A protein like sausage lends the stuffing those all-important crispy bites, and the fat contributes essential flavor.
Recipe information
Yield
8 Servings
Ingredients
¾
10
⅓
3
12
2
4
1
2
½
2
2
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a shallow 3-qt. baking dish and a sheet of foil. Place bread in a very large bowl.
Step 2
Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop, then add to bowl with bread.
Step 3
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking into small pieces with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, 7–10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread with a slotted spoon.
Step 4
Add onions, celery, fennel, and sage to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until onions are golden brown and soft, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread.
Step 5
Reduce heat to medium and cook wine in skillet, scraping up any browned bits, until almost all evaporated, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup butter; cook, stirring, until melted. Drizzle over bread mixture.
Step 6
Whisk eggs and 2 cups stock in a medium bowl; pour over bread mixture. Season with salt and pepper and toss, adding more stock ¼-cupful at a time as needed (you may not use it all), until combined and bread is hydrated. Transfer to prepared baking dish and dot with remaining ¼ cup butter.
Step 7
Cover with buttered foil; bake until a paring knife inserted into the center comes out hot, 30–35 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450°. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown and crisp, 20–25 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
Do Ahead: Stuffing can be assembled 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
Editor’s note: Head this way for more of our best Thanksgiving stuffing recipes →
Leave a Review
Reviews (14)
Back to TopI did not have hazelnuts and I replaced one onion for 2 leeks. The whole family LOVED this stuffing, even the picky eaters. My daughter even asked, "Can you just make that for dinner anytime?!"
Heather M
Santa Rosa, CA
11/24/2023
Best stuffing ever! Ive been making this for Thanksgiving for the past 3 years and it's always a hit. Even my sister who hates stuffing eats this:)
JTO
94551
9/11/2021
Has anyone tried to make two batches of this at once? Also will I need to change the bake time if I make it in two disposable aluminum pans instead of glass? Thanks!
Anonymous
Los Angeles, CA
11/10/2020
Made this for our Friendsgiving and it was delicious. It has the perfect amount of herb and vegetal flavor.
srobison62
Dallas
11/26/2019
Made this for Thanksgiving 2018, will definitely make again. This was our first year moving from boxed/bagged breading for the stuffing and everyone loved it. I'll probably skip the hazelnuts next year unless I can find them already shelled. The only ones I could find in my local chains were still in the shell, waaaaaay too much work for not a lot of payoff. They were only slightly noticeable in texture, not much in taste. It definitely added to the dish, but wasn't worth the time expense for me when there's a million other things to do for Thanksgiving prep.
Thomas_
1/30/2019
Great recipe. You can make this a day ahead, just skip the final browning step until shortly before serving so that you get the nice crispy texture on top.
Anonymous
Boston, MA
11/21/2018
Has anyone tried making this ahead of time? Do you loose anything with the texture?
Anonymous
Somerset Ca
11/19/2018