Apple, Sage and Sausage Stuffing

With Thanksgiving just a couple days away, Coryanne from our Kitchen Council is sharing one of her favorite stuffing recipes that will be sure to please the entire family. 

Stuffing in our house is a big part of the holidays. We often have 2-3 varieties on the table to compliment all the side dishes and those all-important left over menus we plan. This apple, sage and sausage stuffing is the one that we make a double batch of because everyone always wants a second helping, and it pairs so well the next day with potato pancakes. The flavors that are created when you sauté the onions and apples together are a beautiful blend of sweet, tangy, and savory. While you can also use a Gala apple for this recipe, when possible, I always use Piñata^® apples because they offer a nice, juicy crunch when sautéed.

With so many complicated recipes at Thanksgiving, I love the simplicity of stuffing with apples because it means that I can hand the recipe over to my daughter and allow her to cook it solo from start to finish.

As simple as this recipe is, the trick to a stunning stuffing is to be mindful of the fat and salt that the sausage adds, and to be careful not to over-saturate the breadcrumbs. When working with extra fatty sausage meat, add the extra step of draining it on a sheet of paper towel or even using a sieve to rest the meat in if you are reserving drippings. This added step will go a long way to creating crumbly, not mushy stuffing. But the big step to avoid soggy stuffing is to add in the chicken stock gradually, folding as you go and only adding what you need to ensure a light fluffy blend.

And while this recipe does not include chopped walnuts or pecans, when time allows, I gently pan fry them in a bit of butter to brown and crisp the nuts for added crunch in an otherwise soft dish.

Apple, Sage and Sausage Stuffing

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Nutritional Information

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups of toasted bread crumbs or stuffing mix
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
• 2 medium Piñata® apples
• 1 tsp of Kosher salt
• 1 tsp of freshly ground black peppercorns
• 2 cups of diced celery ribs, with leaves
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
• 2 cups of ground sausage meat
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 Spanish onion, diced
• 2 tbsp of olive oil

Apples and sausage are a classic pair, and together offer a tasty twist on traditional Thanksgiving stuffing.

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(5 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

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• Yield
  8 servings
• Prep time
  00:20
• Cook time
  01:05
• Total time
  01:25
• Cuisine
  European, American
• In Category
  Side Dish
• Level
  Easy

Instructions

1. Drizzle the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the sausage meat. Once cooked, remove from the heat and spoon into a large mixing bowl.
2. In the same skillet, drizzle the remaining olive oil and sauté the apples, celery and onions until they are tender, 10 minutes.
3. Once the apple blend is done cooking, add it to the large mixing bowl containing the cooked sausage. And slowly fold in the stuffing mix while adding the warm chicken stock, sage, salt and pepper.
4. Fold until fully blended and the bread is moist, but not soggy; and then allow it to rest while the oven pre-heats to 375°F.
5. Transfer the stuffing to a baking dish, and bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving

• Calories: 333
• Fat Content: 19.1g
• Cholesterol Content: 36mg
• Sodium Content: 787mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 34.5g
• Fiber Content: 3.7g
• Sugar Content: 8.9g
• Protein Content: 7.1g