Italian Sausage and Apple Stuffing
ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND APPLE STUFFING
By Williams Sonoma for Sunbasket
Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 40 min Total Time: 55 min
Yield: 8-10
Oven Temp: 375 F
Let this become your new family recipe for stuffing or dressing for generations passed down. You can bake it on its own and/or stuff it in your turkey. Double the recipe and do both! Singing with the traditional flavors that make you think of Thanksgiving, but elevated just enough to impress even your most discerning guest.
2 ciabatta rolls
1/2 lb loose mild Italian pork sausage
2 yellow onions
2-3 celery ribs
3/4 lb Granny Smith apples
3 sprigs fresh sage
6 sprigs fresh thyme
6-7 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
Olive oil
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
Heat the oven to 375 F.
Cut the ciabatta rolls, including crust, into 1/2 inch to 1-inch cubes.
Spread the ciabatta cubes on a sheet pan and bake in the oven until dry and crisp (10-12 minutes). While the oven heats and the ciabatta bakes, prepare the remaining ingredients.
Peel and coarsely chop the onions.
Cut the celery into 1/2-inch pieces.
Cut the apples into quarters; remove the core and chop into 1/4 to 1/2-inch cubes.
Strip the sage leaves from the stem. Finely chop the leaves.
Strip the thyme leaves from the stems.
Strip the parsley leaves from the stems. Finely chop the leaves.
In a large pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the sausage and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, until browned and cooked through (3-5 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a large bowl.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, if needed, and warm over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and until just softened and lightly browned (2-3 minutes).
Add the celery and apple and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened and lightly browned (3-5 minutes).
Stir in the sage, thyme and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).
Scrape the mixture into the bowl with the sausage. Add the toasted ciabatta and parsley. Stir to combine.
In a medium bowl, crack the eggs into a bow and lightly beat until blended.
Add the vegetable or chicken stock and 1/2 cup water to the bowl with the eggs. Season with salt & pepper, then whisk until blended.
Pour the egg mixture over the ciabatta mixture and gently stir to coat. Add liquid slowly so as not to over-saturate the bread. You may have some egg mixture leftover.
Scrape the mixture into a greased 9x13 in or similar baking dish or use it to stuff your turkey.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, if using a baking dish, until the stuffing is lightly browned and crisp on the top and the egg mixture is cooked through.
