Simple Apple Sage Stuffing

Pan with apple stuffing topped with herbs.

5 from 21 votes

Simple Apple Sage Stuffing

This simple apple stuffing recipe is sure to make this holiday season all the more delicious. Sweet apples add a new level to buttery savory stuffing. Simple to whip up and full of fresh herbs and flavor. It's the perfect compliment to any turkey or Thanksgiving dinner!

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Total Time1

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Lorie Yarro

Ingredients

1 crusty white bread like French loaf (approx. 20 oz) (day old, cubed)
1 large apple, small diced or 2 small/medium
4 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 Tbsp fresh chopped sage (or 1 tsp dried sage)
1 Tbsp freshly chopped thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
2 cups chicken broth
2 large eggs
8-10 Tbsp. butter, 1 stick 6 Tbsp. to sauté, 2-4 Tbsp for topping*
pinch of nutmeg
cracked pepper
sea salt

Instructions

Begin with bread sliced into one inch pices that have set out overnght. If you do not have time for this, heat oven to 325°F and place cubed bread on baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes or until dried out.
Preheat oven after bread is removed to 375°F.
Place bread into a large bowl.
In a skillet, heat 6 Tbsp butter to melt. Add in celery and onion and cook until softened (about 5-7 minutes). Add in fresh herbs and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Transfer celery and onion mixture to the bread bowl and fold into bread. Add in diced apple--(if making this in advance and not baking until the next day, omit the apples and stir in just before baking.)
In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, chicken broth, nutmeg and salt and pepper to your liking. Pour mixture into bread and stir to coat evenly.
Pour into a greased casserole dish and evenly pour or dab 2-4 Tbsp remaining butter (melted) over top.
Cover with foil and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about 10-15 minutes more or until desired crispiness on top.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Add freshly chopped herbs to garnish and serve!

Notes

Storage: Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for about 4-5 days. If the stuffing seems a bit dried out when reheating, drizzle some melted butter over top. You can also freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. Allow it to cool completely first (I like to store it in the refrigerator for a few hours first), and then freeze. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator overnight for best results when reheating.

Make sure the top of your apple stuffing has sufficient butter and moisture. You don't want the top of your stuffing to dry out. Add sufficient butter over top and make sure the top layer has soaked in enough moisture. More butter can be used in this case.

If you love the crispy texture, use a large sheet pan instead of a baking dish. We fight over the top crispy layer. If you spread the apple sage stuffing on a sheet pan, you will have even more of that top layer to serve up.

*After making this many times, I noticed I was using more butter than originally to lock in more moisture as well as get that golden crisp topping. You can lessen the butter slightly, by about 1-2 Tbsp. if desired.

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