Chicago Style Stuffing
Holiday Stuffing Or Italian Beef Sandwich? Both!
This Chicago Style Stuffing is easy to make, feeds a crowd, and provides a fun twist of savory “beef stand” flavor for anyone looking to bring the Midwest to the Thanksgiving table. Italian sausage crumbles, mild giardiniera, celery, onions, and some simple seasonings and herbs are baked into chewy French bread cubes that give it the perfect flavor and texture.
We ordered beef sandwiches the other night from our new favorite place in Edison Park, Chicago called Dino’s On Higgins. As I was enjoying the signature soggy bread from the beef juices I thought, “wow this would be great as a stuffing.”
I immediately got to work and this was one of those times everything came together perfectly and the recipe was exactly as I wanted it to be.
If your family loves Italian beef this dish will absolutely steal the show, but this is also a fun dish to make for a Friendsgiving weekend. It is festive yet fun, everything Friendsgiving should be!
Italian Sausage Explained
I know some will ask why I use Italian sausage when it is supposed to be like Italian beef. This is because beef would get dried out.
A lot of the flavor of a good Italian beef also comes from the gravy it is served in. I figured Italian sausage would have and hold all those same flavors that beef au jus would.
I also knew the sausage crumbles would not get dried out like beef would, and I was right. The stuffing is very flavorful throughout and the sausage adds a juiciness the beef would not have.
The Bread
I gave the measurements for the bread in the recipe card. I know a lot of us do not deal in weight, but the bread loaves were about seven ounces each.
I figured I would give you a visual of the bread so you can see how much I used. I would guess and say this was about 14 or more cups of bread, as this is a very large bowl.
While it may seem like a lot of bread, the sausage mixture is very juicy and you need all this bread to absorb all the flavorful juices. I always buy a little extra bread to keep on hand in case it is a little too soggy.
For Those Not Familiar
This is what giardiniera looks like. There are many brands, but it is a slightly zesty and tangy relish.
They sell some with larger chunks, so try to get this relish version or you can mince it up yourself. I like this kind as well cause it is not as oily as the larger chunk one.
You can add as much or as little of this as you like. It will not change anything about the recipe other than more of it in each bite if you want.
If you cannot find it, you can make your own too!
The other ingredient you may wonder about is the tomato powder. I use this tomato powder from Spice Way in a lot of recipes here on The Tipsy Housewife.
This one is not salted. You can also use tomato bouillon if you like, but remember to reduce the celery salt or the beef bouillon if you use the tomato bouillon.
Chicago Style Stuffing Recipe
This Chicago-style stuffing tastes just like Italian beef thanks to savory Italian sausage, giardiniera, rosemary, and a rich beefy au jus. It’s bold, cozy, and the perfect Midwest twist for your holiday table. Perfect for a Friendsgiving celebration or post holiday hangover.
Ingredients
- 3 loaves mini French bread (7 oz each), cubed into small bite-size pieces
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 celery stems, finely diced
- A handful of celery leaves, minced
- 1/4 cup minced mild giardiniera relish (plus extra for topping)
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1/2 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons celery seed
- 2 teaspoons tomato powder (optional, but recommended) *pictured in post
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt *or to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper (or to taste)
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 6 cups water
- 2 heaping tablespoons beef au jus bouillon (or regular beef bouillon) *pictured in post **start with one tablespoon, taste and go from there so that this is not too salty for your tastes
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Cube the French bread into small bite-size pieces and place them into a large mixing bowl.
- In a large skillet, melt 6 tablespoons of butter. Add the diced onion, celery, and celery leaves. Sauté on medium-low until softened, about 10–15 minutes.
- Season with: celery salt, celery seed, dried Italian seasoning, rosemary, black pepper, tomato powder (if using)
- Add the Italian sausage to the skillet, breaking it up into a fine crumble. Cook until the sausage is fully browned and caramelized. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Add the beef bouillon to the pan and stir to combine. Start with a little at a time and add more so the salt is to your liking. Remember you are using a lot of bread so the salt won't be concentrated. Pour in 6 cups of water.
- Bring to a simmer and let cook for 6 to 7 minutes to marry the flavors (do not boil off too much liquid).
- Pour the hot sausage-vegetable-au jus mixture over the cubed bread. Mix very well until all the bread is completely saturated. It should be very moist but not soupy at the bottom. Let the bread mixture cool slightly.
- Whisk together the eggs and milk. Fold the egg-milk mixture into the bread mixture until fully combined.
- Spread stuffing into a 9×13 baking dish. Top with a few extra spoonfuls of giardiniera and a sprinkle of rosemary and Italian seasoning, (optional) plus a few pats of butter
- Bake at 375°F for about 35 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is golden with crispy edges. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Every oven bakes differently, so keep an eye on this the first time you make it for your particular cook time.
- Pull from oven and let rest for five minutes. You can add more of the minced giardiniera to the top before serving.