Sage Sausage and Apple Stuffing

If you don't already have an extraordinary Thanksgiving stuffing recipe look no further! Come to think of it, even if you do, Look no further! You might like to switch it up this year and give this little beauty a try. I don't have pictures for this post because I haven't made it since last year but trust me when I tell you that this stuffing will MAKE your Thanksgiving dinner. Your turkey can be as dry and cardboard, your mashed potatoes as appetizing as paste but with this on the table, no one will notice. And for years to come everyone will be singing your praises as the stuffing queen, or king.

I think I adapted this years ago from one of Paula Deen's recipes

Here is what you will need:


1/2 loaf of bread dried and cubed (I use s combo of whole wheat and sourdough)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan and topping
1 pound fresh sage sausage, casing removed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cooking apples, such as Rome, or Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 to 2 ribs celery with leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Put the stuffing cubes in a large bowl and set aside. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook until it loses most of its pink color, but not so much that it's dry, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and pan drippings to the stuffing cubes. Melt the remaining butter in the pan. Add the onion, apple, celery, and salt. Cook until the vegetables get soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and parsley and bring to a boil.
Pour the vegetable mixture over the stuffing cubes and toss until evenly moistened. Mix in the eggs. Loosely pack the dressing in the prepared pan and cook uncovered until the top forms a crust, about 40 minutes. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of turkey pan drippings or melted butter over the top. Cook until the top is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes more. Set immediately or warm.

Tip: Put the dressing in the oven during the last hour of cooking the turkey

I really can't wait for this. I'm actually making two batches. One for the table and one to be sure there are 'leftovers'.

Leftover Lament

It may be a little early for this but I want to make sure you're prepared when the time comes. You know, so that when you're staring into a refrigerator of thanksgiving leftovers thinking, do I really want turkey again? you'll hear my voice saying: Yes, yes you do want turkey again. A delicious turkey sandwich with stuffing and cranberry sauce!

Huh?

Trust me, when everyone is coming off their tryptophan induced comas and the game is at half time YOU will be the hero of the living room when you walk in with this bad boy.

What you will need:
Two slices of bread or sandwich roll
Sliced turkey
Stuffing
Cranberry sauce
Mayo- just a bit, in case your mom overcooked the white meat!





Be sure to leave everything out on the counter so that when all of your relatives get their second wind they wont have to dig through your fridge looking for all the fixings. Its the right thing to do.

For the purpose of this post I'm using chicken breast. OBVIOUSLY, I'm not going to cook a turkey this close to thanksgiving and using deli meat is offensive. Don't even.


Take your turkey (or chicken) and your stuffing and zap in the microwave until warmed through. Yes, its got to be warm. Remember we talked about trust earlier? HERO.

Keep your cranberry cool. Hot cranberry sauce has its place in other recipes, like sweet and spicy meatballs or roasted turkey tenderloin, but it has no place here, in this recipe, and calling this a recipe is a stretch, I am aware.

Now for the assembly line: spread a thin layer of mayo on your bread or if you prefer go ahead and slather. I don't judge.

Now take your turkey and place on top of the mayo. Spread the stuffing out on the other side. If you're using a roll or a hoagie, hollow out that side and fill with stuffing, too much bread is, well, too much bread. Top turkey with cranberry and gingerly place stuffing side on top.

Then stand back and admire what you have created, for it is good.

It is very, very good.

Now hurry up and eat it before your uncle Hank manages to peel his butt out of the recliner and sniffs out your plate!