Cheesy Italian Sausage Stuffing Recipe – An incredible Thanksgiving stuffing prepared with Italian sausage, kale, and provolone cheese! A wonderful combination of savory, hearty, and cheesy, all in one bite.
This Italian sausage stuffing recipe is one of my mom’s recipes and it all started with me and my demands for non-boxed stuffing. At the fine young age of 12, I knew there had to be more to turkey stuffing than soaked, seasoned, and baked bread cubes.
For that reason, that same year I begged my mom to stir in some ground beef, and she did. And we loved it. The next year, I asked her to add cheese. We loved it even more!
The following year, she just gave me the bread cubes and told me to take care of the Stuffing. ?
Thanksgiving traditions. They’re awesome, and I am a traditionalist at heart, but man, I get sick of the same old food, year after year. Thus, adding a twist to our Stuffing will make things a little different, but still in line with tradition. Right?! Definitely.
This Cheesy Sausage Stuffing recipe has delicious Italian sausage, flavorful and textured kale, onions, garlic, and celery that are pan-seared on stovetop, then combined with bread and cheese, and finished off in the oven.
HOW TO MAKE ITALIAN SAUSAGE STUFFING
We start with our bread. Because I make my own bread cubes, I almost always choose plain, sliced white bread since it easily soaks up all the great flavors that you add to it. If you decide to make your own bread cubes, I suggest baking/drying them at 350F for 15 minutes, but start checking at 12 minutes.
In the meantime, we have to prepare the sausage. Mild (or HOT) Italian sausage pairs perfectly with thyme, rosemary, and sage, plus a bunch of kale and veggies.
All of that gets cooked for about 10 minutes before we combine it with the prepared bread cubes.
Next, we will transfer the sausage mixture to a baking dish, stud it with cubed provolone cheese, cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to bake for 20 more minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and serve.
HOW TO MAKE AHEAD
- Prepare this dish one day ahead, but don’t bake it. Cover the baking dish and set it in the fridge over night.
- When ready to bake it, take it out of the fridge and let stand 20 minutes on the counter. Bake and serve warm.
VARIATIONS
- If you do not want to use kale, definitely try it with spinach or any other hearty greens, like chard or collard greens.
- Muenster is a great substitute for Provolone cheese. Swiss cheese is good, too, and you can always use mozzarella.
MORE STUFFING RECIPES
ENJOY!
Cheesy Italian Sausage Stuffing Recipe
An incredible Thanksgiving stuffing prepared with Italian sausage, kale, and provolone cheese! A wonderful combination of savory, hearty, and cheesy, all in one bite.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: holiday side dish recipe, stuffing recipe, turkey stuffing
Servings: 8 Serves
Calories: 491 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound stale white bread, cubed (see notes on how to make your own)
- 6 tablespoons butter, divided, plus more for baking dish
- 2 small yellow onions, diced
- 4 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound mild or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1/2 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed, chopped (1 bunch just refers to how much you can grab in one hand)
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth or beef broth
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup cubed provolone cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F.
Butter a 3-quart baking dish and set aside.
In a dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat.
Add onions and celery and cook for 2 minutes.
Add garlic and stir in the sausage and paprika; cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon for about 6 minutes, or until cooked through and browned.
Stir in tomato paste and season with thyme, rosemary, sage, salt, and pepper.
Add the kale and cook for 3 minutes, or until softened.
Add the broth and bring to a simmer; remove from heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs and parsley; add prepared bread cubes and the sausage mixture; stir to combine.
Stir in the cheese.
Transfer to prepared baking dish.
Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into several pieces and dot over the stuffing.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and continue to bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and serve.
Recipe Notes
BREAD CUBES
I almost always choose plain, sliced white bread since it easily soaks up all the great flavors that you add to it. If you decide to make your own bread cubes, I suggest baking/drying them at 350F for 15 minutes, but start checking at 12 minutes.
HOW TO MAKE AHEAD
- Prepare this dish one day ahead, but don’t bake it. Cover the baking dish and set it in the fridge over night.
- When ready to bake it, take it out of the fridge and let stand 20 minutes on the counter. Bake and serve warm.
VARIATIONS
- If you do not want to use kale, definitely try it with spinach or any other hearty greens, like chard or collard greens.
- Muenster is a great substitute for Provolone cheese. Swiss cheese is good, too, and you can always use mozzarella.
WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 16
To reduce your points down to 11, use whole wheat bread and turkey sausage. If you leave out the cheese, points go down to 9.
Nutrition Facts
Cheesy Italian Sausage Stuffing Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 491 Calories from Fat 252
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g 43%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Cholesterol 115mg 38%
Sodium 628mg 26%
Potassium 579mg 17%
Total Carbohydrates 35g 12%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 5g
Protein 23g 46%
Vitamin A 52.3%
Vitamin C 31.8%
Calcium 33.9%
Iron 21.2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
