This homemade stuffing recipe combines toasted herb sourdough bread cubes, pork sausage, onions, celery, mushrooms, and goat cheese. Baked until golden brown, this sourdough stuffing is top crunchy, center creamy, and flavor rich with all the earthy, savory notes you want on your Thanksgiving table.Jump to Recipe
Friends, I’m torn, my heart belongs to two different stuffings, and I don’t know what to do come Thanksgiving Day. We are a house divided; half of my family likes my Apple Cornbread Stuffing with Fennel and Pancetta and the other half (me included) prefers a more savory, tangy stuffing like this sourdough-based stuffing with sausage, mushrooms, and goat cheese.
It’s no wonder I usually have to make TWO types to make everyone happy, which is my ultimate goal every Thanksgiving.
If you’re like me and tend to lean towards Savory vs. Sweet-than this sourdough stuffing recipe is for you! For me, it just screams NOVEMBER- the earthy, umami flavor of sautéed crimini mushrooms, pairs perfectly with the complex tangy yeastiness of the sourdough bread. A rich, fatty pork sausage brings buttery richness and a meaty mouthfeel, while the woodsy essence of rosemary and sage tumbled with a tart creamy goat cheese feels perfectly in place. I will say the Herb Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage, Mushrooms, and Goat Cheese is marvelously balanced and I hope you join MY TEAM in agreeing with me after you make this recipe for your own loved ones on Thanksgiving! Happy Holidays, everyone!
How to Make Herb Sourdough Toasted Bread Cubes:
You will need a loaf of Sourdough bread, melted butter, salt, garlic powder, and fresh herbs: sage, rosemary and thyme
Combine spices, chopped herbs, and butter.
Roughly tear the sourdough into 1 and 2-inch cubes.
Toss herb butter with bread and spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. You may need two baking sheets.
Bake on the upper rack of oven for 10 minutes, tossing about mid-way to make sure all pieces are toasted. Be careful not to overbake, a light golden brown is perfect. They should feel crispy but not be too brown; The texture of stale bread.
Be careful not to over bake, a light golden brown is perfect. They should feel crispy but not be too brown; The texture of stale bread.
Tips for Toasted Herb Sourdough
- Don’t slice – tear instead! Use your hands to tear the bread into rough pieces. Rustic is better when it comes to stuffing because irregularities of the torn pieces create nooks & crannies and produces a crisper baked top.
- Toast with garlic-herb butter. The bread is a major player here. Enhancing the flavor is a major overall value add to the dish.
- Make them ahead of time. When it comes to homemade stuffing, the drier the bread, the better! I usually complete this step a day before I make the stuffing (like Tuesday) and just store them on the counter in a ziplock bag. It’s not necessary to do so, but if you like to break down the overall project of cooking a Thanksgiving meal into smaller parts, this is a step that can be prepped in advance.
How to Make Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing
You will need mushrooms (I used baby bella), celery, onion, garlic, pork sausage ( I used sweet Italian and removed the casings myself), goat cheese, butter, white wine, chicken stock, eggs, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high flame and brown the sausage. This will take about 10-12 minutes. While the sausage is cooking, use a heat-safe cooking utensil to break apart large sausage chunks into bite-sized pieces. Deglaze the pan with white wine and scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, let wine simmer for 1-2 minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Transfer sausage to a large mixing bowl and let cool.
In the same skillet, melt butter. Add onions and celery. Cook until softened but not browned. Add garlic and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
Remove from heat and add goat cheese to the hot onion/celery mixture. Transfer to a mixing bowl with the sausage.
Toss together while goat cheese melts and coats the vegetables.
Transfer to a mixing bowl with the sausage.
In the same skillet add the chopped mushrooms. Cook until browned and softened, about 5 minutes. If needed, pour a couple of tablespoons of chicken stock to deglaze the bottom of the pan (there may be bits from the goat cheese onion mixture previously cooked).
Add the toasted bread to the large mixing bowl as well as chopped parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, and chicken stock. Give a little taste, adding more salt and pepper if desired, then add beaten eggs. Toss together with a large spoon to combine, then use clean hands to really mix in the bread with all the other ingredients. You want to gently squeeze it together to make sure the bread is absorbing the juices.
