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One Pot Chicken Stuffing Casserole

June 10, 2024

Crispy bites of Italian sausage finish this classic stuffing recipe. Nestle some chicken thighs into the stuffing as it bakes, and voila—a one-pot chicken stuffing casserole that everyone will love.

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one pot chicken and stuffing casserole in a large braising pan with a wooden spoon

Stuffing? Dressing? It’s All Gravy to Us.

This one-pot chicken and sausage stuffing casserole is really two recipes tucked into one pan for convenience's sake. And yes, we know that technically this is a dressing recipe because the herbed bread isn’t actually stuffed inside of a bird. However, since it is cooked alongside of bone-in, skin-on chicken thigh pieces—which release their flavorful shmaltz into the casserole as they cook—the dish feels like a happy medium between stuffing and dressing.

Once the chicken thighs are nestled into the bread, their rich juices melt into the stuffing, releasing tons of moisture and a wonderful depth of flavor. The result is a savory and comforting one-pot meal that’s quick to whip up and will soon be at the top of everyone’s favorite meals list.

ingredients for one pot chicken and stuffing casserole prepared and laid out in small bowls and plates
large white skillet of browned Italian sausage for chicken and stuffing casserole with sausage
large white skillet of brown bone in skin on chicken thighs
large white skillet of sautéed onions and celery for one pot chicken and stuffing casserole
one pot chicken and stuffing casserole in a large white skillet
Large white skillet of easy chicken and stuffing casserole

How to Make Stuffing

If you’re anything like us, you crave stuffing as soon as there’s a chill in the air. And thankfully, there’s no rule that says you can only make stuffing at Thanksgiving. Dressing recipes are not inherently difficult—in fact, they’re really quite easy. Here’s how to make the sausage stuffing piece of this chicken and stuffing casserole recipe.

  1. Cut or tear a loaf of day-old bread into a bunch of one-inch pieces.
  2. Toast those pieces! Slowly dry the bread pieces out in a 350° oven for about an hour.
  3. While the bread is in the oven, brown some ground Italian sausage until it’s cooked-through and a little crispy. Once done, brown the chicken thighs (who doesn't love some crispy skins?) Remove all the meat from the pan and leave in those nice chicken and sausage fats flavor.
  4. Stir in some onions and celery, and let them cook a little to soften.
  5. By now, your bread should be done. Add the toasted bread and a bunch of fresh herbs to the sausage, celery and onion mixture.
  6. If you were just going to make plain sausage stuffing as a side dish, this is where you’d stop. You’d douse the whole lovely mess of sausage dressing with a healthy glug of chicken broth, and bake until it’s golden and steamy-tender. But, if you’re making this one-pot chicken dressing casserole, this is where you nestle your crispy-skinned chicken thighs into the prepared stuffing and then bake it all together into a delicious, rib-sticking one-dish meal.
close up of chicken, sausage and stuffing casserole topped with fresh herbs

3 Reasons to Love Chicken Stuffing Casserole, or, How To Eat Stuffing for Dinner Anytime You Want.

So, we kind of gave away our number one reason for loving this recipe in the headline, but it’s a really good reason so we’re going to repeat it anyway:

  1. Our chicken and stuffing casserole recipe is pretty much just a thinly-veiled way to serve our family a big pan of stuffing and call it dinner.
  2. Easy clean-up, because to only uses one pot! Truly! You all of the things in just one pot and then you bake it all in that very same pot.

It walks that perfect line between pure comfort food and food that’s actually nutritious. Stuffing always feels a little special—it is a Thanksgiving food, after all—but there’s really nothing particularly indulgent about it. Bread, sausage, some veggies, herbs and stock? That’s downright healthy! And then chicken thighs—as we’ve mentioned before—really aren’t much higher in calories than their chicken breast counterparts, and they’re a fantastic source of both protein and iron.

large white skillet of chicken and stuffing casserole with sausage and fresh herbs

Tools You’ll Need:

One & Done.

Five more one-pot chicken dinner recipes to make life a little easier.

one pot chicken and stuffing casserole with sausage and fresh herbs

Herby Sausage Stuffing. For Dinner! You’re Welcome.

Delicious family meals, like this fragrant, hearty, herb-flecked one-pot chicken stuffing casserole recipe, shouldn’t be reserved just for holidays. So, get cooking and share with us what you’ve made! Snap a photo of your finished chicken casserole, and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so we can share in your success. Happy eating!

