Rustic Apple Sausage Stuffing

Savory pork sausage, sweet apple, tart cranberries, fennel and mushrooms, folded with bread cubes and broth and baked until golden. A one-skillet holiday side that bakes and serves in the same dish.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Side Dish, Thanksgiving Recipes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple sausage stuffing, sausage stuffing with apples and cranberries, stuffing recipe, Thanksgiving Sides, Thanksgiving stuffing

Servings: people

Author: Silvia Dunnirvine

Ingredients

4 cups bread cubes (store-bought stuffing cubes, gluten-free stuffing bread, sourdough or day-old bread)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 cup onion diced, (about 1 medium onion)
1/3 cup fennel chopped
1 cup mushrooms chopped
12 oz pork sausage links (about 3 sausages), casing removed
1 whole apple diced
1 cup cranberries fresh or frozen
1 tbsp fresh sage (or 1/2 tbsp dried), chopped plus fresh leaves for garnish
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chicken broth

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the bread cubes in a baking dish.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the onion, fennel and mushrooms and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, until softened and the mushrooms have released their liquid.
Add the sausage and break it into small pieces. Season with salt, pepper and sage. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, until the sausage is cooked through.
Stir in the apple and cranberries and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
Pour in the broth, stir, then spoon the mixture over the bread cubes. Fold gently until the bread is evenly moistened.
Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden and crisp on top.
Garnish with fresh sage and parsley and serve straight from the dish.

Notes

Frozen cranberries go in straight from the freezer; no need to thaw.
Too dry halfway through? Drizzle in 2 to 4 tbsp more broth when you stir.

Make-ahead, storage and reheating

Make ahead: assemble in the baking dish, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Let it sit out 20 minutes, then bake, adding 5 to 10 minutes.
Fridge: store leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days.
Freezer: freeze up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheat: splash with broth, cover with foil and warm at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Nutrition