There are a few things on a Thanksgiving menu that are non-negotiables, and stuffing is one of them. Whether you are serving turkey, goose or capon there’s always room for stuffing. Even with a turkey alternative like wild boar, venison, or pork, a side dish of the good stuff is a welcome part of the holiday feast.

This venerable dish goes back to Ancient Roman in the Apicius cookbook entitled De Re Coquinaria, where it would have been called farce, from the Latin farcire, meaning “to stuff.” It became a Thanksgiving staple sometime in the 1800s and remains an important item on the table for this uniquely American holiday.

Stuffing – or dressing – can be made with a bread or grain base and benefits from the addition of sausage, mushrooms, nuts, and fruits. Here are a few of our favorite recipes for you to add to your holiday meal.

This versatile bread stuffing is both savory and sweet, with crumbled wild boar sausage and flecks of apple. It’s one of the D’Artagnan holiday classics, and perfect with turkey, goose or capon.

 Our Ultimate Mushroom Dressing is beautifully moist and packed with mushrooms. The versatile recipe can be used as dressing or stuffing, made ahead if needed, and could take additions like sausage, if desired.

Prepare your turkey with a 4-sided roasting technique and this heavenly Bourbon and Pecan Stuffing recipe, which involves sausage, pecans, Bourbon, and stock. It’s a wonderful Thanksgiving recipe.

Enjoy the sweet, buttery flavor and savory bits in this Brioche Stuffing with Duck Sausage and Pears recipe, perfect for stuffing a whole bird, or inside a turkey breast roulade, as we show in the photo below.

This Roast Goose with Spiced Pears recipe has stuffing that is rolled into balls and roasted after the goose gets cooked. This technique could be used with another main dish if you don’t serve turkey or goose, because stuffing balls go with just about anything.

Feeling fancy? Alsatian-Style Roast Goose is loosely packed with pork, veal, bread, chestnuts and foie gras. It’s superb for a holiday meal.

For a true delicacy, consider a boned bird or turkey breast filled with a duxelles of fresh wild mushrooms as in this Turkey Breast with Mushroom Stuffing recipe. This gluten- and grain-free recipe plays up the earthy flavor of mushrooms, which benefit from a touch of black truffle butter.