Sausage and Caramelized Onion Stuffing
This post may contain affiliate links.
One of the things I love most about Thanksgiving is the perfect herb stuffing. It’s always the first thing I want on my plate and don’t even get me started on leftover stuffing the next day. This sausage and caramelized onion stuffing is loaded with flavor and the perfect accompaniment to your Thanksgiving feast.
QUICKLY JUMP TO:
Heather’s Notes
- Sweet caramelized onions add incredible depth of flavor that balances the savory sausage.
- Using fresh herbs like sage, thyme, and rosemary makes this stuffing taste classic and cozy.
- A mix of crusty bread cubes gives it the perfect texture—soft inside with golden crispy edges.
- Easily customizable: swap sausage flavors, add apples, mushrooms, or nuts to make it your own.
- Perfect make-ahead side dish for Thanksgiving or any holiday gathering.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Sweet Italian Sausage – you can also use spicy italian sausage if you want a little more heat. I’ve made this recipe both ways and each was delicious. Omit the pepper flakes if using spicy sausage.
- French Bread – cut into cubes and toasted with olive oil and herbs. Stale bread works best for this recipe.
- Chicken Stock – or chicken broth. Canned or homemade works great/.
- Fresh Herbs – fresh rosemary, thyme, sage, or a combination of all works incredible.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper – to season
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – optional, but highly recommended if using sweet italian sausage.
- Olive Oil – to toss the cubes of bread with before baking to make dried bread cubes.
- Spices – such as an Italian herbs blend, or my favorite is Greek Freak from Spiceology
Find the printable recipe card with exact measurements and instructions below.
Popular Substitutes & Variations
- Change the bread – use sourdough bread that is cubed and dried in the oven, or a rustic loaf like this one.
- Use other types of sausage – savory sausage works best in this recipe, but if you wanted to try something a little more flavorful a breakfast sausage could also add a delicious twist.
- Make it gluten-free – toast cubes of gluten free bread for this sausage stuffing recipe.
- Add veggies – saute any type of mushrooms and add to the sausage bread mixture before baking.
How to Make Sausage and Caramelized Stuffing
What to Serve with Sausage Stuffing
- Asian Apricot Spiral Ham
- Creamy Stovetop Mac & Cheese
- Smoked Turkey
- Stuffed Mushrooms
- Green Bean Casserole
- Classic Cranberry Sauce
Tips for Storing Leftovers
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in a microwave safe dish or cover with foil and heat in a 300ºF oven until warmed through.
- Freeze in an airtight container up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before reheating.
More Recipes We Love
Here’s a list of some other recipes we love that will be great additions to your Thanksgiving Meal and beyond.
- Rosemary Whole Wheat Stuffing
- Sweet Bread Stuffing with Dates & Sausage
- Easy Stout Shepherd’s Pie
- Banana Pumpkin Bread
- Creamy Sausage & Pea Pasta
- Mac & Cheese with Bacon
Sausage and Caramelized Onion Stuffing Recipe
This Sausage and Caramelized Onion Stuffing is the perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving table and only requires a few ingredients to make a flavorful recipe. Sweet Italian sausage is married with toasted bread cubes, sweet caramelized onions, fresh herbs, and chicken stock and baked to perfection. This simple and classic stuffing recipe will be on rotation for years to come.
prep time15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total: 2 hours
number of servings Servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb French bread loaf, cut into cubes
- 3 medium sweet onions, diced
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 8 sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, stems removed
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/2-3 cups chicken stock
- 1 tbsp butter
Before You Start. If you make this recipe, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked it. This helps our business thrive and continue providing FREE recipes!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300. Put cubed bread on a large rimmed baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, turning and stirring halfway through. Remove and cool completely.
- Add butter and onions to a large skillet and cook over medium-low stirring frequently, until the onions are a deep golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove to a bowl.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Add the sausage to the same skillet and fry breaking into bite sized pieces, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add to the bowl along with rosemary leaves, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and bread cubes. Toss to combine. Add 2 1/2 cups of chicken stock and toss to combine. Add the remaining 1/2 cup if it seems too dry.
- Butter a 13×9 baking dish and add the stuffing. Butter a piece of parchment paper and place on butter side down on the stuffing then wrap tightly with aluminum foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and parchment and continue to bake another 30 minutes. Remove and allow to rest for 4-5 minutes before serving.
Save this Recipe!
Easily save this recipe to your own recipe collection box and come back to it anytime you want!
Notes
Nutrition
* Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
Did you try this recipe?
Please consider Leaving a Review!Recipe By:
Co-Founder at Spiceology | More About Heather…
Heather is a recipe developer and content creator living in Vancouver, Washington. She started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006, almost 20 years ago, as a way to share recipes with friends and family. Heather is also the co-founder of Spiceology , a unique spice company, which she started in 2013. She shares family friendly recipes for easy everyday meals with a gourmet twist.
my favorite Thanksgiving stuffing recipe