Description

A classic bread stuffing (dressing), complete with celery, onion and herbs, the sausage adds richness to the dish and the top gets crispy as it bakes in a pan.

Ingredients

Scale

12 cups bread cubes, staled in the oven, (Use a mixture of sourdough, whole grain and other breads to make 12 cups)
1 pound sausage, (use country style or Italian sausage as you prefer)
2 cups chopped celery, including the leafy tops
2 sweet onions, chopped (about 1–3/4 cups)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 – 1 teaspoon kosher salt, as desired
3 cups turkey stock
Fresh sage leaves for garnish

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Instructions

On two baking sheets, stale the bread pieces in a 225°-250° F oven for 60 minutes.
Lightly grease a 9” baking dish that you plan to serve the stuffing in and set aside.
In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Break up the larger pieces with a spoon so no large chunks of sausage remain.
Remove the sausage and discard all but 1 tablespoon of meat drippings from the pan. Add 1 cup of chopped onion, 1 cup of chopped celery and the minced garlic to the pan and saute until the onion is translucent. Remove the vegetables from the pan and add to the cooked sausage.
In a large bowl, combine the staled bread cubes and the sausage together and stir to combine. Add the remaining onion, celery and fresh parsley to the mixture and stir well.
Add the turkey stock into the skillet where the sausage was cooked and stir over medium heat to deglaze the pan. Add the poultry seasoning, black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt to the turkey stock.
Pour about 2/3 of the warm turkey stock over the bread and sausage mixture and stir to combine. Add the remaining stock as needed to make the stuffing hold together (about the consistency of oatmeal).
Taste the stuffing and add salt to taste.
Press the stuffing into the prepared baking dish and clean the edges so the dish will look nice when on the table. Garnish with fresh herbs pressed onto the top of the stuffing
Bake in a 325°F oven for 45 minutes.

Notes

This dish can be prepared and refrigerated for two days before baking.

It can also be baked and then frozen for up to 3 months. Tightly wrap the dish after baking and cooling with foil. Label and place in freezer. Defrost the wrapped dish in the refrigerator for 24 hours and bake (still covered) in a 325°F oven until heated through.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 4-6 ounces