As mentioned previously, every year I'm in charge of making stuffing for our
family Thanksgiving feast. I've tweaked it over the years and feel like I've now got it
down to an almost perfect dish. I love this recipe because it has all of my favorite components:
sweet, salty, crunchy and most importantly, it's a comfort food. Below is the recipe, enjoy!
Sausage Apple Cranberry Stuffing:
Serves 8-10 people
16 cups 1-inch bread cubes, white or sourdough (1 1/2 pound loaf)*
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups medium-diced yellow onion (2 onions)
1 cup medium-diced celery (2 stalks)
2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and large-diced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Place the bread cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 7 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the bread cubes to a very large bowl.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, melt the butter and add the onions, celery, apples, salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add to the bread cubes.
In the same saute pan, cook the sausage over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a fork while cooking. Add to the bread cubes and vegetables.
Add the chicken stock, walnuts and cranberries to the mixture, mix well, and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, until browned on top and hot in the middle. Serve warm.
*When I am short on time I substitute cubing and toasting my own bread with Mrs. Cubbison's Stuffing, I only use the dried bread and follow my own recipe.
