Focaccia Stuffing is a delicious Italian-inspired take on stuffing using day old focaccia bread, Italian sausage, celery, apple and sage. Takes just minutes to put together can be prepared in advance!
Focaccia Stuffing is a delicious take on traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing. Filled with lots of classic stuffing flavors and Italian sausage, this is sure to be your new favorite holiday side dish! Plus, it’s perfect served with this Italian Roast Turkey recipe.
For another delicious stuffing recipe, be sure to try this Cornbread Stuffing or Pretzel Bread Stuffing, both come with make-ahead instructions. And, for a delicious side, don’t miss these Cacio e Pepe Mashed Potatoes! And, for a hearty cold-weather soup, check out this Minestrone Soup with Sausage!
You’ll Love Focaccia Stuffing!
Focaccia Stuffing is a delicious take on traditional stuffing made with day old focaccia bread, Italian sausage, and a classic mix of veggie and herbs. You can make this using my easy No Knead Focaccia Bread recipe!
What makes this recipe so special are the flavors and texture you get from using day old focaccia bread. Because this bread is usually flavored with herbs like rosemary and thyme, and lots of olive oil and kosher salt, you get a lot of extra flavor without a lot of effort.
The bread gives the stuffing a beautiful flavor without having to add a lot of different ingredients. You can use store-bought focaccia or make your own at home. But, be sure the bread is slightly stale or your risk the stuffing being too soft.
Italian sausage gives this stuffing another layer of flavor without a lot of extra ingredients. Because Italian sausage has so many different spices, it’s the perfect addition to this recipe.
In addition to the focaccia and Italian sausage, this recipe is made with classic stuffing flavors like onions, celery, apple and sage. It really is the perfect holiday side dish.
You can also make this recipe ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake. Just follow my make-ahead instructions and save time and stress in the kitchen.
Ingredients
The ingredients for Focaccia Stuffing are: Italian sausage, apple, celery, butter, egg, chicken stock, dried thyme, fresh sage, rosemary focaccia bread, and chicken stock.
- Italian Sausage: Italian sausage works great in stuffing because it is full of flavors like fennel, celery seed, and garlic. You can use mild or hot sausage depending on your preference.
- Rosemary Focaccia: You can find focaccia in most grocery stores or bakeries. I like to use the rosemary focaccia to add an extra level of flavor to the stuffing. Make sure the bread is slightly stale before using, or you can cube it and dry it out in the oven for a couple of minutes to make it firmer.
- Herbs: I like to a combination of fresh sage and dried thyme in this recipe, but feel free to use whatever stuffing ingredients and flavors you like. If you are using rosemary focaccia, no need to add additional rosemary seasoning.
How to Make Focaccia Stuffing
Focaccia Stuffing is a delicious Italian-inspired take on traditional stuffing. You can make it immediately, or prepare in advance and bake before serving.
Step 1: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the Italian sausage until it is no longer pink. Remove the cooked sausage from the skillet using a spoon and set aside.
Step 2: In the same skillet, add the butter, celery, onion, apple, sage, thyme, and salt. Cook until the vegetables have softened.
Step 3: Use a serrated knife the cut the focaccia into 1-inch cubes and place in a very large mixing bowl. Add in the cooked sausage and veggies. If serving later, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 4: Pour in the chicken stock and beaten egg and toss with the other ingredients until moistened. Pour the focaccia stuffing into a large casserole dish.
Bake the stuffing for 30-40 minutes in a 350 degree oven. The internal temperature of the stuffing should be about 165 degrees. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before scooping and serving.
Recipe Tips
- What makes this focaccia stuffing special is the bread. However, you can still make it without focaccia. Just use day old Italian or French bread cut into cubes. Add an extra teaspoon of dried rosemary when cooking the veggies.
- You can use either mild or hot Italian ground Italian sausage. If using links of sausage, be sure to remove the casings before cooking.
- Use the largest bowl you have when tossing together the stuffing. If needed, you can work in batches.
- To prep focaccia stuffing ahead, make the entire dish but don’t add the beaten egg and chicken stock until ready to bake.
Focaccia Stuffing FAQs
Focaccia is a flat bread that that is oven baked in a sheet pan or skillet. It is similar to pizza dough, but bakes up puffier with more holes in its texture. It is flavored with olive oil, herbs, and sometimes vegetables.
Stuffing is done when the top is crispy and golden, and the internal temperature of the stuffing is 165 degrees. If it’s made with egg, you want to make sure this temperature is reached before serving.
Ground pork from Italian sausage or breakfast sausage are the best options for stuffing. They contain additional spices that add a lot of flavor to the stuffing without extra ingredients. Be sure to cook the sausage completely before adding it to the stuffing mixture.
The traditional stuffing herbs are sage, thyme, rosemary, and sometimes parsley. You can use a mixture of dried or fresh herbs. Poultry seasoning is also a great spice to add to stuffing.
You can prep stuffing up to a day in advance. Do so by tossing together the bread, cooked meats and veggies, and storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, toss the stuffing with the broth and egg, then pour into baking pan and bake as instructed.
Similar Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or review in the comments section further down the page.
Focaccia Stuffing
Equipment
- large casserole or baking dish
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup apple, cored and diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 8 cups focaccia bread, cubed
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3 cups broth, chicken or turkey
Instructions
- If making the stuffing immediately, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and use a spoon to break it up while cooking. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, until cooked through. Remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside.
- Return the skillet to the stove and add in butter, celery, onion, apple, sage, thyme, and salt. Cook until all of the vegetables are softened, about 9-10 minutes.
- Use a serrated knife to cut the focaccia into 1-inch cubes. Place in a very large mixing bowl. Add in the cooked sausage and veggies. Toss well to combine. (If making ahead, refrigerate this mixture and proceed to next step when ready to bake.) Add the beaten egg and chicken stock to the stuffing and toss again.
- Pour the stuffing into a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes until top is lightly browned and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Video
Notes
- What makes this focaccia stuffing special is the bread. However, you can still make it without focaccia. Just use day old Italian or French bread cut into cubes. Add an extra teaspoon of dried rosemary when cooking the veggies.
- Make your own focaccia using my easy No Knead Focaccia Bread recipe!
- You can use either mild or hot Italian ground Italian sausage. If using links of sausage, be sure to remove the casings before cooking.
- Use the largest bowl you have when tossing together the stuffing. If needed, you can work in batches.
- To prep focaccia stuffing ahead, make the entire dish but don’t add the beaten egg and chicken stock until ready to bake.
This focaccia stuffing is tasty and has a good bite! Will use it for my thanksgiving meal.
You’re going to love it!
Loving this recipe using old focaccia for stuffing. It’s a perfect side dish.
Excellent recipe! The foccacia made perfect stuffing and I would never have thought to try it. Thank you!
I don’t know why I never thought of this before, but I love the idea! Focaccia is my favorite bread and it is to die for in this stuffing!
Wow, this recipe is so easy to follow and turned out delicious too. Loved the recipe.
Looks to be based on ingredients a winner
You’re going to love it!