Whole Wheat Stuffing with Sausage

Name: Whole Wheat Stuffing with Sausage
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 8 cups cubed whole wheat bread (about 8-10 thick slices); 1/2 cup unsalted butter (divided); 1 1/2 cups chopped smoked kielbasa sausage (cut into 1/2-inch pieces); 3-4 stalks celery (chopped (about 1 cup)); 1 medium-sized yellow onion (chopped); 2 garlic cloves (minced); 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary; 1/2 teaspoon dried sage; 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 1/2 cups no salt added chicken broth; 2 large eggs; Chopped fresh parsley to garnish (optional)

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This Whole Wheat Stuffing Recipe is made with whole wheat bread cubes, kielbasa sausage, celery, onion and dried herbs. It's heartier than stuffing made with white bread, but it still bakes up golden brown and buttery with all the amazing flavors of traditional stuffing. I promise, this stuffing will be a crowd pleasing addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu!

We always serve this one for the holidays with turkey and mashed potatoes, alongside my roasted Brussels sprouts with prosciutto, air fryer roasted carrots and my healthy cranberry sauce!

Stuffing in a dish, garnished with chopped parsley and a serving spoon inserted into it.

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Quick Look: Whole Wheat Stuffing

⏱ Prep time: 30 minutes (including time to toast the bread cubes)
👩🏻‍🍳 Cook time: 50 minutes
⏳ Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
🍽 Servings: 8
⚡ Calories: 273 per serving
🔥 Flavor/texture: savory and herby flavor; soft in the middle (but not soggy) with a crisp, buttery topping.
👌 Difficulty: easy, especially when using pre-cooked kielbasa.
❤️ Why you'll love: no boxed stuffing croutons required; heartier than traditional stuffing made with white bread but still bakes up buttery and golden.

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Changes to the original recipe

This recipe was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2021. It's popular for the holidays, so I decided to update the photos and make some changes to the recipe to make it even better.

The main changes include using butter instead of oil, as it adds the best flavor to stuffing, and taking out the apples and cranberries to keep the recipe more traditional. If you like apples and cranberries in your stuffing, this vegetarian apple cranberry stuffing is a delicious option!

The two things I love about this recipe are still the same - we're making our own whole wheat stuffing cubes (no boxed stuffing croutons!) and using kielbasa as the sausage component.

Using kielbasa is a shortcut for this recipe as it's pre-cooked (smoked) so you just need to brown it for a few minutes and it adds amazing flavor to the stuffing. (I also use it as a shortcut in this sausage frittata recipe). As a bonus, it's less greasy than ground sausage.

Table of Contents

Quick Look: Whole Wheat Stuffing
Changes to the original recipe
Ingredient notes
How to make stuffing with whole wheat bread and kielbasa sausage
Expert tips
Whole wheat stuffing FAQs
More holiday side dishes
📖 Recipe

Ingredient notes

Ingredients to make whole wheat stuffing arranged separately and labeled.

Whole wheat bread - The recipe calls for whole wheat bread cut or torn into 1-inch cubes. I used a store-bought loaf of bread, but you can also use homemade. You'll want your bread to be stale so it's more absorbent, and fresh bread will just create soggy stuffing. For the best results, I normally toast the bread cubes.
Sausage - You'll want to use smoked (pre-cooked) kielbasa for this recipe. I've tried it with both pork and turkey kielbasa. Turkey is leaner and you can also find lean pork kielbasa. Using pre-cooked sausage is a great way to save a little time in preparing this stuffing.
Celery, onion, garlic, dried herbs - These veggies and herbs are the aromatics that add a depth of flavor to the stuffing. You'll want to cook them before adding them to the stuffing to draw out the aroma and soften them a bit. For the herbs, I used dried thyme, rosemary and sage.
Broth - This helps keep the stuffing moist and adds similar flavor as if the stuffing was cooked in the turkey. I prefer to use no salt added chicken broth, especially since the kielbasa can be a little salty. You can use low sodium or regular chicken broth, just reduce the amount of salt you add to the recipe.
Butter - The veggies and herbs are cooked in butter, and the excess butter adds moisture and flavor to the stuffing. I used unsalted, but again, if you only have salted, just omit the added salt in the recipe.
Eggs - Since whole wheat bread is denser than white bread, I like to use two eggs in this stuffing. It adds moisture and helps bind everything together.

