This family-favorite recipe for Thanksgiving Stuffing adds ground sausage and sauteed vegetables to packaged stuffing mix that is baked in greased, foil packets for perfect, crispy edges.
Stuffing. Could there be a more perfect food?! I look forward to my mom Carol’s stuffing more than anything else each Thanksgiving. I won’t be with my parents this year, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be making this family recipe that’s not only over-the-top scrumptious but represents so much more—a way to stay connected to family through food and traditions in a year when it’s needed most.
My mom’s stuffing includes a mixture of celery, onion, grated carrots and pork sausage—which may be as controversial as what you call this classic turkey day dish (stuffing or dressing?) but that’s a story for a different day.
Carol got the original recipe from a magazine years ago, but like many cherished dishes, it’s those special added touches and little tweaks that make it stand out as a family-favorite.
Carol’s Tips
- Taking a cue from her own mom (my grandma Hilma), my mom adds a little grated carrot to her stuffing for some color.
- Like many great home cooks, my mom swears by specific brands when making her signature recipes. For her stuffing, she prefers Jimmy Dean bulk sausage (regular). She also recommends Pepperidge Farm Classic Stuffing (Herb Seasoned) because she fondly recalls her cousin Arlene (another amazing home cook and baker) using this product as the base for her stuffing that was always a big hit at the large Thanksgiving gatherings she’d host at her Duluth home through the years.
- For baking, my mom portions the stuffing into a few, lightly greased foil packets and places them on a cookie sheet. It results in a not-too-soft texture with some perfectly crispy edges.
This may not be the Thanksgiving that any of us could have ever envisioned. I am so thankful for the many traditions and special family recipes like this stuffing that will remind me of my favorite loved ones and bring their presence to our table.
