Name: Apple & Cider Sourdough Stuffing
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 50g butter, 30g for sautéing + 20 g to butter the pan; 1 leek, finely sliced; 120g streaky bacon, cut into rough 2cm squares; 2 pork sausages, skins removed; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 2 x 10cm sprigs fresh thyme leaves, stalks removed; 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and coarsely grated; 1/3c heavy cream, thickened cream in Australia; 1/3c chicken stock; 1/2c Irish cider, I use Magners Irish Cider; 1 egg, 60-70g; 1 tbsp sea salt flakes; A good grind of freshly ground black pepper; 350g sourdough bread, roughly cut into 2cm cubes; 80g walnuts, roughly chopped

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There’s always room for another side dish when a roast dinner is on the table. This apple and sausage stuffing is made with sourdough, bacon, buttery leeks and a good glug of Irish cider, then baked until the bread poking out on top goes crisp and golden. Pass the gravy; this is where it gets good!

If you’ve been around here a bit, you’ll know I have a soft spot for a proper roast dinner with a few good sides, and this one brings together some of my favourite flavours. I bake mine in an enamelled cast iron braiser and take it straight to the table. Just leave a little room for the roast – this one is deadly eaten hot straight out of the pan!

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Why you’ll love this recipe

The sourdough is super lovely and moist in the centre, then the top is full of crispy bits – just the way a good stuffing should be!
Bacon, pork sausage, leeks, and fresh thyme, along with tart Granny Smith apples, make a festive, delicious combination.
It’s great for using up excess bread! If you’re like me, there’s always a bit of excess sourdough lying around (it’s the baker in me!) A loaf that’s a day or two old is just what you need.
This one is made for sharing. It serves 6–8 as a side dish, whether you’re cooking Sunday lunch, Christmas dinner, or a Thanksgiving feast.
You know I love any reason to reach for my cast iron braiser. Use it to cook the filling, bake the stuffing, and serve it straight to the table.

Stuffing or dressing… what’s the difference, you ask?

Well, traditionally, stuffing is cooked inside the bird, while dressing is baked separately in a pan. So, technically, this is an apple and sausage dressing. The two names are often used interchangeably, though, and stuffing is what I call it, so don’t come at me!
Whatever you call your favourite dressing recipe, baking it separately gives those lovely bits of sourdough on top a chance to turn golden and crisp. This recipe is tested in a shallow casserole, so the cooking instructions are for baking it separately from your roast.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started

You’ll find the full ingredient quantities in the recipe card below, but here are a few notes before you start.

Butter and leek. The leek is gently softened in butter to begin the filling. Give it a good rinse between the layers to remove any trapped grit (leeks are notoriously gritty!), then drain and finely slice. Keep some of the butter aside for greasing the pan before baking.
Streaky bacon and pork sausages. Cut the bacon into rough 2cm pieces and remove the sausage skins so you can crumble the sausage meat into the pan. You’ll need 170g of pork sausages, which is about two, depending on their size.
Garlic and fresh thyme. Pick the thyme leaves from the stalks and crush the garlic before you begin. They only need a minute over gentle heat before the apple goes in.
Granny Smith apples. Their tartness is lovely alongside the rich pork and buttery bread. Peel, core, and coarsely grate both apples. Grating distributes the apple through the stuffing, and its juices help loosen the cooked-on bits from the pan.
Sourdough bread. Use bread that’s a day or two old, cut into roughly 2cm cubes. There’s no need to remove the crusts. This recipe is tested with day-old sourdough rather than very dry, toasted bread cubes, which may absorb the liquid differently.
Cream, chicken stock (or chicken broth), and egg. These combine with the cider to moisten the bread, while the egg helps bind everything as it bakes. I use thickened cream here in Australia; heavy cream is the equivalent to look for in the US.
Irish apple cider. I use Magners Irish Cider. For my US readers, this is alcoholic cider, usually called hard cider, rather than the non-alcoholic apple cider sold in the juice aisle.
Walnuts. Roughly chop them so you get little crunchy pieces throughout the stuffing.
Sea salt flakes and black pepper. Use sea salt flakes as listed in the recipe. A tablespoon of fine table salt isn’t an equivalent substitution.

