The best thing to happen to stuffing since turkey.
Thanksgiving is coming up, and that means we’re all about to come face to face with the Leftover Problem.
You know the one I mean. You make a huge amount of food for Thanksgiving dinner, and you eat a huge amount, and yet somehow you still have a huge amount left over. You can always slice the turkey for sandwiches, but what do you do with the leftover stuffing and cranberries?
Here’s one creative answer to that question: You blend that stuffing with some sausage, cheese, and dried cranberries, with a couple of beaten eggs to hold it together, and form it into tasty little meatballs that you can serve as a party snack. And use the leftover cranberry sauce for dipping.
If stuffing is your favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal, you will just love these little Sausage Stuffing Bites. They’ve got all the yummy flavor and chewy texture of your favorite side dish, plus the extra zip of the sausage and cranberries. They’re meaty, spicy, satisfying…totally irresistible.
In fact, they’re so good, you might want to make extra stuffing on purpose, so you can serve these as an appetizer before your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Because when you have such a great use for leftovers, who wants to wait?
Quick Tips
Will this work with any kind of stuffing?
It’s best with a basic bread stuffing like my Easy Crockpot Stuffing. You can use a sausage-loaded version like my Savory Crockpot Stuffing by just reducing the amount of sausage you add to the balls, or even leaving it out completely. It should also work with a cornbread stuffing. Rice stuffing would be a little trickier, because it might not hold together very well. If you try it, test the consistency of the mixture before forming it into balls, and add another egg if it seems too crumbly.
Is there a way to make this appetizer vegetarian?
As long as your stuffing doesn’t have meat in it, all you have to do is replace the sausage in the recipe with a good veggie sausage like Lightlife Gimme Lean. Or just leave out the sausage and increase the amount of stuffing to make up the volume.
What if I don’t have any leftover cranberry sauce? We always eat it all!
Not to worry…canned cranberry sauce will also work. Just make sure it’s whole berry cranberry sauce and not the jellied kind.
Do these freeze well?
Yes! I like to make a big batch before Thanksgiving and freeze them, so I can serve some as part of my Thanksgiving Appetizer Snack Board and save some for Christmas.
Sausage Stuffing Bites with Cranberry Dipping Sauce
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine all stuffing ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix with your hands.
- Using a cookie scoop, (or hands) scoop into golf ball sized balls, and place onto a greased baking pan OR a baking pan lined with parchment paper. I prefer the parchment paper method for easy clean up. You should get about 40 sausage bites.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, till they are browned on top.
- While they are baking, prepare the cranberry sauce in a small saucepan. Combine the ingredients, stirring frequently to help break the cranberry sauce down. Simmer until sauce has thicken a little.
- Place dipping sauce in a serving bowl and surround with Sausage Stuffing Bites.
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TOOLS USED FOR THIS SAUSAGE STUFFING BITES WITH CRANBERRY DIPPING SAUCE:
Measuring Cups and Spoons: Each cup’s “ml” and cup sizes have passed clearly engraved marking, and you can quickly identify the cup scale according to the color of the handle.
Mixing Bowls: Glass is pre-heated oven, microwave, fridge and freezer safe, and dishwasher safe.
Cookie Scoop: This gadget makes it easy to make equal sized balls for this recipe.
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Sausage Stuffing Bites with Cranberry Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
Sausage Stuffing Bites
- 2.5 cups Homemade Stuffing
- ½ pound of hot Italian sausage
- ½ pound of mild Italian sausage
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup of shredded cheese cheddar
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries minced
- 2 beaten eggs
- ¼- ½ cup chicken broth
Cranberry Dipping Sauce
- 1 cup cranberry sauce either homemade or canned WHOLE BERRY
- ¼ cup of orange juice
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine all stuffing ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix with your hands.
- Using a cookie scoop, (or hands) scoop the sausage balls onto a greased baking pan OR a baking pan lined
- with parchment paper. I prefer the parchment paper method for easy clean up. You should get about 40 sausage bites.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, till they are browned on top.
- While they are baking, prepare the cranberry sauce in a small saucepan. Combine the
- ingredients, stirring frequently to help break the cranberry sauce down. Simmer until sauce has thicken a little.
- Place dipping sauce in a serving bowl and surround with Sausage Stuffing Bites.
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Nutrition Information:
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Joan says
This recipe sounds great. If they are going to be frozen do you cook them first? What is the best way to warm them up from frozen?
Corrie says
Also wonder The best method for freezing and then reheating! These sound amazing.
Karen petersen says
I can’t wait to make this recipe!! And I am wondering how chorizo (or a blend of regular & chorizo) sausage would work?? Has anyone tried it?
Corey says
I think a blend of regular and chorizo would be super yummy! Please let us know how it turns out.
HJ says
Question, please. The stuffing used to make these, should it be cooked first? Then mix it with the sausage?
Corey says
Yes, the stuffing should be cooked first.
LindyLou says
These were so good. Did a practice round for Thanksgiving and the family loved them. Now I will take them to share at our Holiday Happy Hour.
KAREN says
could I use boxed Stove Top stuffing?
Corey says
Yep! Any stuffing works great for these 🙂
Darlene says
If you freeze or refrigerate what is the best method to reheat and serve?
April Driggers says
These look delicious! Can’t wait to try them.
linda says
Do you freeze before or after cooking?
Corey says
I would freeze them after cooking
Kyrsten says
Would also love a detailed desc of how you freeze and re-heat! Do you cook at the same temp and time once more?
Corey says
Sorry Kyrsten, I was confused by your question. Are you asking how to freeze and reheat?
Mrs Mac says
I’m also wondering how to serve after freezing. Thaw then reheat in oven? What temp, how long, or microwave? Thank you!
Corey says
To reheat, place on baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until warmed through. I would bake at 350 degrees F.
Mrs Mac says
Thank you!!! I’m bringing these to Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. Made a batch a few days ago and they were out of this world!
Haley says
The sausage balls were good but the sauce…. Oh my, tasted just like orange juice. I don’t think the pair went together. We used brown gravy and that did the trick.
Anne D says
Is it possible to make balls with leftover cooked stuffing with sausage? Could I add egg to make balls, freeze and defrost, bake and serve? Please advise!
Corey says
I’ve only made the recipe as written Anne, so I can’t say for sure. If you give it a try let us know 🙂
Adrienne says
Is the sausage raw or cooked when you mix it together?
Corey says
The sausage is raw when you mix it together
Shay says
This was such a hit! I doubled the recipe and made 48 golf ball size balls. The cranberry dipping sauce was such a delicious addition!
Liz Cowley says
How would you reheat after freezing?
Corey says
To reheat, place on baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until warmed through. I would bake at 350 degrees F.
Mrs Mac says
Thaw first? Is 25-30 minutes for frozen or thawed? Thanks 🙏