This is a recipe that is very near and dear to my heart. It is my favorite stuffing recipe ever. I’ve never had anything nearly as good as this particular stuffing. When I was living at home, I looked forward to Thanksgiving every year because I knew that my mom would make her infamous stuffing. I used to especially look forward to making “Thanksgiving sandwiches” when I was in high school, which generally consisted of turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, and, of course, my mom’s stuffing. These sandwiches were not completely without this stuffing, and I probably wouldn’t even bother making one if there were no stuffing leftovers. I believe that there were even times, coming home late on the weekends when I was 16 or 17, and helping myself to a spoonful or two of cold stuffing. It really was that good! Even after I moved out and was in college, I would beg my mother to make this stuffing whenever chestnuts were in season. I’ve been known to convince my mom to make this stuffing twice in the same week, as my birthday always falls within a week of Thanksgiving, and I was never able to get enough of this stuff. Even my friends from high school and college, upon tasting some of my mom’s stuffing, would rave about how delicious it was. I only started making it myself a year ago, because, as I’m sure you all know, there are just some things that are better when your mom makes them. Now that I live in New York, thousands of miles away from home, I do have to make it myself, and while it’s delicious, it’s just never going to be as good as when my mom used to make it for me.
Now, let me actually tell you about this phenomenal stuffing. It’s got everything that, in my opinion, a proper stuffing should have. It has freshly roasted chestnuts, which are add a lovely buttery, nutty flavor. It has chopped apples, which add a bright element to the stuffing, as well as sweet Italian sausage, which is rich, hearty, and absolutely delicious. The sausage pairs very well with the tart dried cranberries, as well as the aromatic rosemary and the sweet, licoricey tarragon. All of the flavors work together in such a way that one would be happy to eat this stuffing alone, as a meal, I promise you that. Even my husband, who generally hates fruit in savory dishes, and doesn’t even like stuffing that much, went back for seconds of this. You will be as addicted as I am to my mom’s stuffing after you make a batch of it, guaranteed. Whether you stuff your turkey with it or simply eat it as a side dish (I do both), your friends and family will be begging you for the recipe afterward. I know that this is the time where everyone starts to put the finishing touches on their Thanksgiving menus, so I hope that you will have the foresight to put this stuffing on your list. It will be, without a doubt, the most shining star of your Thanksgiving table.
Your ingredients (sans the chestnuts because I was roasting them).
Place your chestnuts on a lined baking sheet and preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut an X into each chestnut, or poke each one with a fork, so steam can come out of the chestnuts while they roast. Roast for 30 minutes, until tender.
Allow to cool before peeling and chopping.
Chop roughly and place in a large mixing bowl (where you will mix the rest of the stuffing).
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage (removed from its casing) and break apart with a wooden spoon. Cook until there is no more pink in the sausage, about 8-10 minutes.
Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a small bowl to cool, then add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan over medium-high heat. Add your diced onion, cook for 8 minutes or so, until translucent.
Mince your garlic, then add it to the onions and cook for a minute or two, until fragrant, then remove the onions and garlic from heat.
Mince your tarragon and rosemary and add them to the bowl with the chestnuts.
Roughly chop your apple and add it to the bowl with the chestnuts and herbs.
Add in the cooled sausage, the cooled onions and garlic, dried cranberries, and the stuffing cubes. Stir to combine. Add in the Worcestershire sauce, chicken broth, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
Place the stuffing back in the pan that you cooked the sausage and onions in. Cook at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, until golden.
- 25 chestnuts (I used fresh, but you can buy pre-roasted chestnuts at the grocery store)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 apple, diced
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, minced
- 6-7 cups stuffing cubes (about 10 ounces; feel free to use homemade bread crumbs, if you have them)
- 2-3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F. Place the chestnuts on a lined baking sheet. Cut a ⅛-inch deep slit around the entire chestnut to allow steam to escape from them while they roast. Roast for 30 minutes or so, until tender. Allow to cool completely before peeling. After peeling, chop roughly and place in a large bowl. Reduce the heat in the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, casings removed, and break apart with a wooden spoon. Cook until there is no more pink in the sausage, about 8 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon to a separate surface to cool.
- Add a tablespoon of butter to the skillet, melt over medium-high heat, and add the diced onion. Saute until translucent, about 8 minutes or so. Add in the minced garlic and saute for another minute or two, until fragrant, then remove from heat.
- In the bowl with the chestnuts, add the diced apple, dried cranberries rosemary, minced tarragon, cooled sausage, and cooled onion and garlic mixture. Toss to combine. Add in the 6 cups of stuffing cubes, then 2 cups of chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, then add in more stuffing and/or chicken broth, depending on the consistency of stuffing that you prefer.
- Place the stuffing back in the skillet that you used to cook the sausage and onions. Pat down with your wooden spoon, then cook at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, until golden. Serves 6 people as a side.
