The mix of sausage, caramelized onions, and tart green apples is a great combination to join the lineup of your Thanksgiving buffet.
Thanksgiving is just a few days away and I couldn’t let the feast go by without a new post from yours truly. A friend held a potluck at his new apartment last week and I volunteered to make the stuffing. I have a slight confession in that I’ve never actually made “stuffing” before. In my house, the carb-filled goodness that accompanies the turkey is referred to as “dressing” and made with cornbread as the base. However, I had some ideas for a great combination to bring to the table.
The mix of sausage, caramelized onions, and tart green apples came to me one day and I knew what I had to do. I borrowed some cooking technique from the good people over at Bon Appétit to fill in some of the gaps on times and temperatures for baking things—plus I didn’t realize you are supposed to include eggs! The result was a resounding success that I hope you share with your loved ones.
What’s your favorite kind of stuffing?
Sausage, Green Apple, and Caramelized Onion Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 cups bread cut into cubes (about a 1 pound loaf)
- 1 pound sweet/mild Italian sausage
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium yellow onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 granny smith apples, diced
- 2 large eggs
- 2 to 3 cups unsalted chicken stock
- nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- If your bread isn’t already stale, lay the cubes on a sheet tray and place in a 300˚F oven until dry and hard to the touch. Otherwise, heat the oven to 350˚F.
- Place the sausage and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, rendering the fat and cooking until brown. Transfer cooked meat to a large bowl, leaving any rendered fat in the pan.
- Add the butter and sliced onions and cook until they become translucent and start to brown, about 15 minutes. Season with salt, sage, and black pepper.
- Add the apples and continue to cook until the onions are nice and caramelized, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to the bowl with the sausage (be sure to scrape up any brown bits too).
- Beat the eggs with 2 cups of stock. Add to the sausage mixture in the bowl along with the dried bread. If needed, add more chicken stock until all of the bread is moistened (I used about another 1/2 cup).
- Tasted the mixture and add more salt, sage, and black pepper, as desired. (Yes, I realize there is raw egg in the mixture, but you won’t die. Plus, I’m sure that has never stopped you when it came to eating cookie dough.)
- Increase the oven to 350˚F if it's not already there. Coat a 9-by-13-inch (or other similarly sized) baking dish with nonstick spray. Transfer the stuffing into the baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil, increase the temperature to 450˚F, and bake for another 20 minutes, until it browns and crisps slightly on top. Let cool slightly before serving warm.
[…] It’s always a great idea to use the drippings from the turkey to make your gravy. As with the fat, sometimes you might not have enough of the other turkey juices to make a full gravy recipe. That’s one of the main reasons why it’s great to cook the turkey giblets in stock in case you need to use it for gravy. (Any excess stock can be used in dressing or stuffing.) […]