Forget everything you thought you knew about stuffing. This Croissant Sausage Stuffing-- with its ultra-buttery, herbaceous flavors and flaky, fluffy layers-- is changing the Thanksgiving game.
CROISSANT SAUSAGE STUFFING
I’m a carb fiend by nature, so Thanksgiving, with its glorious mounds of mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and (most importantly) stuffing is a day straight out of my dreams. Sure, the turkey is great, but come on. Stuffing. The stuffing is where it’s at, people.
And because stuffing has brought me so much happiness, I just feel guilty reaching for a cardboard box of the pre-made stuff that tastes like...Well, cardboard. Stuffing deserves better.
So a few years ago, I started to *think outside the box*, swapping the dense, tasteless bread for buttery, flaky croissants. Total upgrade! My Croissant Sausage Stuffing was sweet and salty with a texture that was crunchy and moist at the same time.
The recipe was a hit, but over the years, a few substitutions have made their way into my Croissant Stuffing, and I figured it was about time to update the official recipe with the new-and-improved version. In this reboot, I swap tart cranberries for sweet fall apples, pump up the richness with heavy cream and pull it all together with a little egg. It’s just as easy as the original, and guaranteed to be a hit with even self-proclaimed stuffing haters.
STUFFING VS DRESSING
I'm not ultra-pedantic when it comes to food names, much to the dismay of some of my reddit readers who have VERY STRONG opinions about recipe titles. (It's okay, I love you all.)
But if we were going by the book, most dictionaries distinguish stuffing as a mixture used to stuff another food, usually poultry, before cooking. That would mean “dressing” - an essentially identical dish with a different name - can be categorized as any recipe you cook outside your turkey. A true “side dish” rather than a “filling”.
Now maybe that theory was true at one time, but if it was, it sure isn’t anymore. The fact is that most southerners call the dish “dressing” regardless of where it’s been baked. For that matter, plenty of us Yankees cook our stuffing separately anyway to avoid salmonella and uneven cooking.
And if you don’t believe me, just ask Google. States like Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia hunt almost exclusively for “dressing” recipes while Maine, Vermont, and Pennsylvania, are the top stuffing-searchers. The truth is, “stuffing” or “dressing” has more to do with the location of your Thanksgiving table than it does with your recipe.
Whatever you call it, the important thing is that this iconic side dish is moist, carby and perfect for soaking up any Thanksgiving morsels left on your plate. Check, check, and check!
WHAT’S IN THIS CROISSANT SAUSAGE STUFFING?
- The base: White bread and cornbread make for delicious stuffings, but there’s one thing croissants have that they don’t: BUTTERY LAYERS. Lots and lots of buttery layers. Croissants are also delightfully light and fluffy, which means they're much more forgiving when exposed to moisture. No gluey, dense stuffing here!
- Breakfast Sausage: Why breakfast sausage? Because what else would we eat with croissants? (Just kidding!) The real answer has a lot less to do with breakfast foods and a lot more to do with Thanksgiving foods. Breakfast sausage is flavored with festive nutmeg rather than fennel, as well as a hint of sage-- both of which are seasonal ingredients that will meld well with the rest of your holiday dishes.
- A Touch of Sweetness: Baked tart apples are divine on their own, but the real magic happens when you pair them with sausage. Ultimate. Autumn. Bliss.
- Aromatic Veggies: What seems like a simple (and perhaps inessential) addition of onion and celery is actually incredibly important to developing the stuffing's signature taste. Don’t skip the aromatics, which lay the foundation for the stuffing's deep flavor!
- Heavy cream: Chicken stock is important to flavoring and moistening stuffing, but if you add too much, thin liquids tend to create soggier side dishes. Adding thicker, creamier ingredients to the mix will add richness and moisture without making your stuffing watery.
- Fresh herbs: Remember that sage we were talking about in the breakfast sausage? Well that’s not all, we've also got fresh sage in the mix. Throw in some thyme and rosemary as well, and the stuffing gets a bodacious, herbaceous boost of Thanksgiving flavors.
- Eggs: Ever stabbed at your stuffing with a fork, forced to eat it in 100 little bites instead of shoveling it into their mouth like you REALLY wanted to? Or, in order to get the stuffing to stick together, have you been forced to add so much liquid to the mix that your stuffing turned to mush? Eggs help avoid both dressing pitfalls. Adding just a couple of eggs to your mixture before baking helps bind everything together and keeps it from crumbling without making a wet mess.
