Sausage Dressing with Apples and Bacon

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Sausage dressing is a classic with holiday turkey. Make this easy Thanksgiving side dish recipe with apples and bacon for fantastic flavor.

What’s in a traditional holiday meal?

There are certain dishes that you’ll find on almost every table at a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

Of course, the star of the show is usually a roasted or smoked turkey, glazed baked ham, or crown roast.

For the veggies, you’ll find some delicious options. Some families enjoy roasted carrots or creamed corn. 

Others are holiday purists, insisting on homemade cranberry sauce and green bean casserole.

My family prefers spicy sauteed green beans.

But when it comes to the starchy side dishes, there’s usually no argument. Almost everyone will agree that the holiday table isn’t complete without a side of fluffy mashed potatoes and sausage stuffing… or is it dressing?

Stuffing vs Dressing

There is just one main difference between Thanksgiving stuffing and dressing – how, or rather, WHERE it’s cooked.

Before people became aware of the risk of illness from cross contamination, most home cooks would fill the cavity of their holiday turkey.

Inside was a mixture of moist bread, celery, onion, fresh herbs, and sometimes, pork sausage. The dish became known as stuffing because it was stuffed inside of the bird to cook. 

Centuries later, people began making it in a separate dish; then it became known as dressing. There are steps you can take to safely cook stuffing inside of turkey. But more often than not, it comes out dry.

Because I enjoy making easy Thanksgiving sides, I bake it in a casserole dish.

Sausage dressing with apples and bacon

Ingredients and substitutions

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Note: This is just a partial list of ingredients, for the purposes of offering substitutions. For the full ingredient list with amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below.

• sausage links, diced – ground pork sausage will also work, as will ground turkey or chicken sausage
• bacon – Although there are just 10 calories less per slice, feel free to use turkey bacon
• onion – this recipe calls for white onion, but yellow onion and even shallots are fine to use
• apples, cored and diced – use any firm, crisp apple that you enjoy. I suggest leaving the peel on, as it keeps the apple from breaking down
• herbs – I use dry parsley, sage, and thyme. If you don’t use these spices often, feel free to use dry poultry seasoning
• dried bread cubes – This can be seasoned stuffing cubes, which truly are the best choice. Otherwise, seasoned bread cubes, slices of day old french bread, and even dry cornbread will work.
• chicken broth – feel free to use chicken stock or vegetable broth/stock if you prefer

How to make sausage apple stuffing (or dressing)

Prep the ingredients – Wash and chop the vegetables and measure out the herbs, spices, and broth. This way, you’ll have everything ready to use when you need it.

TIME SAVING TIP – MAKE IT AHEAD! Feel free to prep everything you need up to 3 days ahead of time. Place them into individual containers or Ziploc bags, and store them in the refrigerator. This is a great way to save time on Thanksgiving or Christmas day!

As a matter of fact, you can fully assemble the sausage dressing up to three days ahead! Just follow the recipe instructions all the way up to the baking step. 

Then, cover the dish of sausage dressing and refrigerate. Then, the only step left will be to bake it on the day you plan to serve it.

1. Brown the sausage and bacon. Be sure to cook the sausage all the way through and cook the bacon until it’s as crispy as possible. Keep in mind that it will not crisp up further than that during baking.
2. Saute the vegetables and apples. After the meats are fully cooked, pull them from the pan and set them aside. You can drain off most of the fat, but leave a tablespoon or two in the pan to cook the other ingredients in.
3. Add the bread cubes. Transfer the cooked ingredients (including the sausage and bacon) to a greased casserole dish. Add the bread to the pan. I like to use my clean hands or a large wooden spoon to toss everything together. 
4. Add the broth slowly, and make sure to pour a bit over the entire surface. Then, use a large spoon to gently combine everything. If you notice any dry bread cubes, gently push them down so they can absorb some of the broth.
5. Cover and bake!

Storing leftovers

If you have any apple sausage stuffing left over, be sure to store it in a covered container in the refrigerator. They will keep well for up to 5 days.

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Originally published: 12/7/10 Updated: 10/5/20