Thanksgiving Dinner - Apple and Sausage Stuffing

All of the stores, farm stands and farmers market are over flowing with apples.  It is apple season here on Long Island and it is welcome.  Nothing says the fall is coming like the sight of these beautiful fruits.  The cool nights, the sound of leaves crunching underfoot and the smell of apples all tell me that my favorite season is here.  And since fall is the season of the harvest, it is no wonder I love it so much.  When I saw the apples in the store yesterday I knew I needed to make something seasonal for Sunday dinner.  I pulled out the pork chops and thought about what I could make.  I remembered the apple sauce from last year (one jar left!!)  But what can I make with fresh apples?  I know: apple sausage stuffing.  This is also the stuffing I use on Thanksgiving.  I stuff my turkey with it and make extra on the side.  It is so good with turkey - the flavors of the apples really goes well with the turkey meat.  This recipe is just all around good - no matter what you serve it with.

Ingredients:

1 large fry or saute pan
1 lb. bulk Italian Sausage (or take the meat out of the sausage casing)
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 large carrot or 1 small carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 Granny Smith Apple, chopped
1.5 to 2 cups chicken stock or broth (depending on how moist you like it to be)
1 cup apple juice
11 Slices stale White Bread, cut into cubes
2 sage leaves, chopped
1/2 stem fresh rosemary, chopped
5 stems fresh Italian parsley, chopped
3 small stems thyme, remove leaves from stem
1 large casserole dish
non-stick spray

Here's how:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat the pan on stove top to medium heat.  Place sausage meat into a pan and brown.  Stir and break up the meat with your spoon as it cooks.  After 7 minutes it should be brown, and you can see no pink.  Remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and place it on a small plate.  You want to leave the fat behind. 

Once the meat is removed, add butter and let it melt.  Add the celery, celery, onion and apple and cook for 15 minutes until soft and translucent.

Add chicken stock and apple juice to the vegetable mixture and stir up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Turn off the heat on the stove.

Add the bread cubes and herbs to the pan and stir until all the bread is wet and the liquid is gone.  Spray casserole dish with cooking spray then add the entire mixture.  Cover with foil and place in the oven for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and cook for another 30 minutes. 

Now here is the illustrated version:

Do all of your prep work first, it makes it much easier to just add as you go.

Leave the bread out overnight on the counter:

Cube the bread into 5 by 4 pieces:

 Chop carrots.  Cut the carrot in half the long way, then in half again.  Then chop into small pieces:

Chop celery.  Slice the celery the long way into 4-5 pieces.  Then chop into small pieces.  I like to also use the leafy part of the celery that is in the heart.

Chop onions:

Core the apple and slice it into pieces.  Then chop into small pieces.  I use and apple corer to make it easier.  You can leave the skin on if you want.

Now it is time to cook.  My Whole Foods was out of bulk sausage but they had patties, which is bulk sausage in a round shape.  Place the meat into the pan and brown. Remove once done.

Add butter, apple and veggies. 

Cook for for 15 minutes:

 Add apple juice and chicken stock.  I don't usually buy this brand.  But I forgot to buy organic juice.  So I picked some up at Walmart.  Sorry, I like to buy organic but I am not a purist. 

Add the bread and herbs.  Mix until well combined and all the liquid is absorbed.  Add to a sprayed large casserole dish. 

Cover and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and continue to cook for 30 minutes.  It will be browned on top and delicious on the inside.  It serves 6 people.

 

All done