Make-Ahead Sausage Stuffing
The answer is yes, and here’s exactly what to do.
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 421
- Total Fat
- 26 g
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Carbohydrates
- 29 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Protein
- 18 g
- Cholesterol
- 111 mg
- Sodium
- 675 mg
Article by Heath Goldman
It’s smart to make as many dishes as you can ahead of Thanksgiving. But can you make stuffing ahead of time? The answer is a resounding yes, and the experts at Food Network will walk you through exactly how.
Why Make Stuffing Ahead of Time
Stuffing is typically made in two steps: first, it’s cooked on the stove, then it’s covered in foil and baked in the oven. Although there are several possible ways to make stuffing ahead of time, due to the two-part nature of most stuffing recipes, there is a natural break in cooking that lends itself to make-ahead.
Methods for Making Stuffing Ahead
Method #1: Prep all the ingredients ahead of time up to 2 days ahead of Thanksgiving.
Measure, prep and cut all the ingredients you’ll use in your stuffing, then store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to start cooking. Prep includes drying out the bread, chopping the onions and celery, mixing the eggs and parsley and making the broth. With all the ingredients separated and ready to go, you will just have to assemble and bake. The USDA does not recommend combining wet and dry ingredients in advance, as the mixture can harbor bacteria.
Method #2: Make the stuffing 2 weeks ahead of Thanksgiving and freeze it.
Cook the meat, vegetables and aromatics on the stove ahead of time, cool to room temperature and store it in a resealable plastic bag. When it’s time to cook the stuffing, you’ll combine the frozen mixture with stock, eggs and butter in a casserole dish, then bake until cooked through.
Method #3: Bake the Stuffing 1 Day Ahead of Thanksgiving.
You can also fully make the stuffing one day ahead of the big day, cool it in shallow containers and refrigerate it. To serve, reheat the cooked stuffing to 165 °F.
Make-Ahead Sausage Stuffing
- Level: Easy
- Total: 2 hr 35 min (includes cooling time)
- Active: 45 min
- Yield: 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 421
- Total Fat
- 26 g
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Carbohydrates
- 29 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Protein
- 18 g
- Cholesterol
- 111 mg
- Sodium
- 675 mg
- Level: Easy
- Total: 2 hr 35 min (includes cooling time)
- Active: 45 min
- Yield: 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 421
- Total Fat
- 26 g
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Carbohydrates
- 29 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Protein
- 18 g
- Cholesterol
- 111 mg
- Sodium
- 675 mg
Ingredients
Directions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into bite-sized pieces, until it is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.
- Melt 5 tablespoons of the remaining butter in the skillet. Add the onions, celery, sage, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions and celery are soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the mixture to the bowl with the sausage; add the bread cubes, and toss to coat.
- Let the bread-sausage mixture cool to room temperature. Transfer it to a resealable plastic bag, label and date, and freeze for up to 2 weeks.
- To serve, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Heat the stock and 4 tablespoons of the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat until the butter melts. Whisk the eggs and parsley together in a large bowl. Break the frozen stuffing with your hands into smaller chunks, add to the bowl and toss. Add the stock-butter mixture, and toss to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, and dot with the 2 remaining tablespoons butter. Cover tightly with foil, and bake until the stuffing is hot, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Uncover and continue to bake until golden brown on top, about 20 minutes more. Serve warm.
Cook’s Note
You can serve the stuffing right away instead of freezing it. After tossing it with the bread cubes, bake it, covered, until hot, about 30 minutes. Uncover the stuffing, and continue to bake until golden brown on top, about 20 minutes more.
