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Sausage Stuffing Bites with Cranberry Dipping Sauce

Sausage stuffing bites with cranberry dipping sauce—baked 1 1/2-inch balls that turn golden and crisp outside while staying hearty inside. Tucked into each bite is savory sausage, herbs, and Parmesan, served with warm whole-berry cranberry sauce for easy dipping.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Breakfast sausage
  • 1 lb breakfast sausage
Vegetables
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 2 celery stalks, finely diced
Stuffing mixture
  • 1 box (6 oz) herb stuffing mix
  • 1 cup chicken broth, warm
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 0.5 cup shredded Parmesan
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
Cranberry dipping sauce
  • 1 can (14 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the stuffing bites
  1. Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment so the bites won’t stick and can crisp evenly.
  2. Brown breakfast sausage with the diced onion and diced celery for 8-10 minutes, breaking it up until no longer pink; drain excess fat and cool slightly.
  3. Stir in herb stuffing mix, warm chicken broth, beaten eggs, shredded Parmesan, and chopped fresh sage until moist and evenly combined.
  4. Roll the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls and place them on the baking sheet, spacing them slightly for even browning.
  5. Bake 20-25 minutes at 375F until golden and crisp on the outside, with a visible crust around each bite.
Make the cranberry dipping sauce
  1. Warm whole berry cranberry sauce with orange juice and Dijon mustard until smooth, stirring until glossy and pourable.
  2. Serve the warm cranberry sauce alongside the baked stuffing bites for dunking.

Notes

For the crispiest exterior, let the sausage mixture cool slightly before mixing with the stuffing so the eggs set without making the balls overly wet. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in a 350F oven for 8-10 minutes to regain crunch. Freezing is not recommended because the stuffing texture can soften after thawing. For a lighter option, use turkey sausage in the same amount to reduce overall fat while keeping the savory flavor.