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Do you love stuffing? Make it into a dinner on its own any time of year with this Sausage Stuffing Casserole! With all the classic flavors, it’s also the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table as a side dish. THM XO
Ryan’s comment: “It tastes like my grandma’s stuffing from Lancaster, only with half the butter.” Feel free to add more butter for the full Lancaster, PA, experience. I personally like it just like it is….
The inspiration for this recipe
Credit where credit is due: this recipe was inspired by Bon Appetit’s Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Corn Nuts. I loved the idea of all the classic Thanksgiving flavors mashed together + sausage, because sausage is delicious. Could I make the whole shebang THM friendly and maybe a little easier to make?
Yes, yes I could. And it’s delicious. 🙂
- I used turkey sausage so I wouldn’t have so much grease to contend with. I wanted to keep all that good flavor in the casserole so I didn’t want to have copious amounts of grease to drain off, like pork sausage produces.
- Instead of using cornbread in the casserole, I used sourdough bread because I usually have that in the freezer and it’s easier to find a storebought THM friendly substitute for bread than cornbread. I added some masa flour for cornbread flavor. I’d call that genius if I weren’t talking about myself here.
- I kept all the standards: onion, celery, garlic, BUTTER (although I backed down on that a bit), sage, thyme, you know the drill.
Click here for a cornbread skillet dressing recipe!
What kind of bread should I use?
Use a bread that is on plan for THM if you follow that plan. I used a homemade artisan style sourdough bread made with mostly white whole wheat flour. (This recipe looks similar to what I used.) 8 cups weighed 1 lb, 6 oz, so it was pretty hearty.
You could also use an on plan sprouted bread (I like Aldi’s) but you may need to use more bread or add less liquid if your bread is not as dense as mine.
To be THM friendly, sourdough bread must be made with mostly whole grain flour and soured at least 7 hours.
Can I bake this stuffing inside a turkey?
I assume this stuffing could go inside a turkey but I don’t know what the texture would turn out like. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Click here for a deviled turkey and stuffing recipe!
Can I make this stuffing ahead?
Sure! Make it ahead and bake it, then reheat it covered with foil for a wetter stuffing or without foil for a crunchier stuffing.
How to make THM friendly gravy
Gravy is the perfect stuffing accoutrement! I make mine with 1-2 tablespoons of oat fiber and 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum per cup of flavorful broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Thicken with more oat fiber to achieve the desired texture if needed. Reduce in an uncovered saucepan on the stovetop and make sure to cook out the oat fiber flavor.
As always, check out the Notes section of the recipe for helpful info and answers to frequently asked questions!
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Sausage Stuffing Casserole
- Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings as a meal, 15 as a side
Description
Do you love stuffing? Make it into a dinner on its own any time of year with this Sausage Stuffing Casserole! With all the classic flavors, it’s also the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table as a side dish. THM XO
Ryan’s comment: “It tastes like my grandma’s stuffing from Lancaster, only with half the butter.” Feel free to add more butter for the full Lancaster, PA, experience. I personally like it just like it is….
Ingredients
- 8 cups sourdough bread cubes*
- 1 pound ground turkey breakfast sausage
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 2 medium onions (chopped)
- 4 celery ribs (chopped)
- 4 large garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 medium jalapeno (seeded and chopped)
- 1/2 cup masa flour
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Three cups flavorful salted chicken stock or broth (I used Better than Bouillon chicken base to make broth with water.)
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
Instructions
*Use a bread that is on plan for THM if you follow that plan. I used a homemade artisan style sourdough bread made with mostly white whole wheat flour. (This recipe looks similar to what I used.) 8 cups weighed 1 lb, 6 oz, so it was pretty hearty. You could also use an on plan sprouted bread but may need to use more bread or add less liquid if your bread is not as dense as mine. To be THM friendly, sourdough bread must be made with mostly whole grain flour and soured at least 7 hours.
Spread the bread cubes out on a cookie sheet and bake at 325° until dry and crispy, about 50 minutes. Stir occasionally. (Baking time may vary depending on the bread you use.) Remove from the oven.
Meanwhile, cook the turkey sausage in a skillet until cooked through. Don’t add any water. Crumble the sausage and set aside in a bowl. Don’t drain the grease – keep it in for flavor. (If you use pork sausage I would drain most of the grease off.) Don’t rinse out the skillet.
In the same skillet you used to cook the sausage, melt the butter. Add the onions, celery, garlic, and jalapeno and cook uncovered over medium heat until translucent and the liquid is cooked off. Stir occasionally.
Stir in the masa flour, sage, thyme, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Cook to warm things up.
Whisk the chicken stock, eggs, and sriracha together in a bowl.
Add the bread, sausage, and cooked veggies to a big mixing bowl. (I like this large stainless steel bowl + long mixing spoon.) Pour the chicken stock mixture over the bread mixture and stir gently to coat. Let sit a few minutes until the liquid is absorbed, giving an occasional gentle stir.
Add salt to taste – I added 3/4 teaspoon but it could have used a little more. It depends on the salt level of the ingredients you use.
Spread the stuffing into a greased 9” x 13” glass baking pan. Pack it down with the back of a spoon. Cover with foil.
Bake (covered) at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake at 425° for 20 minutes to crisp up the top. This stuffing can be a meal or side dish!
GRAVY is the perfect stuffing accoutrement! I make mine with 1-2 tablespoons of oat fiber and 1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum per cup of flavorful broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Thicken with more oat fiber to achieve the desired texture if needed. Reduce in an uncovered saucepan on the stovetop and make sure to cook out the oat fiber flavor.
Notes
Masa: You can find masa flour with the Mexican foods at Walmart or your local grocery store. I love the cornbread flavor it adds to this stuffing!
I’d call the spice level medium. It wasn’t too much for me, and I’m a spice wimp – just a little tingle in the throat.
I assume this stuffing could go inside a turkey but I don’t know what the texture would turn out like. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Feel free to make this stuffing ahead. Reheat with foil for a wetter stuffing – without foil for a crunchier stuffing.
Leftovers? Crisp them up in a skillet and serve with your favorite condiments for lunch. Yum!
Credit where credit is due: this recipe was inspired by Bon Appetit’s Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Corn Nuts.
- Prep Time: 60 mins
- Cook Time: 110 mins
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: THM XO
Keywords: trim healthy mama, thm, healthy stuffing recipe, thm thanksgiving recipes, thm stuffing recipe, thm dressing recipe
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