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Every family has a tried and true stuffing recipe. The one below is a real favorite, at Thanksgiving and any time of year! This recipe calls for baking the stuffing in a casserole dish, and resting turkey legs over top. The juices and the flavor drips down into the stuffing, keeping it moist and delicious, and you also end up with some extra turkey meat you can save and use the next day for some turkey pot pie.

While this recipe does require a little more effort than throwing together a box of store-bought stuffing mix, we promise you the extra work pays off tenfold when you taste how amazing this is. It’s got sausage and turkey juices baked into it which sky rockets the flavor and transforms this into a stuffing (or technically a dressing), the likes of which you’ve never had before. Trust us, this stuff is gooood and just might be the best part of your meal!

Our Favorite Turkey Stuffing Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 loaves white sandwich bread cut until 1/2″ cubes
  • 3 lbs turkey wings separated at the joints
  • 1 1/2lbs sage sausage without the casings
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (plus extra to grease the baking dish)
  • 1 large onion, chopped fine
  • 3 ribs celery, chopped fine
  • 2 teaspoons table salt
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 250º F.
  2. Spread the bread cubes in an even layer over two rimmed baking sheets. Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until golden brown and toasted, stirring occasionally during baking.
  3. Transfer bread crumbs to a large bowl, then increase the oven temperature to 375º F.
  4. Use the tip of a paring knife to poke a few holes into each wing segment.
  5. Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it begins to simmer. Add the wings and cook until golden brown (4-6 minutes). Flip wings and cook for another 4-6 minutes. Transfer wings to a medium bowl and set aside.
  6. In the same pan, heat butter over medium heat until it starts to foam. Add sausage and cook, using a wooden spoon to break it apart to small pieces. Cook, stirring frequently until only a few bits of pink remain (about 8 minutes).
  7. Add onions, celery, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring until vegetables are softened but not browned (7-9 minutes).
  8. Add thyme, sage, and pepper, and cook for another 30 seconds.
  9. Add one cup of broth, and bring the mixture to a simmer, using a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the dutch oven.
  10. Once it has reached a simmer, add the vegetable and sausage mixture to the bowl with the dried bread and toss to combine.
  11. Grease a large, 9×13-inch baking dish with butter. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, 1 1/2 cups broth, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and any accumulated juices from the wings that have been set aside.
  12. Add the egg/broth mixture and the parsley to the bread, and gently toss to combine.
  13. Transfer mixture to greased baking dish.
  14. Arrange wings on top of the stuffing, and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place the baking dish on rimmed baking sheet, then place it in the oven.
  15. Bake until the thickest parts of the wings register 175º F on a thermometer (60-75 minutes).
  16. Remove foil and transfer wings to a dinner plate, or the fridge for later use.
  17. Use a fork to gently fluff the stuffing, and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
  18. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats

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