Twelve Days of Irish Recipes: Teresa's sausage meat stuffing
Written by Ciaran on Dec. 07, 2025 | 0 Comments
We're sharing one of our own recipes each day as part of our 12 Days of Christmas offers, inspired by that traditional carol and the funny Irish version, Christmas Countdown.
Stuffing
Everyone has their own recipe, and in our house, there are usually at least 3 types of stuffing on the go on Christmas Day! The recipe below is Jane’s grandmother’s, and no matter the quantity, it always disappears fast! Fabulous with the dinner and even better, if that is possible, in a Christmas sandwich on St. Stephen's Day.
Jane’s grandmother, Teresa, was a famously generous host who loved nothing more than having everyone around and feeding a crowd. On more than one occasion, Teresa encouraged me to polish off one of her delicious apple tarts when there were just a few slices taken from it!
Teresa snapped in one of the rare moments when she wasn't in host mode, settling in to watch a match with myself and Jane.
Photo Credit: A. Chadwick
Even well into her 80s, Teresa was the life and soul of a party. She would be tickled that we are sharing this recipe here. When Jane’s mother, Ann, emigrated to Canada, one of the things Teresa gave her was this recipe for her sausage meat stuffing. Ann still has the rumpled sheet of paper that has been across the Atlantic twice! It is consulted each year, even though, by now, many of Jane's family know the recipe by heart.
Jane remembers her mam making this strange mixture as a child on Christmas Eve in Canada. It looks a little rough being made - no one likes to see sausage made - but it is worth it when it is cooked! It is DELICIOUS—salty and savoury and crispy on the edges with a satisfying bite!
Ingredients
- 100g or 4 oz butter or margarine
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 4 level tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 level tsp dried mixed herbs
- 1 level tsp of dried sage
- 1 level tsp dried thyme
- 8 oz or 250 g of breadcrumbs
- 1100 g or 2 ½ lbs of good quality sausage meat
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 to 3 tbsp sherry, if you have it to hand, or you can sub in a dry white wine, port, or vermouth (Sherry isn't as common a tipple as it was in Teresa's time, but it adds a nice acidity that works well with the richness of the sausage).
Note: If you want to use this to stuff a bird, half the quantities above to stuff in the breast of a 12 lb turkey.
Method
- Melt the butter or margarine in a large saucepan.
- Add the finely chopped onion and cook over medium heat until it softens but doesn’t brown.
- Stir in all the herbs and breadcrumbs, then set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, break up the sausage meat, add the beaten egg and sherry (or substitute), and mix a little.
- Add the breadcrumb mixture once it is well-cooled, and mix some more to achieve a smooth, even consistency. You can try to do this with a spoon, but clean hands (with jewelry removed first!) will make shorter work of it!
- Grease a large loaf tin, fill with sausage mixture to a depth of 5cm (2 inches), and cover with foil. You can also cook this in a double layer of well-greased tin foil beside your turkey if oven space is tight - again aiming for a loaf around a ruler long and 5cm/ 2 inches deep. Fold over the foil at the top to make a seal. Just be sure to have your foil WELL greased... it can stick if you don't!
- Cook in the oven with your turkey or ham for 1 ½ to 2 hrs at 190°C / 374°F - IT should be brown and golden on top when it's cooked.
- Take it out of the oven and let it cool a little before slicing. Some in Jane's family like their slices quite thin, others a little chunkier - that one is up to you.
- Can be eaten hot or cold. You can also cook it in advance if you need the space on Christmas Day. And if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, I also highly recommend a slice or two of this stuffing in a Christmas sandwich the next day! I'm drooling at the thought!
What's Next?
Check back in with us tomorrow for Day 8 of our Twelve Days of Irish Christmas, or open door number 7 of our 12 Days of Christmas offers! And, of course, if you need any help selecting a gift for yourself or a loved one, please do get in touch.
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Ciaran
My Irish Jeweler
Born in Co. Antrim and reared in Dublin, I was fascinated with Gaelic culture from an early age. I suppose it's not surprising given my mother inherited a grá for the Irish language from my grandfather, an Irish school headmaster. And that grá continues! My brother and sister are now Gaelic teachers here in Ireland, my niece is an award winning Irish dancer, and I proudly work to share Irish culture through our Irish and Celtic Jewelry at My Irish Jeweler!
I love researching and reading about the history of Irish design. It's at the core of what we do here at My Irish Jeweler. I find much of it so interesting that I have to share what I find. I hope you enjoy it!
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