Simple Apple Sage Stuffing

Last Updated November 17, 2022. Published October 7, 2021 By Lorie 13 Comments

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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!

Simple Apple Sage Stuffing | Lemons + Zest | Holiday Recipe (1)

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This recipe was originally published in November 2018 and updated October 2021.

Thanksgiving is coming, and there is one food I can't wait for the most: stuffing!!! I. LOVE. STUFFING!

Between this apple sage stuffing and my butternut squash stuffing, my plate at the table is all set. Just give it all to me. Nothing else!

Why this apple stuffing is the best:

Savory, rich flavor with a touch of sweet from the apple. A little sweet tartness from the apples in this apple stuffing is just the right amount of vibrance the dish needs.
It can be prepared ahead of time. You have a lot going on around the holiday dinner. Feel free to prepare this apple stuffing the night before and let it soak overnight. If doing so, pour the melted butter over top when ready to bake versus the night before.
The perfect pairing for your holiday dinner. Whether you are serving up turkey, ham, a roast, lamb--you name it. The rich flavor of this stuffing recipe will balance a beautiful spread and enhance your meal perfectly.
A great everyday recipe--you don't need to have this just around the holiday season. Enjoy it year round, or anytime you want a touch of comfort food.

What you will need:

bread: I prefer a large French loaf. Usually easy to get at the grocery bakery and nice and crusty. You could use any style you love, thick sliced is ideal as well as day old. A gluten free bread should work just fine as well.
apple: one large apple--your favorite. I opt for Gala or Fuji. Leave the skin on but if you would rather not have it, you can peel it.
celery: adds a perfect crunch!
onion: yellow or white is preferred in this apple stuffing
herbs: I prefer to use fresh in stuffing--sage and thyme. You can still use dried, but the flavor will be a bit less profound.
chicken broth: if you need vegetarian, opt for vegetable broth.
eggs: large eggs
butter: I use unsalted. If you have salted, you can lessen the salt you add to the stuffing.
nutmeg: a very small pinch. Optional, but it adds a level of flavor you will love!

How To Make This Apple Sage Stuffing:

For the best apple sage stuffing, start with day old bread for best results. Cube it and let it sit out overnight or cube it and dry it out in the oven. You can bake it for about 30 minutes at 325°F evenly spread out on a sheet pan.

Simple Apple Sage Stuffing | Lemons + Zest | Holiday Recipe (2)

When bread is ready and you have apples chopped, sauté the celery and onion in 4 tablespoons of butter. Allow the butter to fully melt before adding the celery and onion. Cook until softened and onion becomes translucent. Toss in the fresh herbs and then cook 1-2 more minutes before tossing with the bread cubes.

Add in the apples to the bowl as well. In a separate bowl, whisk the broth, eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper together. Pour over the bread mixture and toss to fully coat all of the bread.

Transfer this mixture to a greased 9x13 inch pan or large casserole dish. Melt remaining butter and spread over the top of the stuffing. I like to use a brush for this. If it looks like some of the bread is not covered or dry, add more melted butter to make sure it is all lightly soaked.

What kind of bread is best for stuffing?

If you read enough on this topic, you will find white bread is one of the most popular bread suggestions when making any stuffing.

Ideally, you want a bread that will easily take on the flavors you are adding to it, versus overbearing it. You also want a bread that is smooth, dense texture and with very few holes.

White bread, challah and brioche are the most popular options. Make sure it is day old or on the stale side for the best apple stuffing!

What kind of apples are best in this stuffing?

When baking apples in stuffing, a sweet and slightly tart apple is ideal. You want the apple to have a firm texture that won't get too mushy in the stuffing either. Pink Lady and Golden Delicious are two recommendation I have found. Some say honeycrisp is a great option as well. I personally always have Fuji or Gala apples in the house, so sometimes it's a matter of what is around!

Recipe Tips and Notes:

Don't have stale bread? No problem! You can dry it out on your own. Cut up the bread and layer evenly on a sheet pan, or two if needed. Heat at 325°F for about 30 minutes, tossing in the middle.
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. I sometimes add an extra 2-3 tablespoons of melted butter over top depending on how dry the bread was to start.
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.
Add sausage if desired. I know there's a school of people who love sausage in their stuffing. I am not one of those people. You can add browned sausage though if desired. Stir it in before baking.

Simple Apple Sage Stuffing | Lemons + Zest | Holiday Recipe (7)

Possible Apple Stuffing Add-Ins:

Feel free to fine tune and vary this apple stuffing recipe to make it even more delicious! It's so simple to add some extra ingredients to this recipe and add another level of flavor!

sausage or turkey sausage
sliced almonds, pecans or walnuts
fresh cranberries
mushrooms--this is always in my mother in law's recipe!
fresh rosemary
butternut squash (or you can make this recipe as well!)
bacon

Other holiday recipes:

Butternut Squash Casserole
Jiffy Cornbread Casserole with Honey
Cranberry Apple Chutney Recipe
Cheesy Bacon Green Bean Casserole

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5 from 19 votes

Ingredients

▢ 1 loaf thick sliced bread (approx. 20 oz) (day old, cubed)
▢ 1 large apple, small diced
▢ 4 celery stalks, chopped
▢ 1 medium onion, diced
▢ 1 T fresh chopped sage (or 1 teaspoon dried sage)
▢ 1 T freshly chopped thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
▢ 2 c chicken broth
▢ 2 large eggs
▢ 6 T butter 4 to sauté, 2 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 4 T 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 as well.
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 pour remaining butter (melted) over top.
Cover with foil and bake for about 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about 10 minutes 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

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.
Add sausage if desired. I know there's a school of people who love sausage in their stuffing. I am not one of those people. You can add browned sausage though if desired. Stir it in before baking.

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be considered an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Lemons + Zest makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.