Transfer the stuffing to a 9×13 baking pan, lightly pressing the stuffing down into the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, uncovered, until the top of the stuffing is crispy & browned.
Stuffing FAQs:
Can I make Stuffing in Advance?
Yes!!! The Sourdough Bread cubes can be made in up to 1-3 days in advance. Just store in ziplock at room temperature. You can chop the vegetables 1-3 days in advance as well. I like to assemble my stuffing on Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving and just leave it unbaked until before serving.
How Many Does This Recipe Serve?
This sausage stuffing recipe yields a large batch, serving 12-14 generously as a side dish. To serve a smaller crowd of up to 6, reduce the recipe by 1/3 and use 8×8 baking dish or 9-inch pie plate To serve a smaller crowd of up to 4 halve the recipe. Assemble in an 8×8 baking dish or a 9-inch pie plate and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top of the stuffing is crispy & browned.
How Long Can I Keep Leftovers? Can I Freeze?
Storage & Reheating: Leftover stuffing will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven, until warmed through.
Freezer Instructions: You can also freeze leftover stuffing. Transfer leftover stuffing to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the microwave or oven, until warmed through.
Herb Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage, Mushrooms, and Goat Cheese
Equipment
- Baking Dish 9×13
Ingredients
Sourdough Toasted Bread Cubes:
- 20 oz Sourdough bread roughly torn into 1 ½ inch pieces
- 3 tbsp melted butter unsalted
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp fresh chopped herbs sage, rosemary, and thyme recommended
Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing
- 2 lbs sweet Italian pork sausage loose or casing removed if necessary
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 3 ribs celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 12 oz crimini mushrooms chopped
- 4 oz goat cheese
- 4 tbsp butter unsalted
- ¼ cup white wine
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 3 eggs beaten
- ¼ cup of fresh chopped sage rosemary, thyme
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Herbed Sourdough Toasted Bread Cubes:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
- Combine melted butter, herbs, salt, and garlic powder
- Toss with sourdough cubes. Use hands to really incorporate the herb butter into the bread.
- Bake for 10 minutes, tossing about mid way to make sure all piece are toasted. Be careful not to overbake, a, light golden brown is perfect. They should feel crispy but not be too brown; The texture of stale bread.
- Remove from oven and set aside to cool. *if making in advance, once cool store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days
Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high flame and brown the sausage. This will take about 10-12 minutes. While the sausage is cooking, use heat safe cooking utensil to break apart large sausage chunks to bite-sized pieces. Deglaze pan with white wine and scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan let wine simmer in pan for 1-2 minutes to evaporate the alcohol. Transfer sausage to a large mixing bowl and let cool.
- In the same skillet, melt butter. Add onions and celery. Cook until softened but not browned. Add garlic and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and add goat cheese to the hot onion/celery mixture. Toss together while goat cheese melts and coats the vegetables. Transfer to a mixing bowl with the sausage.
- In the same skillet add the chopped mushrooms. Cook until browned and softened, about 5 minutes. If needed, pour a couple of tablespoons of chicken stock to deglaze the bottom of the pan (there may be bits from the goat cheese onion mixture previously cooked). Turn off the flame and add cooked mushrooms to the large mixing bowl with sausage, etc.
- Add the toasted bread to the large mixing bowl as well as chopped parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, and chicken stock. Give a little taste, adding more salt and pepper if desired, then add beaten eggs.
- Toss together with a large spoon to combine, then use clean hands to really mix in the bread with all the other ingredients. You want to gently squeeze it together to make sure the bread is absorbing the juices.
- Transfer the stuffing to 9×13 baking pan, lightly pressing the stuffing down into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, uncovered, until the top of the stuffing is crispy & browned.
Notes
- Storage & Freezing:
- Storage & Reheating: Leftover stuffing will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven, until warmed through.
- Freezer Instructions: You can also freeze leftover stuffing. Transfer leftover stuffing to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in the microwave or oven, until warmed through.
- Portions: This sausage stuffing recipe yields a large batch, serving 12-14 generously as a side dish. To serve a smaller crowd of up to 6, reduce the recipe by 1/3 and use 8×8 baking dish or 9-inch pie plate To serve a smaller crowd of up to 4 halve the recipe. Assemble in an 8×8 baking dish or a 9-inch pie plate and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top of the stuffing is crispy & browned.
Nutrition
