Get ready to elevate your Thanksgiving feast with this homemade Gluten Free Sausage Stuffing Recipe! We’ve taken classic stuffing and given it a delicious twist, using gluten-free bread and a medley of aromatic herbs to make it every bit as satisfying as the traditional version. This stuffing recipe is here to prove that gluten free doesn’t mean flavor free – it’ll have all of your guests coming back for seconds, guaranteed!
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Get ready to savor the essence of Thanksgiving in every bite with this unbelievably delicious gluten free stuffing recipe. We’ve taken this classic holiday dish and given it a delicious twist that’s suitable for all, whether you’re following a gluten-free diet or just want to make an impressive, delicious stuffing recipe. With fragrant garlic, savory Italian sausage, and a medley of aromatic herbs, including rosemary, sage, and thyme, this stuffing will have your family and friends begging for seconds.
In this recipe, we’ve swapped out traditional bread for gluten free, so that no one has to miss out on snagging a serving of stuffing at Thanksgiving dinner. This recipe will make the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving spread!
We think stuffing is the hallmark of Thanksgiving so much so that we actually have SEVERAL stuffing recipes for you to choose from. Be sure to check out our semi-homemade stuffing, bacon cranberry cornbread stuffing, and cranberry sweet potato stuffing (all gluten free and all delicious).
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Everyone can enjoy it – even if you have just ONE gluten free guest at your Thanksgiving table, I can guarantee that they will so appreciate you going the extra mile and making the stuffing gluten free. It’s a dish that a lot of GF folks assume they’ll have to miss out on, and I bet they’ll be elated that they don’t have to. Plus, the rest of your guests won’t even know it’s gluten free unless you tell them!
- It’s super flavorful – the butter soaked croutons, Italian sausage, and fresh herbs ensure that this recipe is one that will don your Thanksgiving table year after year.
- It’s easy to pull together – if you’ve never made stuffing before, it may feel like an impossible feat, but truly, this recipe is about as easy as it gets. You’ve got this!
Gluten Free Stuffing Recipe Ingredients
The ingredients needed for this recipe are fairly simple. They can definitely all be found at your local grocery store, and you may even have a handful of them on hand already! Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Gluten free bread – finding a good gluten free bread can be quite the challenge. Our very favorite (and the one we used in this recipe) is this Canyon Bakehouse bread.
- Italian sausage – Italian sausage is my sausage of preference for stuffing (it’s what my mom always used growing up), but if you would prefer to use breakfast sausage instead, go for it!
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Add maple – we’ve found that the flavors in this stuffing pair REALLY well with maple. If you want to take things to the next level, use a maple sausage in place of Italian sausage, and, just before serving the stuffing, spoon maple butter (4 tablespoons of melted butter + 1 tablespoon of maple syrup) over the top of the dish.
- Use regular bread – not gluten free but still want to try this recipe? Feel free to use any bread you love in place of gluten free bread. Sourdough would be really delicious here.
How to Make Gluten-Free Stuffing
You’ll start by making the croutons, browning the sausage, and sautéing the onions and garlic. Once all of those components are done, you’ll assemble, bake, and serve! Follow along below for the full how-to.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Toss the bread cubes with the melted butter, garlic, and sea salt, then spread the bread onto a sheet pan.
Step 2: Bake the bread for 10 minutes, until the tops are starting to brown.
Step 3: Cook and crumble the sausage in a medium-sized pan over medium heat until it’s evenly browned. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
Step 4: Add the celery and onion to the pan that the sausage was in. Saute until the celery and onion start to wilt, then turn off the heat and set aside.
Step 5: Once the croutons are finished baking, reduce the oven heat to 350°F, and, in a large mixing bowl (or the baking dish you’re using to bake the stuffing), combine the croutons with the cooked Italian sausage crumbles, celery, onion, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Stir to combine.
Step 6: Pour the chicken broth over the stuffing mixture, and bake for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. If you want to make the maple butter glaze, mix together 4 tablespoons of melted butter and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup in a small bowl 5 minutes before the stuffing comes out of the oven.
Step 7: Pull the stuffing out of the oven, drizzle with the maple butter (optional), then serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
While swapping fresh herbs for dried in most recipes is just fine, the fresh herbs in this stuffing recipe really add to the dish. So if you can, be sure to use fresh here!
Not all gluten free bread is created equal, so be sure to grab a high quality option for this recipe. We love Canyon Bakehouse GF bread, but if you have a go-to that you love, go for it!
How to Serve
Be sure to enjoy this stuffing alongside all of your other Thanksgiving favorites. Here’s my ideal menu, if it’s helpful:
- Main: Oven Roasted Turkey (for a big crowd) OR Garlic Herb Roasted Turkey Breast (for a smaller group)
- Starchy Side: Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Stuffing: this classic gluten free stuffing recipe!
- Veggie Side: Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad with Pomegranate
- Dessert: Pecan Pie Bars
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftover stuffing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stored this way, it’ll last for up to 4 days.
To reheat it, simply pop a serving or two in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in a 350°F oven for 12-15 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
You bet! The combination of gluten-free bread, butter, garlic, and sea salt make for absolutely delicious homemade croutons that truly rival the classic stuff.
Absolutely! To freeze this classic dish, simply transfer it to an airtight container (this helps with freezer burn), and store it in the freezer for 3-5 months. To reheat, simply pop it into an oven or microwave-safe dish and heat it in either the oven or microwave until warmed through.
More Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes
If you tried this Gluten Free Sausage Stuffing or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Gluten Free Sausage Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 loaf of gluten free bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 4 stalks of celery, cut into thin slices
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Toss the bread cubes with the melted butter, garlic, and sea salt. Spread the seasoned bread onto a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes at 375°F, or until the tops are starting to brown.
- While the croutons are baking, crumble and cook the sausage in a medium-sized pan over medium heat until it's evenly browned. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
- Add the celery and onion to the pan the sausage cooked in. Stir to combine and continue cooking until the celery and onion starts to wilt. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Once croutons are finished baking, reduce oven heat to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl (or the baking dish the stuffing will bake in), combine the croutons with the with cooked Italian sausage crumbles, celery, onion, rosemary, sage, and thyme.
- Pour the stuffing mixture into a 9" x 13" baking dish, pour the broth over top, and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- Optional: if you want to make the maple butter glaze, mix together 4 tablespoons of melted butter and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup in a small bowl 5 minutes before the stuffing comes out of the oven.
- Pull the stuffing out of the oven, drizzle with the maple butter (optional), then serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Can I make this a day ahead ??
You can!
Could I leave the sausage out of this recipe? Would I have to make any modifications?
You sure can! No modifications needed!
Can this be made in advance?
Hi Cassy!
This recipe looks fantastic. I generally try to go for gluten free dishes in my every day life, but the holidays and stuffing are my downfall which recipe do you use to make the bread? I’d love to make this for Christmas!
Thank you,
Sabrina
Hi Sabrina! I don’t make the bread from scratch, but rather will use a gluten-free loaf I have in my freezer. Legit bread is great for a Paleo-friendly option and Canyon Gluten-Free is great if you can tolerate some grains. Hope that helps!
Delicious. It was perfect in all the most wonderful, traditional ways. Thank you!!!
I’m so glad you liked it! <3
The gluten free bread I have is frozen, did you thaw it out before toasting? Can’t wait to give this a try!!
I took mine from the freezer, too. No need to really thaw thoroughly before slicing and baking.