Sausage and Apple Dressing With Cranberries

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Diana Rattray
Updated 09/08/19
Stuffing with Cranberries
Stuffing with Cranberries. James Baigrie/The Image Bank/Getty Images
  • Total: 55 mins
  • Prep: 15 mins
  • Cook: 40 mins
  • Servings: 8 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
317 Calories
11g Fat
41g Carbs
13g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 317
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 4g 18%
Cholesterol 129mg 43%
Sodium 565mg 25%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Protein 13g
Calcium 116mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Apples and cranberries give this basic bread dressing fabulous fall flavor, and the sausage adds an extra dimension. Add 1/2 cup of pecans to the dressing for even more texture.

Use this bread dressing to stuff a 12- to 14-pound turkey or bake it in a shallow baking pan in the oven. If you bake the stuffing in the turkey, make sure it reaches the minimum safe temperature of 165 F in the center of the stuffing. Even if the turkey is done, if it's stuffed it might need more time.

Taste the stuffing and adjust the seasonings before you add the egg. 

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf (1 pound) white bread, cut into small cubes (about 10 to 12 cups cubes)
  • 4 tablespoons butter, plus about 2 to 3 teaspoons for greasing the pan
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 8 ounces ground pork sausage
  • 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/2 teaspoon crumbled leaf thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon crumbled leaf rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup to 1 cup chicken broth or stock, unsalted or low sodium
  • 1 large apple, peeled, cored, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Steps to Make It

  1. Heat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

  2. In a large skillet, melt butter; add onion and celery. Saute the vegetables, stirring, until just tender. Add sausage and cook, breaking the sausage up with a spatula, until cooked through.

  3. In a large bowl combine the vegetable and sausage mixture with the bread cubes and seasonings. Stir and add chicken broth until the crumbs are well moistened but not too mushy. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add the apples and cranberries then stir in the egg until well blended.

  4. Pat the dressing mixture in the prepared pan and cover tightly with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and broil the dressing just until lightly browned.

  5. Note: If using the dressing as a turkey stuffing, stuff the turkey just before roasting. When the turkey is finished (the stuffing must reach 165 F), let it stand for about 20 minutes, then remove all of the stuffing to a bowl to serve. Refrigerate leftover stuffing in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking.

Glass Bakeware Warning

Do not use glass bakeware when broiling or when a recipe calls to add liquid to a hot pan, as glass may explode. Even if it states oven-safe or heat resistant, tempered glass products can, and do, break occasionally.


For premade casseroles or leftovers that are in a glass baking dish and have been refrigerated, do not place directly into a hot oven as the glass can shatter. Instead, place any cold glass bakeware into a cold oven to warm up while it preheats. Or, allow the bakeware to rest outside of the fridge for 30 minutes to reach room temperature while the oven preheats.

Tips and Variations

  • Use half cornbread crumbs with the bread crumbs.

  • Replace the sage, marjoram, thyme, and rosemary with 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of a poultry seasoning blend.

  • Add about 1/2 cup of toasted pecans, chopped.

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