Have you ever met someone who didn’t like stuffing? Whether you prefer it salty or sweet with apples, with or without meat, there are no limits to what you can do with this comforting side dish. The classic combination of bread, sausage, aromatics, and lots of sage in this stuffing recipe is a crowd favorite!
INGREDIENTS
Loaf of bread, about 1 lbs, cut into 3/4 inch cubes (about 12 cups)
1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
2 medium yellow onions, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
kosher salt
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
(8 tbsp (1 stick, 4 oz) unsalted butter, divided: 6T in the stuffing, 2T on top
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped
2 cups chicken stock, low sodium or unsalted
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 200F. Grease a large casserole dish.
Spread out the bread onto two baking sheets. Dry them in the oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on how dry you like your bread cubes. Put the bread in a large bowl and toss with the poultry seasoning.
Increase the oven heat to 400F.
Saute the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium-low; add the onions and the celery to the skillet and sprinkle them with a bit of kosher salt. Saute until they are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes more.
Add 6 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet, reserving 2 tbsp for topping. Once the butter is melted, pour the mixture over the bread and give it a stir.
Add the eggs and sage to the bread mixture and mix well.
Begin adding the chicken stock, starting with 1 cup and mixing that in. Then add another 1/2 cup and mix that in. At this point add the stock by the tablespoon until you reach a consistency where the stuffing holds together while most the bread still maintains its cubed structure. Basically, you want some of the bread to dissolve and mix in with the sausage while the rest is a bit softened but still in cubes.
Pour the stuffing into the prepared casserole dish, dot with reserved butter, and cover tightly. Bake for 40 minutes with the cover on. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Remove the bread stuffing from the oven and let it sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Servings: 8 servings
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