Who’s excited for Halloween tomorrow?! I am back from a SUPER fun weekend in Nashville with some girl friends! We just had the best time hanging out, getting good food and drinks, listening to some live music and having girl time. Gonna need to do that more often! I also celebrated my birthday with them and was happy to come back home and celebrate again with my family yesterday! And now that that is all over, I’m all kinds of excited for Halloween. M is going to be Shimmer from the TV show Shimmer and Shine (and our neighbor friend is going with her as Shine) and J is going to be Spiderman. He’s been Spiderman all month long. He puts that costume on every single day. And he may or may not wear it to the grocery store on a regular basis… We’ll get together with our neighbors tomorrow night in the cul-de-sac for pizza, snacks and drinks (and a fire pit!) before we start trick-or-treating. It’s such a fun tradition! I just need to figure out something quick + easy for a costume for me… but moving right along!
Today’s recipe for this turkey sausage and apple dressing is a newer favorite! I made it for our family’s Thanksgiving last year and my mom said it was the best stuffing we’ve ever made. High praises! It’s got the traditional vegetables and herbs, cubed bakery bread, chopped apple, and cooked and crumbled turkey sausage spread throughout.
The bread pieces on the top of the casserole get toasted and crunchy, while the ones at the bottom are soft and tender. I love that contrast! Speaking of contrast, I love using a hot Italian turkey sausage to contrast with the hint of sweetness from the apple and veggies, but you can certainly opt for mild. (You can also use pork sausage. We actually had to do that last year because it’s all we could find at the grocery store at the beach where we have Thanksgiving. It was delicious.) Regardless, you will love the fresh herby flavors coming through, the hearty bread and the flavorful sausage. ❤️ And if you love dressing like I do, check out this Southern cornbread dressing or my family’s classic Thanksgiving dressing. There’s also this wild rice dressing, which is a good gluten-free and vegan option.
Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make sausage and apple dressing. Just tryin’ to be helpful. If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Notes on making turkey sausage and apple dressing:
As mentioned, you can use mild or hot Italian turkey sausage or pork sausage. I use a Gala apple, but any sweet red apple will work. I use a 1 lb. loaf of French or Italian bread for this. Any good day-old bread would work here. If your bread is fresh, you can cut it into cubes, spread it all out on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 275 for 15-20 minutes to help dry it out. If you need this to be dairy free, you can sub additional chicken or turkey broth for the milk. We bake and serve this in a casserole dish on the side, but feel free to use it as a stuffing in your turkey if you prefer.
Tip: You will likely need to add additional liquid to the casserole once it’s prepped. This varies depending on the moisture level of your ingredients and also the bread you use. I just drizzle extra broth over the casserole dish until it seems wet enough. It shouldn’t be sitting in a pool of broth, but all of the bread should seem completely moistened. You don’t want it to dry out too much while it bakes.
And since it’s the holidays and we have a million other things to do, here are some tips on how to prep this ahead.
Make ahead Thanksgiving dressing tips:
- Cook the sausage and sauté the veggies to get both of those ready to use. Store them, covered, in the refrigerator.
- Cut the bread and store it in a baggie on the counter.
- Proceed with the recipe when ready to bake.
- OR you can also assemble the entire casserole, but only use 1 egg and 2 cup of broth. Add the remaining egg and an additional 1-2 cups of broth before you bake. That helps ensure the consistency is still good and the casserole doesn’t dry out. Got leftovers? Oh, they are my very favorite part of the holiday.
WHAT TO DO WITH THANKSGIVING DRESSING LEFTOVERS
My most beloved way to use any extras is for my Thanksgiving leftovers breakfast hash. I get giddy for the holidays just knowing I will get to enjoy this! Also, we love to heat up leftover dressing in the microwave along with some gravy and have it as a side dish again on another night. It reheats great. And just to note, I do really prefer the microwave. Reheating the casserole in the oven, even if you have a lot left in the original dish, takes forever to get it really well warmed through. So in addition to being time-consuming, you also now run the risk of drying it out. Microwave for the win.
I hope you give this turkey sausage and apple dressing a try — maybe it’ll be your family’s new favorite too! And if you’re looking for other Thanksgiving or holiday side dishes, check out my bourbon sweet potato casserole, roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and 15-minute easy cranberry sauce. And my classic baked mac and cheese if that’s part of your holiday table too. Hoping your holiday table is filled with love, laughter and yummy eats! And hope you have a spooky, fun and safe Halloween! XO, Kathryn
You can use mild or hot turkey sausage for this recipe. You can also sub regular pork sausage if you prefer. (You may need to remove grease from the pan if it produces very much.) I use a Gala apple, but any sweet red apple will work. I use a 1 lb. loaf of French or Italian bread for this. Any good day-old bread would work here. If your bread is fresh, you can cut it into cubes, spread it all out on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 275 for 15-20 minutes to help dry it out. If you need this to be dairy free, you can sub additional chicken or turkey broth for the milk. To prep this ahead, cook the sausage and sauté the veggies and store them in the refrigerator. (I also cut the bread and store it in a baggie on the counter.) Then proceed with the recipe when ready to bake. You will likely need to add additional liquid to the casserole once it’s prepped. This varies depending on the moisture level of your ingredients and also the bread you use. I just drizzle extra broth over the casserole dish until it seems wet enough (you don’t want it to dry out too much while it bakes). Sometime it’s ½ cup, sometimes up to a full cup. We bake and serve this in a casserole dish on the side, but feel free to use it as a stuffing in your turkey if you prefer. Make ahead tips:
- Cook the sausage and sauté the veggies to get both of those ready to use. Store them, covered, in the refrigerator.
- Cut the bread and store it in a baggie on the counter.
- Proceed with the recipe when ready to bake.
- OR you can also assemble the entire casserole, but only use 1 egg and 2 cup of broth. Add the remaining egg and an additional 1-2 cups of broth before you bake. That helps ensure the consistency is still good and the casserole doesn’t dry out.