MORE SIDE DISHES TO MAKE THIS SEASON
- The Best Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Bacon
- Bacon Jalapeño Popper Creamed Corn Gratin
- Make-Ahead Rosemary Sweet Potato Rolls
- Ultimate Sweet Potato Casserole
- Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms
Croissant Sausage Stuffing
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
This Thanksgiving, switch things up from your typical stuffing side dish! This Croissant-Sausage Stuffing will be the talk of your Turkey Day. (Or should I say "Stuffing Day?)
Ingredients
10 croissants, split
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
16 ounces breakfast sausage patties, crumbled
2 medium onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 granny smith apple, cored and chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1 ½ cups chicken stock, divided
½ cup heavy cream
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a large casserole dish and set aside. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Place the split croissants on the lined baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 5-10 minutes, cut side down. Remove and let cool. Coarsely crumble or chop the croissants into a large bowl and set aside.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble and cook the sausage in the skillet until browned and cooked through. Transfer to the large bowl with the croissants. Saute the chopped onion, celery, and apple over medium heat until slightly soft, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the from heat and toss with croissants. Add the herbs.
In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, 1 cup of the broth, and heavy cream. Pour over the croissants. Add additional broth to moisten to your liking. Transfer the stuffing mixture to the buttered casserole dish and top with remaining butter. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Side
Marianne says
Any leftovers?
Morgan says
Haha Marianne, I wish! I'll make you something tasty soon, promise! If Amanda ever has a day off again in her life, I'll make her help me hahaha.
George Heywood says
What an interesting idea. I'm also a complete carb fiend, stuffing is just heaven. Will definitely have to try this
Carole says
Made this changing it up to a family recipe which includes browned breakfast sausage...a little evaporated milk and omits the cheese. Best I have ever tasted!
Annikka says
I have made this every year for 3 years and each time I wonder, what size are the croissants you use for this? I am never sure if I have the right size, and the 10-count can really vary in volume on which size you get.
Judith Wahlander says
I, too, am wondering what size croissants are expected for use in this recipe? Have 10 very big, and beautiful Semifreddi (SF, Ca) croissants and wonder if there is an equivalent available for the dried, crumbled volume of croissant that is expected for this recipe???? An answer before Nov. 27 would be much appreciated. 🙂
Morgan says
I used pretty large croissants-- I didn't measure but I'd estimate that they were around 6" wide if that helps!
Stacy says
I'm not a huge fan of stuffing, but this is the best stuffing I've ever had. The croissants make it unique and delicious. I make it every year!
Caroline says
This sounds delicious! Normally I am less sure about "bready" stuffings (I'm from the UK where we tend to more often make breadcrumbs and mix them through so it's less obvious). Croissants, on the other hand, I am all over - the sausage and apple flavors sound perfect with them too. Yum!
Sharon says
Adding buttery croissants to stuffing makes for a fantastic mix-up to the traditional Thanksgiving day side dish!
Megan Ellam says
Well this is just that little bit more yummy with those croissants. How decadent and delicious. Thanks so much for such a great recipe.
Candice says
I already know I love all stuffing, so when I saw this one is made with croissants, I knew I needed to try it! It definitely lived up to my dreams about how great it would be, and can't wait to make it again for Thanksgiving!
Michelle says
Such a creative recipe! Love the use of flaky croissants!
macktastic says
Did you change the recipe? I thought this use to have dried cranberries and did not use cream?
Morgan says
I recently updated the recipe, as I've tweaked the recipe over the years to create (what I believe is) a better version. That being said, if you like the older version better, it used to have added dried cranberries and parmesan and did not have cream or eggs. I can type it up for you if you need! 🙂
macktastic says
I have the old one printed out and have been making it for a few years now. I was already in town when I needed an ingredient list this past Thanksgiving. I just knew something was off about the list. Made the newer version anyway and everyone liked this one better. I believe this version makes for a moister stuffing.
Sarah says
Could you please send me the old version? I used to make it every year and it was amazing and an absolute highlight for everyone. Thanks!
Heath A. says
This recipe was so decadent and amazing. I made it for Thanksgiving. There are no words to describe how delicious it turned out and how much everyone raved over it. Thinking one batch couldn't possibly be enough for all of us, I doubled the recipe...that made things very tricky...I didn't have bowls big enough and had to split it into two huge bowls...and that many croissants takes many sheets of baking. Soooooo worth it...but if you're like me and think this won't make a big batch, you're wrong!!! Well, unless you are willing to share the leftovers with your guests, because they ARE going to ask for some! Definitely make it and then eat it for breakfast the next day and supper, and any other occasion. Thank you, Morgan, for another awesome recipe. I love making your recipes and share them all the time!
Sarah says
Has anyone made this ahead? Can I make it a day ahead?
Beverly says
So so delicious! Can you make this the day before? Could I plz have the new version?
Happy Thanksgiving