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Equipment

I make this stuffing in a 26cm enamelled cast iron braiser, also called a shallow casserole, with a lid. It’s a useful size for this quantity, with room to spread the bread mixture into an even layer, plus I love that I can

You’ll also need a large mixing bowl, whisk, spatula, chopping board, knife, coarse grater and measuring tools.

How to make apple and sausage stuffing

Start with the savoury filling

Soften the sliced leek in butter over low to medium heat. Add the bacon, then crumble in the sausage meat, breaking it up with your spatula as it browns.

Turn the heat down before adding the garlic and thyme. Once fragrant, stir through the grated apple and cook gently for another couple of minutes. Scrape up the cooked-on bits as the apple releases its juices, then take the pan off the heat. Pop the mixture into a bowl and set aside.

Give the sourdough a little soaking time

Whisk the cream, chicken stock, cider, and egg together in a large bowl, then add the seasoning. Stir in the sourdough cubes so they’re coated in the liquid.

Add the walnuts and the cooked apple and sausage mixture, including any juices from the pan. Gently stir everything together and leave for 10 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the liquid.

Bake until golden

Butter the emptied braiser with the remaining butter, then spoon in the stuffing and spread it evenly.

Bake at 200°C fan-forced for 20 minutes with the lid on, then remove the lid and bake for another 30 minutes. You’re looking for a golden, crisp top and a moist centre that has set and cooked through.

Cooks notes

Keep the sausage pieces small. Break up the meat as it cooks so you get a little throughout the stuffing rather than a few large lumps.
Don’t leave the pan juices behind. The grated apple, bacon and sausage bring plenty of flavour, and those juices should go into the bowl with the bread.
Give it the full 10-minute soak. It allows the sourdough to take up the liquid before baking.
Spread it without squashing it. Gently level the mixture in the braiser rather than packing it down firmly.
Use the lid, then take it off. Both stages are part of the tested method. Covered baking keeps moisture in at the start, while the uncovered stage gives you that golden top.
Check the centre as well as the surface. A golden top is lovely, but the middle needs to be cooked through too. A food thermometer should read at least 74°C/165°F in the centre.

Let’s Serve It Up!

This apple and sausage stuffing is a lovely side for roast chicken or turkey, especially with gravy spooned over the top…drool. It also sits very happily alongside roast pork – pork and apple is one of my all-time favorite food flavor combos.

For the rest of the table, I’d add honey-roasted carrots, mashed potato, and something green and steamed! Keep the other sides simple and let the stuffing bring that little extra to dinner.

It’s equally at home at a Sunday family lunch or on the Christmas or Thanksgiving table. Don’t save it for a special occasion – homemade stuffing is much too delicious for that!

Can I prepare it ahead?

You can get a head start by cubing the bread, chopping the walnuts, and preparing the cooked filling separately. If you are preparing the filling ahead, cook the sausage through, cool promptly, and refrigerate it in a covered container.

Keep the bread separate from the moist ingredients until you’re ready to assemble and bake. Make sure you follow the recipe’s 10-minute soaking time once everything is combined. The baking time given is for the freshly prepared recipe; a chilled filling may mean the centre takes longer to cook through.

FAQ’s

This recipe was developed and tested for baking separately in a braiser. The timings here don’t apply to cooking it inside a bird.

I generally just pick up a regular pork sausage from the butcher. Weigh out 170g rather than relying on the number of sausages, as sizes vary. Their seasoning will also contribute to the flavour of the finished stuffing, so just keep that in mind when picking out your sausages.

My tested pan is a 26cm shallow casserole or braiser. A deep Dutch oven with a smaller base will make a thicker layer, so you may need to adjust the baking time. Check that the centre is cooked through rather than relying only on the colour of the top.

A black, cast iron braiser full of apple and sausage stuffing in it.

Storing and reheating leftovers

Transfer leftover stuffing into shallow, covered containers and refrigerate within two hours of cooking. Use within 3–4 days.

To reheat, put the stuffing in an ovenproof dish and cover with a lid or foil. If it looks dry, add a small splash of chicken stock. Heat until the centre reaches 74°C/165°F, then uncover briefly if you’d like to crisp the top again. The time will depend on how much you’re reheating and the depth of the dish. Or simply pop it into the microwave and