversations and becomes the most anticipated side dish at any holiday gathering. It’s the reason people who “don’t even like stuffing” suddenly become converts.
I consistently hear feedback like this from those who have tried this incredible stuffing:
- “This is the best stuffing ever!”
- “This is so good – and I don’t even like stuffing!”
- “This is so much better than regular stuffing.”
- “Are you making your dressing again?”
These glowing testimonials are not just my biased opinion; this truly is a superior stuffing recipe that will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about this classic holiday side. Once you try it, you’ll never want to go back to boring, old stuffing again. I wholeheartedly encourage you to give it a try – it just might become your family’s new favorite holiday tradition!
Make-Ahead Tips for Stress-Free Holiday Feasting
The holidays are busy enough without last-minute cooking stress. Thankfully, this Sausage Cranberry Stuffing Dressing is perfect for making ahead! Prepare the dressing mixture as instructed but hold off on baking it. Once assembled, let it cool completely. You can then freeze it directly in the baking pan, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, or spoon it into freezer-safe baggies for more compact storage. When you’re ready to serve, simply thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
For a drier, fluffier stuffing: After thawing, give the mixture a good stir. Transfer it to your baking dish, cover it with foil, and bake according to the recipe directions. If you prefer a crispier top, remove the foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking to allow it to brown beautifully.
For a more moist stuffing: After thawing, drizzle a bit of extra chicken broth over the mixture to achieve your desired consistency. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake. Once it’s heated through, remove the foil, and for an extra touch of richness, you can dot the top with small pieces of butter before returning it to the oven to achieve a golden, bubbly crust.
Delicious & Easy Holiday Recipes To Try
No holiday meal is complete without a full spread of delightful dishes. Pair your incredible Sausage Cranberry Stuffing with these other family-favorite recipes for a truly memorable feast:
- White Wine Roasted Turkey with Delicious Gravy: The centerpiece of any holiday meal, perfectly tender and flavorful.
- Easy Soft 100% Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls: Fluffy, wholesome rolls that are ideal for soaking up gravy.
- Amazing Garlic Green Beans: A vibrant, fresh, and flavorful vegetable side that adds color and nutrition.
- Make Ahead Crumb-Topped Apple Pie: The perfect sweet ending to your meal, and wonderfully convenient as it can be frozen and baked directly from frozen!
More Reader Comments & Testimonials
The enthusiasm for this Sausage Cranberry Stuffing Dressing continues to grow, and the feedback from those who’ve tried it is consistently outstanding. It’s truly rewarding to hear how much joy this recipe brings to other families’ holiday tables:
“I made this for our family’s Christmas dinner. It had rave reviews! The only complaint I have is that my daughters took home the leftovers and didn’t leave any behind for us. Sigh.” -Diane
“I made this for Thanksgiving and as with every recipe I make from your site, it was spectacular and we loved it.”
-Mary
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Incredible Sausage Cranberry Stuffing Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 loaf artisan bread* homemade Easy Artisan Bread is great
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage mild or hot (hot adds a nice spice)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup olive oil or use all butter
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or thyme – your choice chopped
- 1 teaspoon sage or poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt & pepper or to taste
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 to 1 ½ cups chicken broth**
Instructions
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Cut bread into cubes (about 1/2-inch or smaller in size) and lay out on a large (13×18″) baking sheet to dry while proceeding with recipe. Generously butter a 13×9-inch pan.
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Brown sausage in a large skillet and remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl that is big enough to toss all the ingredients together.
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In the same skillet, heat butter and oil. Add onion, celery, and garlic and cook until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.
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Scrape the contents of the skillet into the bowl with the sausage and then add bread cubes, seasonings, cranberry and sugar. Toss to mix and pour the broth over all the ingredients, stirring as you do to evenly distribute the broth. Mix well, making sure al the bread is moist, but not too soggy.
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Spoon the stuffing evenly into the prepared pan (at this point you can refrigerate the dish for up to two days, covered tightly).
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When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the stuffing for 35-45 minutes, or until nicely browned and crisp on top.
Notes
**The amount of broth needed depends on how big your loaf of bread was – bigger loaves will need the larger amount. You want to aim for moist, but not soggy.
TO MAKE AHEAD: Make the dressing/stuffing (don’t bake), let it cool and freeze in pan wrapped in plastic or spoon into freezer baggies. Thaw overnight. For a drier, fluffier stuffing, stir, place it in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake until it’s done (remove foil for browning if desired). For a more moist stuffing, thaw, add a bit of extra broth, cover with foil and bake, remove the foil, and dot it with butter and place back in the oven to brown the top.
Nutrition
This recipe has been updated – it was originally published December 2013. We continually refine our recipes to ensure they are the best they can be for your family.