Mmm! I’ve never had stuffing before since I don’t celebrate thanksgiving, but I’ve seen enough recipes to make me want to try it!
Wei-Wei: It’s so delicious, I highly recommend trying it, Thanksgiving or not!
I’m also doing a chestnut stuffing for TG, but it’s more of a bread pudding style stuffing. Your Mom’s version sounds great though!
Ben: Thank you very much! I love chestnuts in almost anything.
I’m with Kremer , I really don’t care for stuffing,but this sounds very tempting.I always make it because everyone else likes it but, it’s not on my plate. This recipe may have me jumping the fence! Thanks for sharing.
Tina: I hope that it does!
This stuffing looks amazing but I’m not a huge chestnut fan. Could I substitute pecans or walnuts?
Alexi: Absolutely!
This looks fabulous except for the sausage (I’m a Vegetarian). I’m going to use this with this tofurkey recipe, any suggestions or spices I should add to make it fit together perfectly? (Taste-wise)
http://www.fourgreensteps.com/community/recipes/54/272
Jessica: I think that just substituting the sausage with tofurkey is a great idea. The tarragon really shines through in this dish, so no need to change any of the other herbs/spices!
Sydney, do you think this could be made a day ahead, and then put in a buffet warmer? My mom and I are trying to be organized this year and do lots of prep ahead of time.
Kelsey: Absolutely! I think it’s even better the next day, personally.
Sydney, this is exactly the kind of recipe from your parents that I was asking you about earlier–and it looks great! Thanks for the tips on making it ahead and substituting pecans since my fanily will appreciate that. And happy early birthday!
Benita: You definitely inspired me! Just lightly toast some chopped pecans in the oven or in a dry skillet and use them in place of the chestnuts, make as it, and then just reheat it in the oven the next day! It’s quite simple and even better the following day!
I have a confession: I’ve never had stuffing. My mom makes it and I just always thought stuffing looked funky so I never tried it. I’ve been lying to people and saying I’ve tried it and didn’t like it. However, I will, I WILL, make this and try it. I will.
Jen: I hope that you do! I’m about to go home and have leftovers of this for dinner!
I think you have just given me a recipe for Christmas. This sounds so good. I will need to grind the chestnuts up in the food processor so hubby doesn’t know they are there though. How deceitful am I? 😉
Rhyelysgranny: I’m glad I could help out! If you don’t want to grind them up, he can just pick them out! They are so tasty, though, and I bet he won’t even notice that they are there!
I think I’ve always had a made up aversion towards chestnuts… maybe I’ll give em a chance.
Sara: They are so delicious and buttery and amazing – I hope that you do!
I love my mom’s stuffing with the same passion! I am willing to give this one a go though….looks and sounds like a wonderful stuffing, and so seasonal!
Kimberlyblue: Thank you very much!
Looks awesome. I love sausage in stuffing, and I can see why you are so enamored with your mom’s recipe. I’d be all over hitting the fridge for leftovers of this.
Michelle: I definitely ate stuffing (and only stuffing) for dinner last night.
I am defnitely going to make this for thanksgiving. I have 12 on my guess list. I think I will have to make two to make sure I have enough, plus I want leftovers!
Anne: Doubling it is a good idea!
I’ve never made stuffing before but I’m excited to try this for Thanksgiving! What are stuffing cubes? I’m assuming just cubed bread but I’m not sure. Do you recommend a particular type of bread to use?
Lindsey: My favorite brand is Mrs. Cubbison’s cubed stuffing (http://www.mrscubbisons.com/), just because that’s the kind my mom used to buy when I was a kid. Any regular supermarket will carry them. I just like using them instead of typical stuffing crumbs because they absorb the moisture of the chicken broth better and give the stuffing more of an interesting texture, rather than a “wet” texture, which I hate. You can also cut white or sourdough bread into cubes, toast them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or so, until golden, and they will work just as well, if not better – that is what I am planning to do on Thursday myself.
Any tips on cooking this in the bird instead? Can I make the day ahead but stuff uncooked in bird the morning of?
Jade: Instead of cooking it in the oven, just go ahead and stuff it into the bird (and you can cook the rest of the leftovers as is in a pan or dish). When I made this stuffing, it obviously wasn’t Thanksgiving yet, so I stuffed some of it inside chicken breasts and cooked it that way – it turned out very well!
I am so excited, I have been searching for a stuffing recipe, and this one sounds perfect! I try to chop everything the night before to make thanksgiving morning prep a little less stressful. Do you think this will work with the chestnuts, or would you suggest roasting them the day of? I am going to have to bake mine in a baking dish because a skillet will take up too much room in my oven and I need the space for other side dishes. What size baking pan do you suggest? Also, how many apples does the recipe call for?
thanks!