How to make stuffing with whole wheat bread and kielbasa sausage

Whole wheat bread cubes toasted on a sheet pan.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 250F and arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Toast the cubes for 12-15 minutes, flip them over and toast for another 12-15 minutes, or until crispy, like croutons.

Chopped up kielbasa sausage browned in a skillet.

Step 2: Melt a tablespoon of butter over medium heat in a skillet and brown the sausage. (This should just take 3-5 minutes). Transfer to a plate.

Vegetables and herbs cooked in butter in a skillet.

Step 3: Add the remaining butter to the skillet and let it melt. Add the celery, onion, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper, and cook until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat if necessary.

Bread cubes, sausage and vegetable/herb mixture added to a large glass bowl.

Step 4: In a large bowl, add the toasted bread cubes, browned sausage and veggie mixture. Toss to combine.

Eggs and broth whisked together in a measuring cup.

Step 5: In a large measuring cup, whisk together the broth and eggs.

Milk/broth mixture being poured over the bread cube mixture.

Step 6: Gradually pour the egg mixture over the stuffing mixture, gently tossing until the bread cubes are well coated.

Stuffing mixed together and spread out in a baking dish.

Step 7: Transfer the stuffing to a greased baking dish and bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes, or until browned on top.

Baked stuffing in a dish with chopped parsley on the side.

Step 8: When it's golden brown and crispy on top, remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Expert tips

Toast the bread. While stale bread might be dry enough, I usually don't take any chances and toast the bread cubes to make sure they're dried out. This will help prevent soggy stuffing. (You'll toast them low and slow like I do with my homemade sourdough croutons).
Brown the kielbasa. The kielbasa is fully cooked so it's not absolutely necessary to brown it before adding it to the stuffing. I just like to do this because it adds extra flavor this way.
Cover with foil. To get the top of the stuffing golden brown and crispy, it's baked uncovered. If it looks like the top is starting to brown too much, just cover it with foil and continue baking.

Whole wheat stuffing FAQs

Do I need to use whole wheat bread for this stuffing?

The amount of broth and eggs in this recipe is based on using whole wheat bread, which is denser than white bread. If you'd like to substitute with white bread, I suggest reducing the amount of liquid. Other dense breads like multi-grain will work in this recipe, just avoid seedy breads.

Can I use ground sausage instead of kielbasa to make this stuffing?

Absolutely! It'll just take a few extra minutes to fully cook the ground sausage. It's also a little greasier, so you may wish to drain the grease from the skillet before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

Why is my stuffing soggy on the bottom and/or too crispy and dry on top?

Stuffing should be wet enough to bind together as it bakes but not too wet that it turns out soggy. If you use too much liquid or the bread cubes aren't dried out enough, the stuffing may turn out mushy on the bottom. If the top is too dried out or crunchy, it means the bread cubes may have been toasted for too long or the top layer of bread didn't absorb enough liquid. When mixing the bread cubes with the egg/broth mixture, just make sure all of the bread cubes are evenly coated but not completely soaked that they're falling apart.

Can you make this stuffing recipe in advance?

I don't recommend making the stuffing in advance and letting it rest in the fridge, but you can prep some of the ingredients in advance and assemble when ready to bake. This includes drying out the bread cubes and storing them covered at room temperature. You can also chop the sausage and prepare the aromatics and store them in the fridge until ready to use. The other option is to bake the stuffing and store it in the fridge for 1-2 days. Then, you just need to reheat it the day of your holiday feast.

What's the best way to store and reheat this stuffing?

Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoyed within 2-3 days. You can warm leftovers in the microwave but, to get the stuffing crispy again, it's best to reheat it in the oven. Just spread it out on a baking sheet or in a dish and bake it on 350F for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through and crispy on top. Just keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn't burn or dry out too much.