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5 from 11 votes
Cheesy Italian Sausage Stuffing Recipe - An incredible Thanksgiving stuffing prepared with Italian sausage, kale, and provolone cheese! A wonderful combination of savory, hearty, and cheesy, all in one bite. 
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Cheesy Italian Sausage Stuffing Recipe

17 17 17
WW Freestyle: 16
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 10 mins
An incredible Thanksgiving stuffing prepared with Italian sausage, kale, and provolone cheese! A wonderful combination of savory, hearty, and cheesy, all in one bite.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 8 Serves
Calories: 491
Author: Katerina | Diethood

Ingredients

  • 1 pound stale white bread, cubed (see notes on how to make your own)
  • 6 tablespoons butter, divided, plus more for baking dish
  • 2 small yellow onions, diced
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound mild or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1/2 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
  • salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed, chopped (1 bunch just refers to how much you can grab in one hand)
  • 3 cups low sodium chicken broth or beef broth
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 cup cubed provolone cheese

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 375F.
  • Butter a 3-quart baking dish and set aside.
  • In a dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat.
  • Add onions and celery and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add garlic and stir in the sausage and paprika; cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon for about 6 minutes, or until cooked through and browned.
  • Stir in tomato paste and season with thyme, rosemary, sage, salt, and pepper.
  • Add the kale and cook for 3 minutes, or until softened.
  • Add the broth and bring to a simmer; remove from heat and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs and parsley; add prepared bread cubes and the sausage mixture; stir to combine.
  • Stir in the cheese.
  • Transfer to prepared baking dish.
  • Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into several pieces and dot over the stuffing.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  • Remove foil and continue to bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
  • Remove from oven and serve.

Notes

BREAD CUBES
I almost always choose plain, sliced white bread since it easily soaks up all the great flavors that you add to it. If you decide to make your own bread cubes, I suggest baking/drying them at 350F for 15 minutes, but start checking at 12 minutes.
HOW TO MAKE AHEAD
  • Prepare this dish one day ahead, but don’t bake it. Cover the baking dish and set it in the fridge over night.
  • When ready to bake it, take it out of the fridge and let stand 20 minutes on the counter. Bake and serve warm.
VARIATIONS
  • If you do not want to use kale, definitely try it with spinach or any other hearty greens, like chard or collard greens.
  • Muenster is a great substitute for Provolone cheese. Swiss cheese is good, too, and you can always use mozzarella.
WW FREESTYLE POINTS: 16
To reduce your points down to 11, use whole wheat bread and turkey sausage. If you leave out the cheese, points go down to 9. 
Nutrition Facts
Cheesy Italian Sausage Stuffing Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 491 Calories from Fat 252
% Daily Value*
Fat 28g43%
Saturated Fat 13g65%
Cholesterol 115mg38%
Sodium 628mg26%
Potassium 579mg17%
Carbohydrates 35g12%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 23g46%
Vitamin A 2615IU52%
Vitamin C 26.2mg32%
Calcium 339mg34%
Iron 3.8mg21%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Keywords: holiday side dish recipe, stuffing recipe, thanksgiving recipes, thanksgiving side dish, turkey stuffing