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Side Β· Pork

Sausage and Apple Stuffing

Bread stuffing with browned pork sausage, tart apple, onion and sage. Savory, a little sweet, and filling.

⏱ 1 hr 25 min (25 min prep, 1 hr cooking) 🍽 Serves 10 · about ¾ cup make aheadfreezer friendly

Part of our Thanksgiving dinner: menu, timeline and shopping list β†’

πŸ“… Add to my plan

ContainsMilk, Eggs, Wheat. Check the labels on what you buy; brands differ.

Ingredients

Make 10 servings
  • 1 lb Sandwich bread, white, or a 1-lb loaf, in ΒΎ-inch cubes
  • 1 lb Breakfast sausage, bulk pork sausage, not links
  • 4 tbsp Butter, unsalted, plus more for the dish
  • 1 Yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 stalk Celery, chopped
  • 1 Apples, a tart one, cored and diced (no need to peel)
  • 2 tbsp Ground sage, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried
  • 1 tsp Dried thyme
  • Β½ tsp Ground black pepper
  • 2 cup Turkey broth or stock, or chicken broth; up to 2Β½ cups
  • 2 Eggs, large, beaten

Make it yourself

Make the sandwich bread yourself β†’ Make the butter yourself β†’ Make the turkey stock yourself β†’

In the planner, Make it on the shopping list swaps the store item for these ingredients and puts the work on your prep day.

Nutrition

Nutrition coming: the USDA numbers for these ingredients are being added.

Steps

You’ll need: 2 rimmed baking sheets, large skillet, very large bowl, 9 Γ— 13-inch baking dish, foil, food thermometer.

  1. Dry the bread cubes on the baking sheets at 300Β°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or leave them out overnight.
  2. Brown the sausage in the skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up, until no pink remains and it reaches 160Β°F, about 8 minutes. Lift it into the big bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat.
  3. Add the butter to the skillet and cook the onion, celery and apple until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sage, thyme and pepper. Add to the bowl with the bread.
  4. Heat the oven to 350Β°F and butter the dish. Whisk the eggs into 2 cups broth, pour over the stuffing and toss until evenly moist, adding more broth if it’s dry. The sausage is salty, so taste the broth before adding any salt.
  5. Spread in the dish, cover with foil and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until crisp on top and 165Β°F in the center.

🌑 Safe temperaturesGround pork sausage 160°F; Stuffing and dressing 165°F. Check the thickest part with a food thermometer (USDA). More on food safety.

Make aheadDry the bread up to 3 days ahead. Brown the sausage and cook the vegetables a day ahead and refrigerate. Combine with the broth and eggs just before baking.
❄️ FreezerFreeze baked leftovers up to 1 month; reheat to 165Β°F.
β†Ί LeftoversRefrigerate within 2 hours; use within 3 to 4 days (USDA). Reheat to 165Β°F.
πŸ§’ With kidsKids can cube the bread and toss the stuffing (before the raw eggs go in, or wash hands after).
Cranberry swapStir in Β½ cup dried cranberries with the apple.
Italian swapUse mild Italian sausage and add ΒΌ cup grated Parmesan.

Goes well with

🌿 Herb-Butter Roast TurkeyπŸ₯£ Turkey Gravy from the Drippings

Good to know

Cooking Fats Compared Salted vs. unsalted butter Fresh vs. dried herbs Stock vs. broth Food Safety Basics

An original Teddy Rook Book recipe, written for our Thanksgiving dinner; safety steps follow USDA. Nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central and changes with brands and portions.