This is the best turkey sausage stuffing you will have this Thanksgiving. It’s made with turkey sausage, apples, and fennel and will impress all your friends and family.
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Turkey sausage stuffing is the best stuffing.
Well, I might be biased because I don’t typically eat pork and I know that sausage stuffing is super popular (according to my google searches). But, I guarantee that this turkey sausage stuffing will make you and your guests very happy on Thanksgiving Day.
I also am aware that you will probably be eating turkey on Thanksgiving, but there is always more room at the table for a different kind of turkey. We used some delicious ground turkey sausage that is not only delicious, but a little bit healthier than the typical pork sausage.
Homemade stuffing that isn’t soggy.
Let’s just all agree that soggy stuffing is trash. It can get mushy and a little too moist for our liking sometimes. Our turkey sausage stuffing is NOT soggy and is a way better texture than the one Aunt Sally is bringing to family Thanksgiving. Sorry, Aunt Sally.
A few reasons that our homemade stuffing stays on the drier instead of soggy side.
- Dried Sourdough Bread Chunks. You don’t want to make croutons, but you want to dry your bread out so it helps keep your stuffing dry and not mushy or soggy.
- A Bit of Apple Cider. While it’s not really as much about the liquid of choice, but how much you use. We use just a cup of apple cider instead of broth which adds a delicious fall flavor.
When to prepare your homemade stuffing for Thanksgiving?
Some of the elements of this stuffing can be made the day before, but you should really finish cooking it on the day you’ll be serving it. You can absolutely prepare the bread the day (or days) before and would actually recommend that since it takes a bit of time to get the bread to the right dryness.
But, you can totally make this stuffing in the morning then cover with foil and “warm up” when ready to enjoy!
Ways to use leftover turkey sausage stuffing after Thanksgiving.
It’s possible that I love leftovers more than I actually love Thanksgiving. I mean, the moist maker – COME ON. Here are a few ways to use this delicious apple and fennel stuffing.
- Fried Stuffing Balls. A friend told me that her family fries balls of stuffing for leftovers and dips them in cranberry sauce. I want to be invited to her leftover party.
- Frittata. Hear me out. Mix some of this in with eggs and you’ve got a yummy breakfast.
- Savory Bread Pudding. This recipe has cheese in it, so it’s pretty delicious.
A few of our other Thanksgiving side dish recommendations.
- Honey Glazed Carrots. These are instagram-worthy and freaking delicious.
- Cobb Salad with Homemade Ranch. If you are looking for a lighter Thanksgiving recipe.
- Red-Skinned Potato Salad. Potato salad isn’t just for the summer.
Turkey Sausage Stuffing
Ingredients
- 16 oz ground turkey sausage
- 1 loaf (16oz) sourdough bread cubed and dried
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 cup fennel chopped
- 1 cup sweet onion chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fennel greens chopped
- 2 Tablespoons carrot tops (optional or fresh parsley) chopped
- 1 cup apple cider
Instructions
- Prepare bread first. You need it to be extremely dried out. Slice it into large cubes and place in a 300 degree oven F and cook for as long as it takes. Ours took about 30 minutes. Do not cook on a higher temperature because you just want to dry them out, not cook like croutons.
- Change oven temperature to 350 degrees F while you prepare the rest of the stuffing.
- Add turkey sausage to a non-stick pan, breaking it up into big-ish crumbles. Cook until done, about 4-6 minutes but be sure to use a meat thermometer to make sure it is cooked to 165 degrees F. Remove the cooked turkey sausage and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
- With the pan still on the stove over medium heat, add the butter and melt for a minute. Then, add the chopped onion and fennel. Cook until softened and fragrant, about 4-7 minutes.
- Add the cooked onion and fennel to the turkey sausage. Then, add the cooked bread cubes, fennel tops, carrot tops or fresh parsley and mix together. Then, add the apple cider and mix until well combined but be careful not to smoosh it too much. If you like a little softer stuffing, you can add more apple cider, 1 Tablespoon at a time.
- Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 glass baking pan. Place into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until browned on top and hot in the center. You can use a thermometer to ensure it's fully cooked in the middle.
- Serve immediately or leave in a slightly warm oven until ready to enjoy!
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