Stuffing with Apples and Sausage

Stuffing with Apples and Sausage

This apple sausage stuffing is a winner, as it is highly aromatic and flavorful. Slightly crisp on the outside, tender on the inside. It's always someone's favorite side dish for the holidays.

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 30

Servings:

Ingredients

½ lb ground sausage, Italian seasoned, no casings
1 whole onion, chopped
5 tsp sage leaves, fresh, chopped
3 tsp rosemary, fresh
1 fresh sprig thyme
6 cups bread, French or Italian loaf, cut into cubes
1 whole apple, peeled and chopped
½ cup dried cranberries
⅓ cup parsley, minced
4 TB butter, melted
1 ½ to 2 cups chicken stock, regular strength

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish, or one of similar size. Set aside.
Combine bread cubes and place in single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake about 6 minutes, or until cubes are evenly toasted.
In a skillet, brown the sausage and onions together over medium heat. Stir and break up lumps evenly, until fully cooked through. Add sage, rosemary, and thyme, and stir another 2 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine and toss together the toasted bread cubes, cooked sausage mixture, and all remaining ingredients except for chicken stock; toss so melted butter evenly coats bread cubes.
Gradually add 1 cup of chicken stock and toss to coat. Depending on desired level of moisture, add up to another 1/2 cup and toss again so all bread cubes are lightly soaked.
Place stuffing mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake 30 minutes, covered. Stir and add up to 1/2 cup broth, as needed to moisten the bread. Uncover, and bake another 15 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Notes

Granny smith, fuji, or honeycrisp apple varieties work well.
Stuffing can be assembled the night before, up to the point of adding broth. Add the broth only when ready to bake.
You can use entirely wheat or white bread, if preferred. If opting for all-white bread only, choose a loaf with more robust texture.
For a meatless version, simply omit the sausage or use vegan ground "meat". You can opt for vegetable broth in lieu of chicken broth.
If you prefer a texture more similar to stuffing that's been cooked in a turkey, add a bit more broth until it's to your liking. See notes in original article.
This recipe is part of our Thanksgiving Side Dishes Collection.

If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating. It helps keep your favorite recipes alive on our site. And, we ❤️ hearing from you.

Nutrition (per serving)

Course: Side

Cuisine: American

Method: Bake