This Sausage stuffing is a basic, savory, delicious stuffing for Turkey. If you don’t like fruit, nuts, and creative ingredients in your turkey stuffing this recipe is for you. The sausage adds extra flavor and moisture to the stuffing while still letting the other flavors shine through. So good Farmer Fred will eat it as the main course.
We have a large chestnut tree and like to add roasted chestnuts to our stuffing. However many people don’t care for the taste of roasted chestnuts so skip the roasted chestnuts if you prefer.
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Key Takeaways:
- Sausage Stuffing for Traditionalists: This stuffing is perfect for those who prefer simple, savory flavors without fruits or nuts. The sausage adds moisture and flavor while complementing the other ingredients.
- Customizable Add-ins: While roasted chestnuts are a recommended addition, they’re optional based on taste. Other vegetables like carrots, celery, and onions can be adjusted to your preference.
- Homemade Stock Enhances Flavor: Using homemade stock elevates the dish, providing rich and hearty flavors. It’s also great for making turkey soup or gravy.
- Bread Choices Matter: Seasoned breadcrumbs simplify the recipe, but stale bread can be cubed and dried to reduce waste.
- Flexible Cooking Options: The stuffing can be cooked inside the turkey for added flavor or baked separately in a dish for convenience.
- Turkey Roasting Tips: Ensure proper preparation by removing the giblet bag, basting every 30 minutes, and using a thermometer to check for doneness in the turkey thigh.
This sausage stuffing is a family recipe of Farmer Fred’s. If you made a batch of my homemade stock, your stuffing would be beyond amazing. The rich, thick broth/stock is the secret ingredient that makes this recipe 5 stars. Click Here for my homemade broth/stock recipe. It may be too late for this year’s Thanksgiving turkey, but make a batch out of the leftovers and use it for some turkey soup. It will be the best turkey soup you’ve ever made. By now, you’ve probably figured out how much I love cooking with this stock.
The heart of this sausage stuffing is the bread crumbs. Everyone seems to have an opinion as to what bread is best to use. Fresh, day-old, dried, seasoned… I like SIS (simple is smart), I purchase seasoned breadcrumbs and save the time needed to cube, season, and dry breadcrumbs. If I have leftover stale homemade bread, this is a great way to use it up. I will take the time to cube and dry it rather than throwing it out.
Sausage Stuffing Step by Step Instructions:
- Roast and chop 1 cup of chestnuts. If you don’t have a chestnut tree most stores sell chestnuts around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
- Chop and brown about a pound of sweet (or spicy) Italian sausage. If you use the sausage links, remove the casing before browning. Put the browned sausage in a mixing bowl.
- Add the diced vegetable to the frying pan. Celery, carrots, and onions, but feel free to omit the carrots or onions. I love the little pop of color the carrots give. Saute’ until the onions are translucent.
- Add the sauteed vegetables to the sausage.
- Add the bread crumbs, chopped roasted chestnuts, and chicken stock. Mix, and your sausage stuffing is done. The recipe calls for 1 quart of stock. Use 3 cups of stock for the stuffing and one cup for the gravy. If you use purchased stock, add 4 Tbsp. of butter to the recipe.
Stuffing The Turkey.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
When you roasted your first turkey, did you leave the bag with the neck and giblets in the turkey and roast it? Lesson learned, remove the bag and stuff that cavity with stuffing. This sausage stuffing tastes so much better. Loosely fill the body cavity with sausage stuffing and season with salt, pepper, onion, and garlic powder.
If you prefer not to stuff the turkey with the stuffing, bake the stuffing in a baking dish. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake during the last 45 minutes of roasting the turkey. The stuffing can also be baked while the turkey is resting. Turn the oven up to 375 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.
Should I Use a Roasting Rack?
I roasted a turkey on a roasting rack, placed it in the roasting pan, and put the turkey into the roasting pan without a rack. Both methods work. A roasting rack helps air circulate around the turkey for slightly more even roasting. If you have a heavy-duty roasting pan, Place some root vegetables, carrots, onions, and celery in the bottom of the pan. Add 2 cups of chicken stock to the pan. Place the turkey directly on the vegetables in the pan.
Sear the turkey for 30 minutes at 500 degrees F. Then turn the oven temperature down to 325 degrees F and continue to roast the turkey until the internal temperature of the thigh is 165 degrees F. Start checking the temperature of the turkey when it has roasted for 20 minutes per pound.
