No Thanksgiving or Christmas meal is complete without stuffing! This Crock Pot Stuffing recipe is easily made with bread, sausage, celery, onions and seasonings!
AN EASY HOMEMADE STUFFING RECIPE
Making the stuffing in the slow cooker keeps the stuffing moist and lets you get it going first thing on Thanksgiving morning. You just let it cook, then you can switch your slow cooker over to the warm setting until you are ready for your holiday dinner! This will become your new favorite way to make it!
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST STUFFING:
- I am using the cubed bread stuffing here. You can use the regular bagged herbed stuffing that is not cubed or you can use a bagged cornbread stuffing as well.
- Also, if you like a more 'wet' stuffing, just add more chicken broth or stock until it reaches your desired consistency.
- I tested this recipe using two different types of slow cookers (as you can see in photos below): a casserole slow cooker and a deeper oval slow cooker. Both worked well for this recipe; although, I think the oval slow cooker gives you a bit more room to work with.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STUFFING AND DRESSING?
Do you call this stuffing or dressing? I got into this discussion with a friend recently and he said that he had studied the history of this side dish for his cookbook and found that dressing was cornbread based and stuffing is made with cubed white or wheat bread. I love food history like that! Either way you enjoy it - it is a comfort dish for many of us!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- salted butter
- celery
- onion
- salt & pepper
- mild Italian ground sausage
- poultry seasoning
- dried sage
- dried marjoram
- eggs
- chicken stock
- dried, cubed bread stuffing
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CROCK POT STUFFING:
In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt butter.
Add in celery and onion. Season with salt & pepper.
Once celery and onion have begun to soften, add in ground sausage.
Then stir in poultry seasoning, sage and marjoram. Cook meat until no longer pink (breaking it up into crumbles as it cooks.)
In a bowl, whisk together eggs and chicken stock.
Once sausage is fully cooked, take off heat. Note: this sausage produces hardly any grease. If you get a lot of grease from your sausage, you'll want to drain the excess after cooking. Then stir in chicken stock mixture. Stir well.
Pour bags of stuffing into your 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker.
Then pour all of the sausage mixture into your crock pot with the bread stuffing. Gently stir mixture until combined. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Depending on the shape of your crock pot, the time may vary. If you have a deep crock pot, I would suggest stirring the mixture once every hour.
It should be moist but still fluffy when done.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Crock Pot Stuffing (+Video)
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
- 1 ½ cups finely chopped celery
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground Mild Italian Sausage
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 (32 oz) contaner chicken stock
- 2 (12 oz) packages dried cubed bread stuffing
Instructions
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt butter.
- Add in celery and onion.
- Season with salt & pepper and stir.
- Once celery and onion have begun to soften, add in ground sausage.
- Then stir in poultry seasoning, sage and marjoram.
- Cook meat until no longer pink (breaking it up into crumbles as it cooks.)
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and chicken stock.
- Once sausage is fully cooked, take off heat. Then stir in chicken stock mixture.
- Pour bags of stuffing into your 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker.
- Then pour all of the sausage mixture into your crock pot with the bread stuffing.
- Gently stir mixture until combined.
- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
Video
Notes
- This sausage produces hardly any grease. If you get a lot of grease from your sausage, you'll want to drain the excess after cooking. Depending on the shape of your crock pot, the time may vary. If you have a deep crock pot, I would suggest stirring the mixture once every hour. It should be moist but still fluffy when done.
- I am using the cubed bread stuffing here. You can use the regular bagged herbed stuffing that is not cubed or you can use a bagged cornbread stuffing as well.
- Also, if you like a more 'wet' stuffing, just add more chicken broth or stock until it reaches your desired consistency.
- I tested this recipe using two different types of slow cookers: a casserole slow cooker and a deeper oval slow cooker. Both worked well for this recipe; although, I think the oval slow cooker gives you a bit more room to work with.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Originally published: November 2015
Updated & republished: November 2020
Melinda
This is almost identical to what I grew up on and have made for years, but instead of Italian sausage, our recipe calls for bulk breakfast sausage like Parks or Jones. I only started using the slow cooker a couple of years ago and can’t figure out what took me so long!
Beck
Amazing is all I can say!! Made this yesterday and I have to say it did not disappoint!
hayley Eisnor
I'm going to be making my own bread cubes, how many loaves of bread would that be converted from your 2 bags?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Hayley, I don't know to be honest as I haven't tested that out. Loaves of bread are all over the place in terms of sizes. I'm so sorry!
Patrick
Can you prep this and leave it in the crock pot over night and just cook it in the morning?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
You would need to cover and store in the fridge. But also keep in mind, the bread is going to soak up the juice as it sits for hours so it could get pretty soggy.
