Sausage & Cranberry Cauliflower Stuffing Casserole
A low carb and gluten free Thanksgiving stuffing recipe using cauliflower rice, sausage, roasted cranberries, butternut squash, & sage. Full of flavor, this sausage & cranberry cauliflower stuffing casserole is a deliciously satisfying stuffing alternative for your Thanksgiving dinner.
Thanksgiving dinner without stuffing would be like Halloween without the candy. It just wouldn’t be the same.
To me it’s just as important as the turkey, and I know sometimes you can’t mess with a good thing (especially when it comes to family recipes and traditions).
However, I’m making an exception this year because this cauliflower stuffing recipe is good enough to impress even at Thanksgiving dinner. It’s packed with fall flavors while staying low carb and gluten free. It’s so tasty you won’t even realize it’s made with cauliflower instead of bread!
Similar to my Cheesy Pesto Cauliflower Casserole, this dish is comforting and bursting with flavor.
Sausage & cranberry cauliflower stuffing casserole is made on the stove top and then baked in the oven. Aside from making a wonderful low carb and gluten free stuffing recipe, it can also be used for stuffed chicken or just as a low carb cauliflower side dish.
It starts with tossing fresh cranberries and butternut squash with olive oil, rosemary and maple syrup and roasting them until slightly caramelized and tender. This is what gives the stuffing it’s pop of flavor and sweetness that balances well with the sausage and sage.
The cauliflower rice is added to sauted onions, celery, garlic, leeks, fresh sage and sausage.
Lastly, everything gets baked in a casserole dish topped with a sprinkle of Asiago cheese to pull all the flavors together. I pour some chicken stock over the casserole before baking it, and that’s what gives it the bread-like stuffing texture that’s oh so delicious.
Sausage & Cranberry Cauliflower Stuffing Casserole is a low carb and gluten free stuffing alternative for a deliciously healthy thanksgiving recipe. It’s a scrumptious and easy casserole dish that you just might be adding to your Thanksgiving dinner menu.
For more healthy Thanksgiving recipes, try my Vegan & Gluten Free Pumpkin Pies or Warm Fall Quinoa Salad
Sausage & Cranberry Cauliflower Stuffing Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 cup Fresh Cranberries
- 2 cups Butternut Squash peeled, seeds removed, and cubed
- 5 tbsp Olive Oil divided
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 tsp Orange Zest
- 2 tbsp Orange Juice about 1/2 orange
- 1 tsp Rosemary dried
- 3 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1/2 cup Yellow Onion diced (about 1/2 onion)
- 1 Leek, white and pale green parts only thinly sliced (see recipe notes)
- 2 Celery stalks thinly sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1/4 cup Fresh Sage thinly sliced
- 1/2 lb Ground Italian Sausage
- 4 cups Cauliflower Rice about 1 head of cauliflower, see recipe notes
- 1/3 cup Vegetable or Chicken Stock
- 1/3 cup Shredded Asiago Cheese
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Place cranberries and butternut squash in small bowl. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, orange zest, orange juice, rosemary, and maple syrup. Toss together until combined and spread onto an aluminum lined baking sheet. Bake 30-40 minutes until squash is tender and cranberries are slightly caramelized. Set aside.
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Heat remaining 3 tbsp of olive oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add in onion, leek, celery and garlic, sage, a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until tender and softened, about 10 minutes.
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Add in ground sausage, breaking up into small pieces. Cook until browned.
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Add in cauliflower rice and cook another 3 minutes.
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Add in roasted cranberries and butternut squash.
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Spread mixture into a casserole dish (I used a 8 x 5), pour broth over evenly and top with shredded Asiago cheese.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes.
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Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
*You can buy cauliflower rice in the market, or to make your own simply process florets in a food processor until course crumbs.
*Leeks are part of the onion family. Tear away the first 2 or 3 outer layers of dark green stalks to get to the pale green and white parts.
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