Apple & Sage Stuffing

This recipe for Apple and Sage Stuffing is moist, fragrant, and absolutely delicious. It’s a perfect Thanksgiving side dish.

Turkey day is almost here! If you love the classic combination of sage and apples, as I do, this stuffing is a perfect addition to your fall or winter menu.

Serve it with roasted chicken and mashed potatoes for an easy weeknight meal or give it a place on your holiday menu. It’s easy enough for anytime but delicious enough for special occasions, and especially over the holiday season.

Apple and sage are a match made in food heaven. They blend well together, creating the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. That is what makes this the best stuffing – it brings any meal with roasted meat to a whole new level.

This Thanksgiving stuffing is easy to make, full of flavor, fresh herbs, and will keep your Thanksgiving table looking impressive. So skip your traditional stuffing on Thanksgiving day and get making this homemade stuffing recipe instead!

Can I Make this Stuffing a Vegan Dressing

Yes! To make Apple & Sage Stuffing vegan, follow the instructions for baking as a dressing. You will need to swap the butter for olive oil and the chicken broth for vegetable broth.

How to Store Leftover Stuffing

Leftover Apple & Sage Stuffing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat before serving.

Leftover stuffing can be frozen, either in a casserole dish or as individual portions. Wrap tightly and freeze for up to three months. Defrost the stuffing overnight in the fridge and bake within 24 hours of thawing.

About the Ingredients for Apple & Sage Stuffing

Butter – Butter will give the best flavour but if you want to make this vegan, use olive oil.

Onions – Yellow onion is best for Apple & Sage Stuffing but you can substitute with shallots.

Apple – The best apples to use in Apple & Sage Stuffing recipes are ones that maintain their structure while baking, like royal gala, granny smith, or Fuji Apples.

Chicken Stock – You can replace the chicken stock with vegetable broth or stock if you want Apple & Sage to be vegan.

Bread – A bread that’s a few days old is best for Apple & Sage Stuffing because it’s drier and won’t add too much moisture. In a pinch I’ve used fresh bread but the Apple & Sage Stuffing was not as good.

Sage – Fresh sage should be used because it will have the best flavour. If you can’t find fresh sage, use dried sage.

Celery – Celery adds a nice crunch to Apple & Sage Stuffing which works nicely to provide a contrast of texture.

Thyme – Fresh thyme will add a lot of flavour to Apple & Sage Stuffing while dried thyme can be used if that’s what you have available.

Salt and pepper – Apple & Sage should be seasoned well with salt and pepper, depending on how salty your chicken stock is.

For extra flavor you can also add in cooked sweet italian sausage or turkey sausage. Another swap you can make is to swap out a little of the broth for some apple cider.

What to Serve with Apple & Sage Stuffing

Serve your apple and sage stuffing along with turkey and some of your other favourite fixings. Try these out too!

Update your Homemade Cranberry Sauce with apples and spice for an easy twist on the classic Thanksgiving side dish. This would be great for Christmas dinner too!

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Pomegranate makes for a tasty holiday side dish that works just as easily for a weeknight side.

Also known as Fondant Potatoes, Melting Potatoes are a tasty potato side dish that are crispy and brown on the outside and soft inside.

Apple & Sage Stuffing

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp butter (or olive oil)
2 medium yellow onions, diced
2 medium royal gala apples, peeled and cored, diced
3 large celery stalks, medium diced
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped or  1 Tbsp dry thyme leaves
3 Tbsp fresh sage leaves, finely chopped or 1.5 Tbsp dried sage leaves
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
2 tso Salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 loaf day-old French or Italian bread, sliced into 1 inch cubes

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 13″ x 9″ casserole dish & set aside.

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion until it begins to soften.

Add apples, celery, thyme, and sage to the skillet, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the apples begin to soften.

Add 1 cup of the broth and bring to a boil then remove from heat.

Stir in bread cubes and season with salt and pepper then stir to combine.

If necessary add more broth to the mixture, 1/4 cup at a time until evenly moist.

To make dressing, transfer the Apple & Sage Stuffing to a casserole dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 15 more minutes to let top brown.

For stuffing a turkey, fill the cavity with apple sage stuffing and follow turkey’s cooking instructions.