Sausage turkey stuffing made easier and better for you. Stove top turkey stuffing casserole featuring sausage, mushrooms, cranberries and Farro, a beloved Mediterranean grain.
This is one of the best farro recipes I've ever made, try more Mediterranean grain and make this barley recipe, your taste buds will thank you.
Why This Recipe Works
This is a simple stove top stuffing recipe but packs a lot of flavors and textures. Italian sausage is used to satisfy the meat lover in you but let's refrain from the bread and use a nutty chewy farro to load it up with fibers, protein, some vitamins and minerals.
The recipe is so easy to play with to suite your taste, use whatever sausage you like or may be go for ground chicken or beef. Do not like farro or cannot find it, why not try another grain like the mighty freekeh, barley or even rice. Of course the nutritional content will not be the same but still...
This dish is nutty and rich with deep mushroom flavor and a hint of sweetness coming from the cranberries. Leftovers are great the next day.
Recipe Ingredients
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Oil, I've used olive oil but you can use whatever oil you like. You can also use butter or ghee if you do not have oil although I prefer oil in this recipe.
- Mushroom broth is perfect for this recipe but chicken or vegetables broth is also fine to use.
- Farro, is the main hero here I've used whole farro for its nutritional values but this recipe wotks well for pearled or semi pearled farro. Just adjust the cooking time, more about that below . If you cannot find farro try using Freekeh for a close earthy and nutty flavor.
- Sausage, I've used Italian sausage but you are welcome to use whatever sausage you like.
Recipe Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, add sausage. Cook trying to break it apart with a wooden spoon until browned and no longer pink. This step will take approximately 6-8 minutes, set aside.
- In the same pan, add olive oil then saute onion for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary.
- Add the mushroom and cook until tender.
- Now add rinsed farro, abd mix well.
- Add salt and pepper. Pour stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes or until farro is done to your liking.
- Stir in sausage, parsley and dry cranberry. Turn heat off. Let it set in the pan for 5 minutes before serving to warm up cranberries and the rest of the ingredients.
Expert Tips
- There are mainly 4 types of farro in the market, 10 minutes, pearled, semi-pearled and whole. Personally I prefer the whole even if it takes a little longer to cook. You are welcome to use any type but bear in mind that not all farro are created equal, meaning the less it takes to cook the more processed it is.
- If you do not know whether you're getting the whole grain or one of the pearled varieties, check out the farro after 15-20 minutes of cooking.
- In my opinion and experience with farro, I did not need to soak the farro overnight, the difference does not worth it for me. If you soak the farro they will take 10 minutes shorter to cook.
- Start by adding 2 cups of mushroom stock and cook the farro. Check after 30-35 minutes when all the stock has been absorbed and farro is almost done, if you feel it is still too firm for your liking use the rest of the stock and cook for another 10 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
This sausage stuffing can be easily made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days. When you are ready to serve, take it out and warm on stove top.
If you would like to actually stuff your bird with it, then cook the farro on stove top with only half the stock. Stuff the bird, then let it finish cooking inside the oven with the turkey.
Farro is a nutty, chewy grain popular in the Mediterranian region, especially in Italy. It is advised to cook farro the pasta method, as the abundance of water cooks farro evenly. Here I cooked it pilaf style, I only needed 2 cups of broth but check for your taste as most people recommend a 3rd cup to be added.
Other Side Dishes To Try
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Turkey Stuffing with Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage or use your preferred sausage without casing.
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil.
- 1 medium onion chopped.
- 2 celery ribs washed, dried, chopped.
- 2 large garlic cloves minced.
- 2 teaspoon fresh rosemary or ⅔ teaspoon dry one.
- 1 pound mushroom sliced
- 1 ½ cups whole farro washed and rinsed
- 2-3 cups mushroom broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
- ½ cup dried cranberry
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan, cook sausage until browned breaking the meat up for about 8-10 minutes.
- Remove sausage from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, heat olive oil.
- Add onions and celery, cook until softened about 4-5 minutes.
- Add garlic, rosemary and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds.
- Add mushroom and cook until tender for another 5 minutes.
- Stir in faro and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Pour in 2 cups of mushroom stock, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30-40 minutes until faro is tender. If it did not reach the donness you like, pour the remaining mushroom stock and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Add sausage back and adjust seasoning.
- Stir in parsley and cranberry, and turn heat off.
Notes
- There are mainly 4 types of farro in the market, 10 minutes, pearled, semi-pearled and whole. Personally I prefer the whole even if it takes a little longer to cook. You are welcome to use any type but bear in mind that not all farro are created equal, meaning the less it takes to cook the more processed it is.
- If you do not know whether you're getting the whole grain or one of the pearled varieties, check out the farro after 15-20 minutes of cooking.
- In my opinion and experience with farro, I did not need to soak the farro overnight, the difference does not worth it for me. If you soak the farro they will take 10 minutes shorter to cook.
- Start by adding 2 cups of mushroom stock and cook the farro. Check after 30-35 minutes when all the stock has been absorbed and farro is almost done, if you feel it is still too firm for your liking use the rest of the stock and cook for another 10 minutes.
- You can use any type of sausage you have, also try it with ground chicken, turkey or beef.
Nutrition
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First published Oct 18, 2018. Last updated October 23, 2020 with new recipe, images, step by step instructions and readability.
John
Loved this recipe so much. Thanks.
Amira
Thank you, this is awesome.