Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffing

Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffing — 🍁🙌🏻🧡 This sausage stuffing is super easy to make since the slow cooker does all the hard work for you! There’s no sautéing or browning required at all and you can FREE UP YOUR OVEN! 

The BEST Sausage Stuffing Recipe

My family loves stuffing. It’s definitely their favorite Thanksgiving side dish, hands down. I wanted to try a new stuffing recipe this year and they told me this one is a keeper.

This slow cooker stuffing is buttery soft with a bit of texture from onions and celery. It’s packed with flavor from fresh rosemary, sage, thyme, and parsley. Juicy sausage adds wonderful richness. I used hot Italian sausage and it lends great depth of flavor without being spicy, but use mild sausage if you prefer. 

You don’t even need to brown the sausage first, meaning that’s another step avoided and another skillet you won’t dirty. It all counts and it all adds up, especially on holidays.

I love how easy the stuffing is. It’s made in the slow cooker which is awesome for Thanksgiving or other holidays because it’s one less thing that ties up your oven.

Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffing Ingredients 

To make this Crock Pot stuffing recipe, you’ll need: 

• French bread
• Unsalted butter
• Yellow onion
• Celery
• Fresh rosemary, sage, thyme, and parsley
• Salt and pepper
• Chicken broth
• Italian sausage 

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

How to Make Slow Cooker Stuffing with Sausage

This truly is the BEST stuffing recipe with sausage. It’s super easy to prepare, and since it’s made in a slow cooker the recipe is basically foolproof. 

Here’s an overview of how the Crockpot stuffing with sausage is made: 

1. Dice the French bread and place it inside the slow cooker insert. Let it sit overnight to dry out. The next day, add the butter, onion, celery, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt, pepper, chicken broth and stir to combine. 
2. Crumble the Italian sausage over the bread mixture (no need to brown it first). 
3. Cover and cook the slow cooker stuffing on low for roughly 4 to 5 hours, or until the vegetables are tender and the sausage is cooked through.
4. Stir the sausage into the bread mixture, then give the sausage stuffing a taste and add more salt, pepper, or desired herbs as you deem necessary. 
5. Sprinkle the parsley onto the sausage dressing and stir to combine. Let the slow cooker stuffing cook for another 5 minutes before serving. 

Can I Prep This Stuffing in Advance? 

I’ve only ever made this sausage stuffing as written, so I can’t say for certain if you can cook it ahead of time and reheat it on Thanksgiving. My gut says that would be fine, but I’ve only made if day-of on past Thanksgivings. 

Can I Make This with Cornbread? 

I’ve only ever made this recipe with French bread, but cornbread should work.

You may want to toast the cornbread before adding it to the slow cooker or let it dry out for an extra day or two though. Cornbread is more prone to disintegrating, so it needs to be really dry before being made into sausage stuffing. 

Can I Replace the Bread with Store-Bought Stuffing Cubes? 

Possibly, yes, that could work although I haven’t tried it myself. If the store-bought stuffing or bread cubes are big chunks, go ahead and try them out.

However, if they’re fine like breadcrumbs, that definitely will not work. 

Tips for Making the Best Stuffing Recipe with Sausage

If you want to add other veggies or a chopped apple to this slow cooker stuffing, be sure to scale back the amount of vegetables that’s called for in the recipe below. Adding additional vegetables to this sausage stuffing may make the mixture too moist and the texture won’t turn out right. 

For that same reason you don’t want to add any eggs to this sausage stuffing recipe. Trust me, your stuffing will turn out perfectly if you follow the recipe exactly as written! 

Finally, note that the sausage and veggies go into the slow cooker raw. There’s no need to sauté them ahead of time — the slow cooker does all the hard work for you.

More Easy Thanksgiving Sides: 

You can find all of my Thanksgiving recipes HERE. 

Green Bean Casserole Recipe — A fresher take on classic green bean casserole! No processed soups nor canned ingredients and instead made with fresh green beans, mushrooms, red onions, and a cheesy crispy breadcrumb topping that will have the whole family going back for seconds!

Classic Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing — Nothing frilly or trendy. Classic, amazing, easy, homemade stuffing that everyone loves! Simple ingredients with stellar results! It’ll be your new go-to recipe!

Cabernet Cranberry and Blueberry Sauce – Make your own cranberry sauce with amazing depth of flavor in 30 minutes! The best cranberry sauce you will EVER have, guaranteed!

Sweet Potato Casserole with Butter Pecan Crumble Topping — The sweet potatoes are so tender, creamy, and fluffy while the crumbly, streusel topping adds a buttery, brown sugary crunch thanks to the pecans.

Honey-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey-Cinnamon Dip – The honey glaze and the creamy cinnamon dip make these potatoes irresistible!

Cranberry Baked Brie – EASY, 15-minute appetizer that’s filled AND topped with richly spiced orange-scented cranberry sauce!

Parmesan and Herb Roasted Potatoes – Easiest potatoes ever and packed with so much flavor! Olive oil, herbs, and everything is better with cheese! A family favorite that everyone loves!

Originally published November 2016 and republished November 2019 with updated text.