Give Boxed Stuffing A Homemade Taste With A Few Easy Add-Ins

If you're looking to upgrade boxed stuffing, including some additional ingredients can help it taste homemade. And according to Edmund McCormick, Founder and CEO of Cape Crystal Brands, including sausage is the absolute best way to take store-bought stuffing from boring to spectacular. "Its fat generously flavors every mouthful with healthful succulence, while the taste of the crispy pieces provides texture and a few little bakery-broiled grains," McCormick said. 

This can work with your sausage of choice, but many recipes swear by using breakfast sausage. Regardless of which sausage you use, just make sure to remove the casing. This will ensure the meat crumbles up nicely when browning, allowing it to meld beautifully with the stuffing mixture. Additionally, don't forget to cook the sausage before adding it to the stuffing. If you don't, you risk it not fully cooking through and miss out on delectable crispy bits.

If you'd like to enhance the flavor of boxed stuffing with a quick liquid swap, he recommends replacing the water with your preferred broth. Just make sure that you don't add too much liquid, as this can cause a soggy stuffing. Additionally, make sure you're slowly adding liquid rather than dumping it all in at once so the liquid mixes thoroughly without oversaturating the stuffing. 

There are endless flavor combinations you can add to stuffing that take inspiration from different regional dishes or cuisines. Edmund McCormick suggests a Southern-style stuffing (or dressing, which is similar but different) by including cornbread (but you could also cut corners by grabbing a box of cornbread stuffing) and adding ingredients like breakfast sausage, bell peppers, and cayenne pepper. If you want a nod to Italian cuisine, he recommends adding spicy Italian sausage, parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes.

For an Asian spin, try adding bok choy along with mushrooms, a dash of soy sauce, and a handful of chopped peanuts for texture. Other ingredients that can add some crunch are apples, cranberries, slivered almonds, and pumpkin seeds. And don't forget that you can always visit your spice cabinet for even more flavor. For a Mexican-inspired stuffing, fold in smoky chipotle peppers, chorizo, and season with chili powder and cumin to round it out. 

If you'd like to include something even more unique, McCormick suggests elevating your stuffing with crushed oysters or adding a bit of sherry or Marsala while it's cooking. "Both chefs' tricks give substance and class to an off-the-shelf stuffing recipe," he said.