Christine: You can absolutely roast and chop the chestnuts the day before! Just store them in an airtight container, like a Ziploc bag. I think that a 9×13 pan would be fine! You could probably do a 9×9, too, it just won’t be as crisp overall, which is how I like mine, personally. Sorry about the apple thing – just 1 apple!
Thanks so much Sydney, have a great holiday!
Christine: You do the same!
this question might have been asked previously, but can you make this the day before? i plan on just making it in a pan, not stuffing the bird. doable?
Millie: Absolutely! You might just want to add 1/2 cup or so of chicken broth to it before you heat it back up the next day, to retain moisture before baking it again.
Just made this and I can say that it’s wonderful
I’m definitely replacing my boxed stuffing every year!
Hi Sydney,
Just wanted to let you know the stuffing was a huge hit! I ended up making bread cubes from potato bread that I toasted b/c I couldn’t find plain bread cubes anywhere. I also added chopped celery that I had on hand. It was really wonderful! Thanks so much!
Christine: On Thanksgiving Day, I couldn’t find them either, so I used some sourdough bread that I cut into cubes. I’m glad that it was a hit! It’s my favorite thing ever. I hope it was a Happy Thanksgiving!
Nommmm. Am responsible for making 2-3 side dishes for Christmas dinner and decided to check your site for inspiration. This one is going on the list. Thanks, girl. <3 Nathalie (and Sophie)
Nathalie: Thank you! I hope you and Sophie have a great Christmas! I know you’re a fantastic cook, so I’m sure you will!
I used your stuffing for my Christmas turkey and it was delicious. Thank you x
Rhyelysgranny: I’m glad to hear it!
I made this for thanksgiving with some fantastic sausage I bought at the farmer’s market, and it was hands down the best stuffing I’ve ever had. Everyone love it. There were no left overs… that NEVER happens.
Richard: I’m very happy to hear that, and I’m sure my mom will be, too!
this looks so good. my family always makes sausage and cornbread dressing but now I’m going to have to insist on using chestnuts!
@Dee: I hope you do – they are so tasty!
I ‘ve never made stuffing this way…do you this will be go w/cornbread b/c my family is so picky?
Yes, absolutely!
I made this last year, and as a stuffing connoisseur, I am convinced that this is the best stuffing recipe ever. It’s packed with flavor, it’s moist, medium density, slightly salty, slightly sweet, and oh-so-savory.
Definitely making this again this year.
Those are all of my favorite descriptions for food – this is honestly my all time favorite dish EVER, so I’m glad you liked it as much as me
Hey Sydney,
I made this last year for Thanksgiving and it was a HUGE hit (see my comments on 11/22 and 12/1)!
My question for you this year is have you ever made the stuffing the day before and baked it off the day of?
Cheers,
Christine
I’m glad you love it, Christine! I have made it the day before and just warmed it up in the oven the next day – it still tastes delicious
Fantastic, this saves me so much time the day of! Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!
Your recipes never disappoint! I tried making this stuffing earlier this week and baked it with a couple turkey thighs on top (I just couldn’t quite wait for Thanksgiving either, heh). It was so yummy! The only changes I made were substituting walnuts for the chestnuts (just because I had them on hand) and adding some celery, because I had that lying around too. I was a little skeptical of the tarragon (it seems SO licoricey when you smell it on it’s own) but it really worked great in this dish. Thanks for a killer stuffing recipe.
I’m glad you liked the tarragon! It’s one of my favorite secret herbs. Happy Thanksgiving!
Mmm!!! I can’t make this for Thanksgiving- but I sure will be making it for Christmas! Thanks Sydney!
It’ll be a hit, I promise!
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Hi Sydney! I plan on making this next week for Thanksgiving (first time making a sausage/savory stuffing instead of the traditional!) and was wondering which temperature and time to roast the chestnuts at? Below the pictures it says to roast the chestnuts at 425 for 15-20 minutes but in the recipe at the bottom it says 375 for 30 minutes. Which is correct? Thanks again!
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Hi Sydney! I’m not sure I’ve ever commented on your blog, but I love it. I lived in Brooklyn when you first moved there (although I’ve been in LA over 5 years now), so I’ve been reading for ages.
I just searched out this recipe because I’ve made it every year since you first published it. I have personally never been a fan of stuffing, but my boyfriend is. We’ve been together forever, so our first few years involved pre ordered stuffing from fancy Manhattan stores, but when I finally got up the courage to make it myself you published this recipe. It’s now- hands down- my boyfriend’s favorite part of the meal, plus it always gets rave reviews from the friends we invite over.
I was just checking out your newest recipe and I’m so proud of the opinions you posted. I saw some angry and childish comments and I just wanted you to know that even though the internet (and world) can be a cold and bitter place, your presence here has left a lovely and lasting impression. So thank you.