Sage and Sausage Stuffing
This stuffing is a fun variation on a classic -- sausage, leeks and cornbread add moisture and flavor, while cubes of artisan bread and plenty of sage and celery please the traditionalists in the family. It can be made in advance and kept refrigerated until you are ready to bake it or stuff the turkey, though I prefer to cook my stuffing in a casserole dish, which gives it a firmer texture and helps the bird cook faster.
Ingredients
Directions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the breakfast sausage, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, and cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and place in a large mixing bowl.
- To the rendered fat add the butter then the onion and celery, and sauté, adjusting the temperature if necessary so they don't brown. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until soft and translucent.
- Add the leeks and cook for five minutes more. Set aside to cool.
- When onion mixture has cooled, pour it out, with all the accumulated fat, into the large bowl with the sausage. Add the bread cubes, cornbread cubes, herbs and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Toss gently, so the cornbread doesn't get too crumbly, and taste for seasonings. Place in a large, buttered (3-3 1/2 quart) casserole dish, cover and cool completely. This stuffing can be assembled and refrigerated one day ahead.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bring stuffing to room temperature. Pour over turkey stock and toss gently to coat. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, uncover and bake for 10 minutes more.
Find more recipes from Alison Needham on Family.com, or visit her blog at www.agirlamarketameal.com.
Rated by 11 members
What is the Family Approved program?
In Their Opinion:
- Good for Grownups
- Go-To Meal
- Kid Friendly
- Kids Can Help
- Great for the Holidays
We LOVED this stuffing recipe. I knew right off the bat, I was going to have to make a modification when I started cooking the onion, celery and leek together. So I decided to make 2 casserole dishes of this recipe. One with all the onion, celery and leek and one without for the boys ... They ended up LOVING it! And we, my husband and I, LOVED ours! I ate so much of this super duper delicious stuffing, that I am still stuffed today from it. It turned out really moist and so flavorful.
Elias could not stop eating this stuffing he loved it so much. He said, this is the best! They loved the sage sausage so much, that they asked if I would make it for breakfast one morning. They had never had that kind of sausage before, usually I try to go for the "turkey" healthier kind of sausage. Elias: "One of the best tasting stuffings I have ever had!"
Really easy to prepare with the boys. Again, make sure you read the recipe before you make it! I had to make corn bread first, to use in the recipe. Also, if you are making the Thanksgiving turkey and want to serve this along side, I would make it a day ahead. I made the turkey and this in one day, and it was a lot. It would be much easier to prepare a day in advance and then just bake it. There will be less mess in the kitchen as well.
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