Judy
Can I use 3 12oz bags of stuffing cubes in my 7 qt slow cooker? Any adjustments to make? Thanks
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Yes that will work in a 7 quart. You're going to need to increase your other ingredients though. So, on my recipe card you can adjust for the number of servings and it will tell you how much of each ingredient you will need with the new number of servings. In this case, one bag makes 6 servings. My recipe calls for 2 bags which gives 12 servings (about a cup per serving is the estimate I used). You would be adding a third bag so that will make it 18 servings. Just adjust the serving number to 18 on the recipe card and it does all the calculations for you. Hope that helps!
Esther
Can I make the night before and refrigerate. In a bowl with tight lid
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi Esther, yes you could! 🙂
Debbie Schimmel
I made this recipe today for our "Friendsgiving" potluck at work and it was a HIT! Got lots of compliments. Will definitely keep this recipe for next time...
Gail
How many people does this feed?
Sandy
Hello, is there something that I can replace the egg with? Or okay to just omit? I love your recipe but now have a child with an egg allergy. Thanks!
Melinda
Joan, I’ve made this for years minus the egg and it’s come out just fine. If you think it might be too dry, just add a tiny bit more liquid.
Joan
I have never put eggs in my stuffing before. What is the purpose for adding them?
Thanks!
Joan
Brandie @ The Country Cook
It acts as a binder. Just like in bread pudding or meatloaf 🙂
Cathy
Hi. Brandie. A great dressing recipe. Just asking if I could cook ahead of time and freeze this dressing cooked. Then just thaw and warm it up. Thank you.
Krys. E.
Will be making this stuffing for Thanksgiving. Why you ask? Because all of your recipes that I have made are amazeballs!! Thanks for all of them.
Cindy Stigler
If I don't want sausage in my stuffing, does that change anything?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Not at all - just leave it out 🙂
Lynne
I like cut up apples in my stuffing.Any adjustments needed so I can add about 2 cups of apples, and when should they be added.
Brandie @ The Country Cook
I would add them in right at the beginning so they have plenty of time to cook down and soften.
Regan Kemper
Lynne, apples add the perfect touch. I also add roasted pinion seeds. Thanksgiving pinions were $18 a lb (!) so I added dry roasted pumpkin seeds instead. Some of our family doesn’t eat meat so the sausage is out but I can do a work-around. To Lynne and all my fellow recipe hunters, Happy whatever you celebrate. May next Christmas find us with all of our loved ones and having renewed joy of being with loved ones.
Dorothy
Hi Brandie, Thanks for sharing this recipe. I have a couple of concerns.... 1 cup of butter is 2 sticks. 1/2 stick of butter is 1/4 cup. On the ingredient list is says 1 cup of butter and then it says 1/2 stick.. In the instructions it says melt 1/2 cup butter. That would be 1 stick. I found the 2 cups of chicken stock was not enough to moisten the 2 12oz packages of dried cubed bread stuffing. 1 more cup seemed to do the trick. So far, everything seems to be going great, Have to bring this and a few other things to my daughters so being able to use the slow cooker is a great help. Thanks again for the recipe. We'll make this again even when it's not holiday time. Happy Thanksgiving!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Thank you so much Dorothy! All great points! I fixed the confusion about the butter. It was correct in my photos but mis-typed in my instructions. Thank you so much for catching that and making a comment. Hope everyone loved it!!
Justin
Will this turn out to Soggy if I prep it the night before and refrigerate?
Carol L. Daniel
This recipe calls for a 7 qt or larger crock pot. How do I adjust the recipe for a 6 qt crock pot?
Please let me know ASAP.
Thanks
Desiree
Hello, recipe says 1 cup butter but in parentheses it says 1/2 stick. Isn't one cup butter 2 sticks? Not sure which measurement is needed. Thanks!
Krista
I wondered that too. If you scroll up a ways, it says 1/2 cup or 1 stick, so I'm going to try that. Good luck!
Stephen S
Stuffing is stuffed into the bird. Dressing is not. That's the difference that I know.
Wendy
Any suggestions on how to make this in a 4 qt slow cooker?
Terri Crump
Cut the recipe in half.
Beth
What size are the bags of stuffing?
Beth
I found it, never mind 🙂
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Ha! Hope you love it!
Cearron Bagenda
I have a 6 quart slow cooker, can I just reduce the amount of stuffing ?
Terri Crump
If you reduce the amount of stuffing, you need to reduce the amount of liquid.
Blair Prillaman
If I leave out the sausage, do I need to alter the recipe or would I still prepare as instructed?
Debbie
This will be my 3rd time making it second Christmas!!easy moist delicious
Darlene
Are the bread cubes seasoned?
Vickie
Thanks for including your friend's understanding of the difference between stuffing and dressing. I had never heard that explanation before. I'm 64 and was always told that stuffing is when it is stuffed in your turkey and baked. Dressing is when it is put in a pan (or crockpot!) and baked separately from the turkey. Never too old to learn something new!
Ellie
Love love all these amazing recipes !! Thank you you