Tarragon, Apple, & Turkey Sausage Stuffing (Dairy-Free)

This stuffing skips the casserole‑dish chaos and cooks like a stew: bread gently simmered in broth until creamy at the center, then finished hot so the top turns crisp and deeply golden. With just five ingredients and about 30 minutes, the payoff is all about contrast with lofty spoonfuls, crackly edges, and a savory, almost risotto‑like interior scented with apple and tarragon. Most stuffing recipes chase nostalgia, but this one teaches you how moisture, heat, and timing create the texture people actually crave, and once you understand that, you can make it perfectly every time.

When I serve this tarragon apple sausage stuffing for Thanksgiving, I always pair it with my pomegranate molasses cranberry sauce, because the tart, citrusy bite cuts straight through the richness of the sausage and creamy bread. On the vegetable side, pomegranate molasses Brussels sprouts are my go‑to… they’re so good, they won best Thanksgiving recipe at my friend’s office party.

To finish, I stick with my classic pumpkin pie made with homemade filling. It’s familiar in the best way with a depth of flavor from the 3 sugars in it: brown, granulated, and maple syrup.

🧾Ingredients in this recipe

sausage – I use a turkey sausage because around Thanksgiving, you can get uncased turkey sausage at the meat counter with many flavor options. It’s basically seasoned ground turkey. You can also use chicken.

stock – you can use chicken stock or vegetable stock in this recipe, but I like to use vegetable stock because I always have it on hand.

bread – I prefer sourdough because it flavor to the stuffing without overpowering it like a herbed bread would. However, any day-old bread works in this recipe. If you need to quickly age the bread, cut it into cubes and leave it out overnight.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

👩‍🍳How to Make This Recipe

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Prep-ahead tip!

Candice Recommends

Cook the filling and add it to your baking dish the night before. While the oven is preheating, mix in the stock, then bake.

Tarragon, Apple, & Turkey Sausage Stuffing (Dairy-Free)

5 from 10 votes

This special stuffing just might steal the show from the mashed potatoes and turkey! It’s the perfect balance of fall flavors to compliment your roast and other sides.

Author: Candice Walker

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Calories: 109

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lb turkey or chicken sausage removed from casings (I used spicy Italian)
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 1 onion finely diced
• ▢ 1 carrot finely diced
• ▢ 1 McIntosh apple finely diced
• ▢ 6 radishes finely diced
• ▢ 6 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ ¼ oz tarragon stemmed & chopped
• ▢ 1 egg beaten
• ▢ 4 cups stale sourdough loaf cut into a 1-inch dice
• ▢ 2 cups vegetable stock
• ▢ salt & pepper

Equipment

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  Cast Iron Pan

Instructions

Cook Mode

1. Heat a saute pan over high heat. Cook the sausage until golden brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate. Keep the rendered fat in the pan.
2. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the rendered fat. Add the onions, carrots, apple, and radishes. Season with salt & pepper. Cook until onions are translucent and veggies are soft.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.
4. Preheat to 425F.
5. Fold in the tarragon, bread, and egg. Add enough stock so the mixture is moist, 1.5-2 cups. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
6. Pour your mixture into the baking dish. Make sure it is moist with the stock. Add more if necessary.
7. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Notes

If you need to quickly age the bread, cut it into cubes and leave it out overnight.

You can complete steps 1-3 up to 2 days in advance.

Nutrition

Calories109kcalCarbohydrates15gProtein3gFat4gSaturated Fat1gCholesterol20mgSodium323mgPotassium137mgFiber1gSugar4gVitamin A1478IUVitamin C4mgCalcium30mgIron1mg

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