During roasting, baste the turkey with the juices in the bottom of the pan. Baste once every 30 minutes. Keep the basting time as brief as possible to prevent dropping the temperature of the oven.
For a stuffed Turkey total cooking time is 20 – 25 minutes per pound.
If you want to cook the turkey unstuffed the cooking time is 15 – 20 minutes per pound of turkey.
How To Take The Temperature Of My Turkey.
The turkey is done when the internal temperature of the meatiest part of the thigh is 165 degrees. Use an instant-read thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the meatiest part of the thigh. Use the thigh and not the breast to check the temperature. The thigh takes the longest to cook and is the thickest part of the turkey. There will be some resistance when you insert the thermometer. If it suddenly goes in easily, you are in the body cavity. If it suddenly doesn’t go in any farther, you are up against a bone. Either way, pull the thermometer back a little before taking the temperature.
When the temperature is 165 degrees, remove the turkey from the oven and loosely tent it with foil. Rest the turkey for 30 minutes. As the turkey rests, the temperature will continue to rise another 5 to 8 degrees, achieving the ideal temperature for a perfectly roasted turkey.
While the turkey is resting make the gravy from the drippings in the bottom of the roasting pan. Here is my how to recipe for pan gravy.
What can you make with the turkey? How about some mashed potatoes and Swiss chard on the side.
That was the easy part; the hard part might be finding someone to carve the turkey.
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FAQ:
Q: Can I skip the roasted chestnuts in the stuffing?
A: Yes, roasted chestnuts are optional. If you or your guests don’t enjoy their flavor, feel free to leave them out.
Q: What type of bread should I use for the stuffing?
A: Seasoned breadcrumbs are a time-saving option. If you have stale bread, cube and dry it for a homemade touch.
Q: Do I have to stuff the turkey with the stuffing?
A: No, you can bake the stuffing separately in a dish at 375°F for 30 minutes while the turkey rests.
Q: How do I know when the turkey is fully cooked?
A: Use an instant-read thermometer and check the thickest part of the thigh. The turkey is done when it reaches 165°F.
Q: What’s the benefit of using homemade stock in this recipe?
A: Homemade stock adds depth and richness, making the stuffing and accompanying dishes like gravy or soup taste extraordinary.
Q: What’s the cooking time for a stuffed versus an unstuffed turkey?
A: A stuffed turkey requires 20–25 minutes per pound, while an unstuffed turkey takes 15–20 minutes per pound.
Roasted Turkey with Sausage Stuffing
Equipment
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- Roasting pan for Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey fresh or frozen 12 - 14 lbs.
- 1 lb Italian sausage sweet or spicy
- 2 onions medium diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 2 bags pepperidge farms herb-seasoned classic bread stuffing 14-ounce package - 7 cups
- 1 quart *homemade chicken stock or 4 cups purchased chicken broth + 1 stick of butter
Instructions
Preparing the Stuffing
- Remove the bag with the neck and giblets from the turkey's neck area. Rinse the turkey and pat dry.
- Remove the casing from the sausage, cut it into pieces, and saute until browned. Once the sausage is browned dice it into small piece and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Saute the onions celery and carrots in the fat from the sausage until the onions are translucent. The celery and carrots will still be firm.
- Add the sauteed vegetables to the sausage.
- Add the herb-seasoned bread crumbs and three cups of the homemade chicken broth*. Mix all together.
- **Loosely stuff the turkey. I stuff the body cavity and the neck area. Place any leftover stuffing in a casserole dish and bake covered with foil in the oven with the turkey during the last hour of roasting.
Roasting the turkey
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees F
- Season the stuffed turkey with salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan. You can place on a rack or directly on the bottom of the pan. If placing on the bottom of the pan, add 1/8 of an inch of broth to the pan.
- Sear the turkey in a 500-degree oven for 30 minutes.
- Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees and roast for another 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh is 165 degrees. The temperature will rise another 5 degrees during resting. Baste the turkey every 30 minutes while roasting. When checking the temperature during baking make sure the probe is into the deepest part of the thigh and not touching the bone.
- Remove the turkey from the oven when it reaches 165 degrees and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving. Remove the stuffing from the inside of the turkey before carving.
- Make the gravy from the pan drippings while the turkey is resting.
Sooo good.