Sausage and Wild Rice Stuffing

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This Sausage and Wild Rice Stuffing is hearty enough for a meal but also makes a delicious side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

This Sausage and Wild Rice Stuffing is hearty enough for a meal but also makes a delicious side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

**Originally published 10/2014. Updated 10/2023**

Hi Friends-

Would you believe me if I told you that this sausage stuffing recipe used to be my least favorite part of Thanksgiving?

I avoided it for years for no good reason other than I wasn’t a very adventurous eater and it wasn’t until I was an adult that I discovered how delicious my mom’s Sausage and Wild Rice Stuffing actually is.

Sausage Stuffing Recipe

In the photos for this post and when I make this recipe, I use chicken sausage because it’s what I almost always have on hand.

However, the original recipe calls for regular pork sausage so you can definitely use that. Just sub 1 pound of pork sausage for the chicken sausage and make sure to cook it all the way through.

Wild Rice and Sausage Stuffing

This stuffing is a bit non-traditional and it may seem intimidating if you’re not familiar with wild rice but I promise it’s worth a try. I buy the 4oz packages of Reese Wild Rice and am able to find them in most grocery stores so I try to make sure I always have some in my pantry. I’ve also used this Wild Rice Blend from Lundberg.

If you happen to buy a larger bag of wild rice and need help using the rest of it, here are 15 Healthy Wild Rice Recipes to try!

If you’re not sure how to cook wild rice, you can try:

This Sausage and Wild Rice Stuffing boasts heartiness suitable for a main course, while also serving as a delectable side dish perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

How To Make Wild Rice Sausage Stuffing

This stuffing recipe comes together quickly with just a few simple steps:

  • Cook wild rice according to package directions.
  • Saute leeks in butter.
  • Add sausage, apples and dried cranberries.
  • Add cooked rice, fresh parsley and stale bread cubes.
  • Slowly add some broth to moisten the bread and voila! Ready to serve.

Sausage and Wild Rice Stuffing Recipe

So here’s how you make it:

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Sausage and Wild Rice Stuffing Recipe

This Sausage and Wild Rice Stuffing is hearty enough for a meal but also makes a delicious side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
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This Sausage and Wild Rice Stuffing makes the perfect holiday side dish but is also hearty enough to enjoy as a meal on its own.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup leeks, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium apple apple, chopped
  • 4 chicken sausages, halved & sliced (or sub 1 pound ground pork sausage)
  • 1 tsp McCormick’s grill seasoning
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup Craisins
  • 1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
  • 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
  • 3–4 cup stale bread, cubed
  • 1/2 – 2/3 cup chicken broth

Instructions

  1. Cook rice according to package directions.
  2. Saute the leeks in the butter until soft.
  3. Add the apple, sausage, Craisins and seasonings and saute 5 minutes more. (If using ground sausage, cook until sausage is cooked all the way through)
  4. Stir in the cooked rice, parsley and bread cubes until well combined.
  5. Slowly add broth until all of the bread is moistened.
  6. Cook until heated through and serve warm.

Pretty easy and super delicious! Feel free to customize with your favorite kind of sausage. And don’t leave out the leeks! They add a mellow yet unique flavor that pairs well with the rest of the ingredients.

Sausage Stuffing FAQs

Is this sausage and wild rice stuffing for turkey?

I do not cook this stuffing inside the turkey but you could if you want to. Just make sure if you’re using pork sausage that you cook that first before putting it into the turkey so that you’re certain it cooks all the way.

How to make wild rice stuffing with sausage and mushrooms?

This recipe does not call for mushrooms but you could certainly add them. Just slice them up and saute them when you add the sausage, apples and cranberries!

Gluten-free sausage and wild rice stuffing recipe

To make this stuffing recipe gluten-free, you have a few options. Either use gluten-free bread, or sub the bread for something like roasted sweet potatoes. And make sure your sausage is gluten-free if necessary.

Wild rice stuffing vs bread stuffing

This stuffing is unique in that it uses both wild rice and bread. This lends itself to more traditional bread stuffing, but the wild rice adds some added chewiness, which I love.

Other sausage stuffing recipes?

If you’re looking for more sausage stuffing recipes, try:

With its satisfying heartiness, this Sausage and Wild Rice Stuffing can stand as a meal on its own or shine as a delightful side dish for your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast.

Thanksgiving recipes

Need more Thanksgiving recipes? Try these:

Lightly sweetened and bursting with tart fresh cranberries, these Cranberry Corn Muffins are the perfect dinner side dish. Serve them with a hearty chili or make a batch for your holiday dinner.

Cranberry Corn Muffins

These Cranberry Corn Muffins are lightly sweetened and bursting with tart fresh cranberries. They make the perfect dinner side dish. Serve them with a hearty chili or make a batch for your holiday dinner.

Read more
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Sweet Potato Apple Cranberry Crumble

This Sweet Potato Apple Cranberry Crumble is the perfect addition to your holiday dinner. Make it for a quick and easy Thanksgiving side dish or pop it in the oven while eating and serve it with ice cream for dessert!

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This Fresh Cranberry Sauce is simple to make, ready in 15 minutes and tastes great on everything from turkey to oatmeal! Make a batch and enjoy on your favorite breakfast, lunch, dinner and holiday recipes!

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

This fresh homemade cranberry sauce is an easy and delicious way to add some fresh fall flavor to your meals! Make it for Thanksgiving and use the leftovers as a topping for waffles, oatmeal and sandwiches.

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Leftover Turkey and White Bean Soup

This Leftover Turkey and White Bean Soup is perfect for transforming holiday leftovers into a new meal. Or make it with chicken any time of year!

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Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. I grew up on apple and sausage stuffing. Love it! A guggestion for leeks: One of my go-tos is to quickly sautee them in butter or oil, then coat them in mustard. Very French and good hot or cold.

    Reply

  11. I used to avoid stuffing as a kid too and now I can’t believe how many years of deliciousness I missed out on – haha! This recipe sounds great. I enjoy reading about other variations of stuffing and people’s holiday meal traditions. Don’t know about you, but our family pretty much eats the same dishes every year!

    Reply

  15. I’m with you on the “late to the stuffing party.” I really didn’t give it a chance until I hosted my own Thanksgiving and made it myself. Maybe I just needed to see (and smell, and taste test) the process.

    This recipe looks amazing! I’m filing it away just in case I end up hosting this year again!

    Reply

  23. I ate way too much stuffing one thanksgiving in high school and it took me a long time to jump aboard the train again-but I have. This looks delicious. A must make this thanksgiving for sure.

    Reply

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