This delicious crockpot stuffing with sausage is going to make your life so much easier! The perfect complement to turkey or ham on a holiday table, it’s a favorite even for those who don’t love stuffing. The addition of leeks and sausage makes it unique and flavorful! Easy to prep, this side dish is great served with any meal any time of the year.
Original recipe posted: February 2016 | Recipe updated: October 2019
Why This Recipe Works
What are your favorite dishes that have to be represented at a holiday meal? I know that for our family, one of them is stuffing. Along with potatoes and any new creative recipes, of course. This delicious slow cooker sausage and leek stuffing recipe kinda fell into my food blogging abyss. Which is truly a shame because it was fabulously tasty. So tasty that I made it twice in the same week.
I hit a home run with this one. The flavor is amazing and the crockpot did all of the work for me. Making it this way opened up oven space, a precious commodity during a holiday meal, am I right? And who can resist a recipe with leeks? I love ’em.
I love having my side dishes and the majority of my cooking done before the table is set and the guests arrived. The dishes I prepare can be kept warm and don’t need to be made immediately prior to eating. But this also makes your mouth water as the steam rising out of the stuffing and other dishes make you wish it was time to dig in!
Recipe Ingredients
Ground sausage – Swap out the sausage for turkey sausage for a little healthier version.
Vegetables – Celery, leeks, mushrooms and onions make a perfect combination in the stuffing.
Dry bread crumbs – Making your own bread cubes is easy if you have some around the house you’d like to use up. Any good white sandwich bread works if it is on the dry side. Any kind of bread works, so feel free to mix in a whole wheat slice or some leftover hot dog buns! Cut the bread into 1″ cubes, and add them to a baking sheet. Put them in the oven for about 30-35 minutes at 300 degrees F.
Chicken broth – Depending on the type of bread you use will determine how much broth you actually need. A flavorful broth is needed to marry all the flavors in the bread, meat and vegetables.
How To Prepare A Perfect Homemade Stuffing Dish
Let this slow cooker stuffing recipe shine for your Thanksgiving day meal!
Step 1
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until no longer pink. Drain grease and add onions, celery, leeks, mushrooms, salt and pepper to skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until veggies are soft and fragrant.
Step 2
Place a cooking liner in a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour dry bread cubes evenly into bottom of slow cooker and top with sausage-veggie mixture from skillet. Pour the chicken broth and water over the top, covering the entire surface.
Step 3
Stir slightly and cover crockpot. Set cook time to for 4 hours on Low heat, stirring occasionally. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
- The broth amount could vary by up to a cup or more, depending on the type of bread you use. You want the cubes to be moist but not mushy as the onions/celery and other additions will also add a bit of moisture to the stuffing, so keep that in mind. Start by adding 1/2 cups of broth if your mixture needs extra moisture.
- Be sure to use a slow cooker liner. It has the added benefit of keeping the stuffing super moist as well as easy clean up!
- Replace the leeks with a chopped yellow onion, if desired.
- This isn’t just for Thanksgiving! It will go great with any meal, any time of year.
FAQs About Stuffing
Yes, you can freeze cooked stuffing up to 3 months. When ready to eat, reheat in the oven at a low temperature for 10-15 minutes.
Stuffing and dressing are similar but one refers to preparing the meal inside a turkey and the other is prepared in a separated dish in the oven on its own
Once the stuffing is cooked, you can refrigerate it 3-5 days and still enjoy it.
A turkey needs a long time to cook based on its weight and it will take longer to cook if it’s stuffed than if its not. The additional time it takes to cook can leave the white meat, which is less moist, to become dry which is why we’re a fan of preparing it in a crockpot!
Delicious Thanksgiving Dinner Side Dishes
More Options For Holiday Meals
- This is my Mom’s Mashed Potatoes recipe. It is the BEST and goes great with any main dish, any time of year. You’ll never need another mashed potato recipe again!
- Tater Tot Hotdish is the perfect comfort food. Whether it’s the main dish or a side, everyone at the table will be satisfied. This Midwestern staple is easy to make and fills everyone up. Great for your Thanksgiving table or any time of the year!
- If you really love to have low carb options available, try this Cauliflower Stuffing recipe! Cauliflower stuffing is a low carb, gluten free recipe that does not lack in flavor. Add this delicious dish to your next Thanksgiving spread!
- Check out my friend Bernie’s recipe (from at A Gouda Life): Traditional Bread Sausage Stuffing recipe.
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Crockpot Stuffing with Sausage Recipe
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground sausage
- 4 stalks celery sliced
- 1 leek thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
- 8 oz. package sliced mushrooms
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 14 oz. bag dry bread crumbs
- 14 oz. can chicken broth
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook the sausage until no longer pink. Drain grease and add celery, leeks, mushrooms, onion, salt and pepper to skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until veggies are soft and fragrant.
- Place a cooking liner in a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour breadcrumbs evenly into bottom of slow cooker and top with sausage-veggie mixture from skillet. Pour the chicken broth and water over the top, covering the entire surface.
- Stir slightly and cover crockpot. Cook on Low heat for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve warm.
Notes
- The broth amount could vary by up to a cup or more, depending on the type of bread you use. You want the cubes to be moist but not mushy as the onions/celery and other additions will also add a bit of moisture to the stuffing, so keep that in mind.
- Be sure to use a slow cooker liner. It has the added benefit of keeping the stuffing super moist as well as easy clean up!
- Swap out the sausage for turkey sausage for a little healthier version.
- Making your own bread cubes is easy if you have some around the house you’d like to use up. Any good white sandwich bread works if it is on the dry side. Any kind of bread works, so feel free to mix in a whole wheat slice or some leftover hot dog buns! Cut the bread into 1″ cubes, and add them to a baking sheet. Put them in the oven for about 30-35 minutes at 300 degrees F.
- Replace the leeks with a chopped yellow onion, if desired.
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