Rhode Island Stuffies

Clam stuffies are a New England tradition. Planning a New England-style feast or trying to recreate stuffed clams you tasted on an East Coast road trip? Our Rhode Island stuffies have a savory filling made with fresh quahog clams, spicy smoked sausage, onions, herby stuffing cubes and seafood seasoning. It’s packed into the jumbo clam shells and baked until crispy and golden.

Recipes for stuffies vary from family to family, so you won’t find two that are the same. But large quahogs, Portuguese sausage and some sort of breading are almost always present. Some families include sauteed veggies like celery and bell pepper, while others season them with fresh herbs or use crushed crackers instead of bread crumbs or stuffing cubes.

This version comes together faster than other recipes for clam stuffies thanks to shortcut ingredients like seasoned stuffing mix. Cooking clams may seem intimidating to first-timers, but they’re easy to prepare. The clams are steamed until they open, so no special shucking tools or skills are required to enjoy this coastal treat.

Ingredients for Rhode Island Clam Stuffies

• Clams: This recipe calls for fresh quahogs, one of the largest types of clam. Quahogs are readily available in New England, but can be found nationwide at quality fish stores. Fresh clams are highly perishable, so purchase them no more than one or two days before you make the stuffies. Store them in a dry bowl in the refrigerator.
• Portuguese sausage: Our stuffies get their trademark spicy, smoky flavor from hot Portuguese sausage. Look for hot chourico or linguica in specialty grocery stores near the cured meats, or order them from an online retailer like Gaspar’s. If you prefer, you can substitute Spanish chorizo for Portuguese sausage—just crumble and cook it in a skillet first.
• Onion: Chopped fresh onion adds a savory aroma and flavor to the filling. You can use a yellow onion for more sweetness or a white onion for a sharper bite.
• Seafood seasoning: Traditionally, Rhode Island stuffies are seasoned with fresh garlic and herbs, but we love the warm, zesty flavor and complexity that seafood seasoning brings to this dish. You can use Old Bay or a homemade seafood seasoning blend.
• Herb stuffing: Clams may be the star of the show, but bread is the backbone of the filling. A package of herb-seasoned stuffing acts as a binder, adding bulk and heartiness, and soaking up flavor from the sausage, clams and broth. It also contributes the signature stuffing texture—tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. You can substitute stale, cubed bread and add dried or fresh chopped parsley and thyme.

Directions

Step 1: Steam the clams

Add 2 inches of water to a stockpot. Add the clams and chourico, and bring the water to a boil.

Cover the pot and steam for 15 to 20 minutes until the clams open.

Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the clams and sausage from the pot to a platter or baking sheet to cool slightly. Discard any clams that did not open and reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid.

Editor’s Tip: Clean the clams before cooking by running them under cold water and brushing the shells. To ensure your clams don’t have a gritty texture, we recommend purging them of sand before steaming (more on how to do so below).

Step 2: Separate clams from the shells

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a spoon or fork to remove the clam meat from the shells. Separate the shells and reserve 30 half-shells for stuffing.

Editor’s Tip: Separate the shells by cutting the hinges using a knife or kitchen shears.

Step 3: Chop the clam meat and sausage

Place the clam meat in a food processor and process until it’s finely chopped. Transfer it to a large bowl.

Remove the casings from the sausage and cut them into 1-1/2-inch pieces.

Place the sausage in a food processor and process until they’re finely chopped.

Step 4: Mix the filling

Add the sausage, chopped onion and seafood seasoning to the chopped clam.

Stir in the herb stuffing mix.

Add the reserved cooking liquid and enough water to reach your desired level of moistness, about 1 cup.

Step 5: Stuff the clam shells, then bake

Spoon the clam mixture into the reserved shells.

Arrange the stuffed clams in 15×10-inch baking pans. Bake the stuffies until they’re heated through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 5: Broil the stuffed clams

Preheat the broiler. Broil clams 4 to 6 inches from the heat until the tops are golden brown, four to five minutes. If desired, serve the clams with lemon wedges and hot pepper sauce.

Recipe Variations

• Not-so-spicy stuffies: Use a mild sausage like Italian or breakfast sausage for less heat in the clam filling.
• Enhance them with wine and butter: Steam the clams in wine or broth for more flavor, and brush the tops of the stuffies with melted butter before baking them for extra richness and improved browning.
• Try a different binder: For a sweet and spicy filling, swap cornbread stuffing mix for the herb-seasoned stuffing. You can use crumbled Ritz crackers or seasoned bread crumbs instead of stuffing mix.
• Add a touch of green: Try finely chopped spinach, green bell pepper or celery in the clam stuffing for a boost of veggies and added texture. Fresh herbs like parsley or thyme will increase the herb flavor.
• Make them cheesy: Mix grated Parmesan into the clam filling for umami flavor. As the cheese melts in the oven, it’ll help the filling crisp and brown.

How to Store Clam Stuffies

Clam stuffies taste best when fresh, but you can store extras in the fridge or freezer. Transfer the stuffies to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to four days.

Don’t forget to save any unused clam broth for other recipes like seafood chowder or red clam sauce for pasta. Store the clam broth in a Mason jar in the fridge for three to four days, or freeze it for up to two months.

Can you freeze Rhode Island stuffies?

You can freeze baked or unbaked clam stuffies for up to two months. Freeze the stuffed clams in baking pans or on baking sheets until they’re firm, then transfer them to freezer-safe containers or storage bags. Reheat baked stuffies in the oven.

Cook unbaked stuffies from frozen in a 350° oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the centers are hot and the tops are golden. You can also cook them in the microwave three at a time, covered with a paper towel, on high for three to four minutes.

Can you make quahog stuffies ahead of time?

Yes! You can assemble the stuffies up to one day in advance and store them, covered, in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them.

How do you reheat clam stuffies?

For the best texture, we recommend reheating stuffies in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350° and bake the stuffed clams on a baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes or until they’re warmed through the center. You can microwave frozen or leftover stuffed clams, but the stuffing will turn out softer.

Rhode Island Stuffies Tips

What should you look for in fresh clams?

Fresh clams will have tightly closed shells and smell like the ocean—fresh and briny, never fishy. If you notice any open clams, tap on the shells—healthy, live clams will close their shells. If they don’t close, or if you spy any clams with damaged shells, toss them. Clams are highly perishable, so buy them from a trusted fish market or grocery store no more than one day before you plan to cook them.

Can you make clam stuffies with canned clams?

Authentic stuffies from Rhode Island are baked and served in clam shells, but you can use canned clams if you live in a part of the country where fresh quahogs aren’t readily available. You can prepare the clam stuffing with canned clams and bake it in a shallow casserole dish or ramekins, like you would for this clam stuffing bake recipe.

How do you prevent a gritty texture in fresh clams?

We recommend purging the clams before cooking them to avoid biting into gritty bits of clam meat. This process helps remove accumulated sand and grit from inside the clams. Place the clams in a pot of cold, heavily salted water (use 2 tablespoons salt for every 4 cups water) and let them soak for about 30 minutes.

After soaking, you should see sand on the bottom of the pot. Carefully remove the clams from the water, scrub them clean and proceed with the recipe.

How do you serve Rhode Island stuffies?

Clam stuffies make an excellent seafood appetizer for backyard cookouts, parties and holidays (try it as a starter for Feast of the Seven Fishes or a fancy New Year’s Eve celebration). You can also serve stuffed clams as a summery main course paired with a crisp green salad, corn on the cob and crusty bread.