Italian Sausage Stuffing with Parmesan

5 from 13 votes

Italian Sausage Stuffing with Parmesan

Italian sausage stuffing with parmesan is the perfect complement to any Thanksgiving table. Country white bread is combined with sausage, sage, chicken stock, and Parmigiano Reggiano to create the perfect stuffing!

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Optional toasting time35

Total Time1 20

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: James Delmage and Tara

Ingredients

1 24 ounce country white bread see notes below
1 1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage or remove casing from links
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup onion diced
1 cup celery diced
2 large eggs beaten
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup parsley minced
3 tablespoon sage minced
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated

Instructions

If using stale 1-2 day old bread, skip toasting. Otherwise, cube bread and toast in the oven on a baking sheet (flip the cubes at halfway point) at 250f for 30-45 minutes or until dry. Remove bread from the oven and turn heat to 375f.
In a very large nonstick pan saute the sausage in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until cooked through (about 10 minutes). Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Using the same pan, turn the heat to medium-low and add in the butter, onions, and celery. Cook until soft (about 7-10 minutes).
Beat the eggs and combine with the chicken stock, salt, pepper, parsley, and sage.
Once celery and onions are soft, add the cubed dry bread and sausage and gently mix to coat. Add in the grated parmesan cheese and the egg/chicken stock mixture, then gently mix once more.
Lightly oil or rub butter on the complete interior of a 10 by 15" baking dish. Fill the baking dish with all the stuffing.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10-15 minutes more or until the top of the stuffing becomes slightly brown and crispy. Enjoy!

Notes

If bread is very dry from being left out, skip the toasting process. But, dry bread is important so that the stuffing maintains some texture.
Gently folding the bread cubes into the sausage and stock is also important to maintain texture. Avoid overmixing or doing so too aggressively.
All of the bread crumbs need to be coated with the chicken stock mixture. If needed, use a bit more chicken stock.
If the stuffing isn't brown enough after 35 minutes of cooking time, feel free to broil for 60-90 seconds, but watch carefully!
Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the microwave.

Nutrition