Crockpot Sausage and Sage Stuffing — Hands-Off Holiday Side Tips, FAQ & printable recipe

Tips for success

Treat the bread as the recipe's foundation. Cubes dried the day before absorb the broth in a controlled way and hold their shape through four hours of steam; cubes dried in a hurry, or not at all, dissolve at the edges while the center stays dense.

If the loaf is fresh, spread the cubes on a baking sheet and give them the full twenty minutes in a 300°F (150°C) oven, stirring once, and let them cool before assembly.

Resist the urge to stir. A single stir mid-cook breaks the cubes and releases starch, pushing the texture toward glue. The layering does the work: sausage on top renders fat downward, the sage disperses through the steam, and the broth climbs through the loose bread.

The only utensil that should touch the stuffing before serving is the thermometer, and the only stirring happens at the very end, when fluffing separates clumps and evens out the moisture.

Variations

• Italian Herb Version: Swap the rubbed sage for 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning and use mild Italian sausage. The fennel in the sausage pairs with the dried herbs, and the dish leans toward a pasta-night side rather than a holiday one.
• Extra Golden Top: After the four-hour cook, transfer the stuffing to a baking sheet, spread it an inch thick, and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, watching closely, until the surface takes on deep golden edges before serving.
• Turkey Day Broth: Use turkey broth instead of chicken and add a second teaspoon of rubbed sage. The deeper poultry flavor ties the stuffing to the roast bird and tastes like it simmered alongside the drippings all day.
• Smaller Cooker Batch: Halve every ingredient for a 3-quart cooker and check for doneness at 3 hours, since a smaller mass heats faster. Keep the same loose fill and headspace so the texture stays even.

Storage and make-ahead

Fridge

Refrigerate in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking; keeps 3 to 4 days. Reheat covered with a splash of broth until steaming hot all the way through.

Freezer

Freeze in airtight containers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating so the center warms evenly.

Reheat

Cover and reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or microwave individual portions, adding a spoonful of broth to restore moisture.

Cool leftovers no more than two hours at room temperature, then transfer them to shallow containers so they chill quickly. The stuffing keeps three to four days in the refrigerator.

Reheat individual portions covered in the microwave, or the whole batch covered with foil in a 350°F (175°C) oven, adding a spoonful of broth if it has dried out. Discard anything left at room temperature longer than two hours.

This dish was made for planning ahead. Dry the bread cubes up to two days in advance and store them in an airtight container. Dice the celery and onion the night before and refrigerate them in a covered container.

On the day, the entire assembly takes five minutes, and the cooker runs unattended for four hours. It can also be cooked a day early, cooled, refrigerated, and reheated covered before serving, which frees the cooker itself for another dish.

Serving ideas

Serve straight from the insert with a large spoon, letting guests see the golden edges and the moist interior before it is portioned. A scoop on a plain white plate alongside roast turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy is the classic picture, and the sage-and-sausage flavor stands up to rich gravy without being overwhelmed by it. Keep the cooker on the warm setting during dinner so second helpings stay hot.

For a buffet, transfer the stuffing to a covered warming dish rather than leaving the cooker lid off, where it dries fast. If the top has softened more than expected after holding, a brief pass under a hot broiler on a sheet pan restores the golden edges in minutes. Leftovers make an excellent base for next-day breakfast, pressed crisp in a skillet with a fried egg on top.

Frequently asked questions

Recipe card

Crockpot Sausage and Sage Stuffing — Hands-Off Holiday Side

Prep 20 minCook 4 hTotal 4 h 20 minServes 8

Ingredients

• 12 cups dried bread cubes (about 1 pound, cut from day-old bread)
• 1 lb raw breakfast sausage, casings removed
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 tsp rubbed sage
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Cut a day-old loaf into cubes about 3/4 inch across and spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Leave them at room temperature overnight, or dry them in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
2. Trim the celery and cut the stalks into small, even dice, then do the same with the onion. Aim for pieces close in size to the sausage crumbles so every scoop of the finished stuffing has a little of everything in it.
3. Place the dried bread cubes in the stoneware insert of a 6-quart slow cooker, filling it loosely rather than packing it down. Leave an inch of headspace at the rim so the stuffing has room to swell as it absorbs the broth.
4. Pinch the raw sausage into small crumbles directly over the bread, then scatter the diced celery and onion across the top. Distribute them evenly rather than leaving them in one layer, so the flavor reaches every corner of the cooker.
5. Sprinkle the rubbed sage evenly over the sausage and vegetables, letting it fall across the whole surface rather than in one spot. The long, slow cook blooms the herb gently, carrying its warm, earthy flavor through the entire dish.
6. Melt the butter into the chicken broth in a small saucepan over low heat, whisking until the two come together. Pour the warm mixture slowly and evenly over the stuffing, pausing to let it soak in rather than pooling in one place.
7. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for about 4 hours, without lifting the lid during the first 3. The sausage crumbles cook gently right in the stuffing and finish safely at 160°F (71°C) measured in the center.
8. Verify the sausage reaches 160°F (71°C) at the center, then remove the lid and fluff the stuffing with a spoon, breaking up any clumps. Let it stand uncovered for a couple of minutes so steam escapes, then scoop onto plates and serve hot.

Contains: gluten, milk, celery

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories

385

Protein

12 g

Carbohydrates

38 g

Fat

18 g

Fiber

3 g

Sugar

4 g

Sodium

720 mg

Automatic estimate from the ingredient list, not laboratory-verified.