Sausage-Apple Stuffing
Loaded with savory sausage, sweet-tart apples, and fresh herbs, this easy sausage-apple stuffing recipe gives a sweet-savory twist on a classic Thanksgiving stuffing.
I was roasting a chicken for dinner to serve with creamy mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus, and cranberry sauce, and I made this easy sausage-apple stuffing recipe from Recipe Tin Eats to pair with it. My whole family enjoyed this meal, especially my daughter, who raved about this homemade sausage-apple stuffing. Side Note: Technically called homemade stuffing if baked inside a bird, and homemade dressing if baked in a separate dish, but we always called it stuffing.
Sausage-Apple Stuffing
Ingredients:
- 4 heaping cups plain white bread, crust on, cut into 1-inch cubes, dried out overnight
- ½ lb. pork sausage, good quality
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp butter, unsalted, divided
- ¼ onion, finely diced
- 1 small celery stalk, sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 Honeycrisp apple, skin left on, diced
- 2½ tbsp pecans, roughly chopped
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2½ tbsp heavy cream
- ½ tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp butter, melted (extra for brushing)
- Thyme leaves, parsley, or small sage leaves, chopped, for garnish, optional
How to Make Sausage-Apple Stuffing:
Dry your bread cubes by cutting the bread, spreading the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet, and drying at room temperature overnight, until hardened and dry, about 24 hours. Side Note: You can also bake the bread at 350 degrees for about 7-8 minutes if you don’t have the time.Â
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, using the convection setting if you have it. Coat a 9-inch baking dish with butter or olive oil cooking spray.
Add the dried-out bread crumbs into a large mixing bowl.
Cook sausage by melting 1 teaspoon of butter in a large skillet over high heat. Once melted, add the sausage and cook, breaking it up as you stir. Once cooked, pour the sausage over the dried bread cubes, including the grease.
Cook the aromatics by melting the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
Add the celery and apple, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Simmer the mixture by adding the pecans, chicken broth, cream, sage, thyme, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, then pour into the bowl with the other ingredients.
Using clean hands, mix well to ensure all the bread is evenly coated.
Taste and re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, if needed.
Cook the stuffing by transferring it to the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Brown the stuffing by removing the foil and brushing the top with 1 tablespoon of melted butter, if desired. Then broil on high for 2 to 4 minutes, until the top is browned, watching carefully so it doesn’t burn.
Serve warm, sprinkled with parsley, fresh thyme, or small fresh sage leaves if desired!
Equipment
- 9-inch Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 4 heaping cups plain white bread crust on, cut into 1-inch cubes, dried out overnight
- ½ lb. pork sausage good quality
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp butter unsalted, divided
- ¼ onion finely diced
- 1 small celery stalk sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 Honeycrisp apple skin left on, diced
- 2½ tbsp pecans roughly chopped
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2½ tbsp heavy cream
- ½ tbsp fresh sage finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp butter melted (extra for brushing)
- Thyme leaves parsley, or small sage leaves, chopped, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Dry your bread cubes by cutting the bread, spreading the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet, and drying at room temperature overnight, until hardened and dry, about 24 hours. Side Note: You can also bake the bread at 350 degrees for about 7-8 minutes if you don't have the time.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, using the convection setting if you have it. Coat a 9-inch baking dish with butter or olive oil cooking spray.
- Add the dried-out bread crumbs into a large mixing bowl.
- Cook sausage by melting 1 teaspoon of butter in a large skillet over high heat. Once melted, add the sausage and cook, breaking it up as you stir. Once cooked, pour the sausage over the dried bread cubes, including the grease.
- Cook the aromatics by melting the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add celery and apple, and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Simmer the mixture by adding the pecans, chicken broth, cream, sage, thyme, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, then pour into the bowl with the other ingredients.
- Using clean hands, mix well to ensure all the bread is evenly coated.
- Taste and re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, if needed.
- Cook the stuffing by transferring it to the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Brown the stuffing by removing the foil and brushing the top with 1 tablespoon of melted butter, if desired. Then broil on high for 2 to 4 minutes, until the top is browned, watching carefully so it doesn't burn.
- Serve warm, sprinkled with parsley, fresh thyme, or small fresh sage leaves if desired!