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One Pot Chicken Stuffing Casserole

  • Serves:  6
  • Prep Time:  15 min
  • Cook Time:  2 hrs 10 min
  • Calories:  611

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf Italian bread, torn into 1-inch pieces (about 8 cups)
  • 1 pound ground mild Italian sausage ground mild Italian sausage
  • 6 chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in
  • 3 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4 celery ribs, ¼-inch sliced (about 1½ cups)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • ¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley, plus more for serving
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1¾ cups chicken stock

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center position.

  2. Spread the bread pieces onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake in the oven, stirring halfway through until dried out, about 15 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, heat an oven-proof braiser or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. ADd the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a large bowl. Place the braiser back over medium-high heat.

  4. Season the chicken thighs with 2 teaspoons of the salt. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook without disturbing until the chicken skin is brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

  5. Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, in the residual chicken and sausage fat until just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the braiser from the heat.

  6. Transfer the onions, celery and drippings into the bowl with the sausage. Add to the bowl the bread pieces, fresh sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, toss to combine. Drizzle the chicken stock evenly over the bread mixture and toss gently to combine. Transfer the bread mixture to the braiser.

  7. Nestle the chicken thighs, skin side up, into the bread mixture.

  8. Bake, uncovered, until the chicken thighs register 170°F on an instant read thermometer, about 40 minutes.

  9. Transfer the cooked chicken thighs onto a plate. Give the bread mixture a stir to incorporate with any excess liquid in the bottom of the pan. Garnish with extra parsley.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories 611
  • Protein 34 g
  • Carbohydrates 33 g
  • Total Fat 36 g
  • Dietary Fiber 1 g
  • Cholesterol 155 mg
  • sodium 1952 mg
  • Total Sugars 4 g

One Pot Chicken Stuffing Casserole

Questions & Reviews

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  • Brian

    how can I substitute the sodium component of this recipe as I am severely renally compromised and have to limit my salt content

    you can reduce the amount of salt and make sure you use a chicken broth that is low-sodium.

  • Megan

    Hello.

    What size Dutch oven did you use? I have a 6 QT at home and wasn't sure if that would be big enough.

    Should work just fine! Hope you enjoy!

  • Amanda

    Do you recommend adjustments for using store bought dried stuffing bread? More liquid perhaps?

    I've never tested it, so I'm not sure. You want the bread to be moist, but not soggy.

  • Donna

    I need to triple the recipe-what other pan can I use

    Not sure it can be tripled in the same pan. Good luck!

  • Barb

    Can I freeze left overs

    You sure can!

  • Palyn

    While I was sure I hadn't invented chicken with stuffing casserole, I'd never heard of it before. But I had a box of Trader Joe's cornbread/white bread stuffing mix and some fresh chicken thighs, and thought it might make a great casserole. In searching many recipes for a guide, yours was the most clear and adaptable for using boxed stuffing mix (though I intend to try it again with your stuffing or my favorite Food52 challah and mushroom stuffing recipe). I usually add diced onions and celery on the rare occasions I used boxed stuffing, so your recipe was perfect. And instead of following the liquid requirement for the boxed mix, I added just enough chicken stock to make it moist but not mushy. The resulting casserole was a fitting first use for the Le Creuset braiser I gifted myself this Christmas. Thanks for a great recipe -- it was savory and delicious, and an especially comforting dish on the cold, rainy day I made it. Will make it again and again, though next time will make the stuffing from scratch.

    Thanks Palyn, we are so happy you loved it!

  • Nancy

    In the oven as I write. Wow, this is great! I use toasted gluten free bread cubes in my dressing and I bind it with beaten eggs mixed with a little white wine. Your recipe was the concept I was looking for and I'm delighted to have another one-pot meal to make! Thank you thank you thank you!

    Thanks Nancy!

  • Sophie

    Absolutely love this - the flavors and fresh herbs are to die. Delicious warming meal. I did make a few adjustments:
    - Used chicken breast instead of thighs and it was no problem!
    - Next time I would reduce the salt on top of the chicken prior to cooking, but it was still great
    - When reheating leftovers, I added kale, which made for a nice green crunch - I will add kale from the start when I make this again because it added great texture
    - I also added some chicken broth when reheating so as to not dry out the chicken or bread, and it worked perfectly

    Thank you Sophie! We are so happy to hear that you love this so much!

  • Molly

    I made this last night and it was delicious. The fresh herbs made the house smell divine!

    Oh that’s wonderful! Love those fresh herbs!

  • Deborah

    Love this recipe. Perfect fireside supper.

    Oh good! It's one of our favorites right now!