Can sausage stuffing be made ahead of time?

Yes. You can assemble your stuffing the day before up to the point of adding the broth and baking. When you’re ready to bake it off, add the broth and mix. You will probably need a little less broth as the mixture will have softened from the residual moisture of the sausage and vegetables. You can also bake your bread cubes up to a couple of days in advance. Allow them to cool completely and then transfer them to airtight containers or zipt top bags, careful not to compress them. Keep them stored at room temperature until ready to use.

Can you freeze sausage stuffing?

Technically, yes. Once this stuffing has baked and cooled you can freeze it. However, the texture will be much more wet and soft once defrosted. It’s recommended to consume it from the refrigerator.

How do you reheat stuffing?

If you just want to reheat a portion of the stuffing, add a little butter or oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add your desired amount of stuffing and use a spatula to gently press it down. Flip it occasionally until all sides are warmed through and it’s a little crispy. To reheat the entire casserole, preheat the oven to 350°F. Drizzle a little bit of broth or stock over it and cover with foil. Allow it to bake until just warmed through, about 20 minutes. Uncover it and let it bake for another 5-10 minutes until crisped up on top.

Savory Poblano Sausage Stuffing

Name: Savory Poblano Sausage Stuffing
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Side Dish
Ingredients: 1 pound ground sausage; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 stalks celery, diced; 1 medium sweet onion, diced; 1 large poblano pepper, seeded and diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped; 6 cups dried bread cubes; ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts; 2 cups chicken stock; Fresh ground black pepper to taste; ¼ cup melted unsalted butter

Ingredients

Scale

1 pound ground sausage
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 stalks celery, diced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 large poblano pepper, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped
6 cups dried bread cubes
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2 cups chicken stock
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup melted unsalted butter

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Instructions

Preheat the smoker (or oven) to 350°F.
Cook the sausage in a large saute pan over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, breaking up with a wooden spoon until browned and cooked through. Do not overcook the sausage. Remove and set aside in a large bowl.
Add in the butter, and saute the celery, onion, poblano, and garlic for a couple of minutes. Scrape up the bottom of the pan to incorporate the sausage bits, and cook everything just until it starts to soften. Remove and pour everything into the bowl with the sausage. Add the sage leaves and chopped nuts, mixing everything.
Gently fold the bread cubes carefully into the sausage mixture. Pour 1 cup of the chicken stock over the entire mixture, making sure to moisten the bread. Fold the mixture carefully, and add a little more stock if needed. The bread cubes should be moist, not wet, and if over-mixed will mush all of the bread into wet crumbles. Taste and season with black pepper. Add everything to a large casserole dish or 12” cast iron skillet.
Pour melted butter over the top, covering the exposed bread crumbs. Place the stuffing into the smoker (or oven) and allow it to cook uncovered for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden, and most of the liquid has soaked into the stuffing. This time might not enough depending on your smoker, so use a spoon and push against the side of the stuffing to see if there’s still liquid at the bottom, and continue to cook as needed.

Notes

Baking this stuffing in the oven will produce a darker crust on top. Smoking the sausage stuffing will produce delicious wood-fired smoke flavor, but will not create as dark of a crust on top.

Author: Brad Prose
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Side Dish
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Side Dish, Holiday