Buttery Mushroom and Sausage Croissant Stuffing
We’re in the home stretch, and by home stretch I mean it’s finally almost time for us to unbutton our pants and wear our stretchiest sweaters… Thanksgiving week is here! I love creating unique spins on classic holiday recipes. So this year, I decided to give my famous stuffing a makeover. This year, we’re going to be devouring Buttery Mushroom and Sausage Croissant Stuffing.
I was inspired by one of my favorite food blogger / cookbook author’s recipes. Half Baked Harvest shared her croissant stuffing last year and I’ve been dying to try it ever since! She gave her holiday stuffing an upgrade by incorporating croissants, herbs, mushrooms, kale & gruyere cheese. I put my own spin on it by adding onions, spicy Italian sausage & a few cheeses.
A lot of times, stuffing can be dry and bland. There’s literally no excuse to pour out a box of stuffing mix anymore, because it’s so easy to make your own from scratch. When you whip it up yourself, it turns into more of a casserole and has loads more flavor. You can even make it ahead of time and bake it before you’re ready to eat the rest of your feast. It’s great for any holiday or party. I love that because you’re using croissants instead of the standard dried bread or boxed “croutons”, you can make it any time of year.
Upgrade this year’s holiday stuffing with my Herby Mushroom Croissant Stuffing. Buttery croissants, cozy herbs, caramelized wild mushroom, kale, and Gruyère cheese take classic stuffing from bland and boring to flavorful and completely delicious. Even stuffing haters love this casserole. It’s just as good as a holiday side dish as it is a meal. Prep this stuffing in advance and then bake up just before you’re ready for dinner for super easy holiday entertaining.
Not Your Average Holiday Stuffing
Growing up, my dad used to make the best stuffing. I come from a long line of amazing home chefs. He always knows how to take a classic recipe and elevate it with flavor, without making it taste too crazy or adding too many off the wall elements. I remember him always incorporating Italian sausage into recipes because they have so much more flavor than your standard ground pork or chicken.
I’ve tried my fair share of classic stuffing recipes, but they’re usually pretty lackluster. Last year, I transformed my dad’s stuffing recipe into a gluten free alternative. So this year, I wanted to incorporate a few of my dad’s classic ingredients into the croissant stuffing recipe. Using croissants makes the stuffing soooo buttery and flavorful, not dry or bland. Adding a little (or a lot) of cheese on top makes it even more flavorful and adds a nice “gooey” finish.
Like most stuffing recipes, you need to use dry bread. So I bought a bunch of croissants from Costco and left them on the counter for a few days to “dry up”. But also popped them in the oven for a few minutes before making the recipe. This helps make them a little crispier and keeps them from falling apart / turning into mush when they’re baking.
It’s really easy to sauté your spicy Italian sausage, mushrooms, garlic, onion & herbs while they’re in the oven. I measured my quantities out, but there’s not right or wrong answer here. If you’re not a fan of onions, leave them out! Hate mushrooms? Skip them! Vegetarian? Leave the sausage out! Vegan? Use meat & cheese alternatives. I like to make sure that most of my recipes are flexible & can be made to fit different people’s diets and preferences.
As far as herbs go, I picked a variety from our garden. But you can buy whatever you want. I like using a combination of sage and rosemary. You can use dried herbs in a pinch, but the fresh herbs always give recipes more flavor.
Once your croissants are toasted, you can toss them with the sausage mixture, add a little chicken stock (or vegetable), a couple eggs & top with cheese. Adding stock keeps it from drying out and the eggs help bind the mixture.
Then, either cover it and store it. Or bake away!
As noted in the OG recipe, I wouldn’t recommend putting this inside of your turkey. The combination of One of the most delicious details of this recipe are the crisp, cheesy croissants on the top layer. They’re mouth-watering and so good, and my favorite part of the dish. For that reason, I’m not advocating placing this stuffing inside your bird.
Want more Holiday Recipes?
THE EASIEST WAY TO ROAST A TURKEY (YES, EVEN IF IT’S FROZEN)
THE BEST GLUTEN-FREE SAUSAGE & HERB STUFFING RECIPE
HOW TO MAKE MASHED POTATOES IN A CROCK POT!