Sausage And Apple Stuffing
Ingredients
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- 12 cups country bread – cut into 0.75-inch cubes
- 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage – casings removed (~5.5 medium italian sausages)
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 medium yellow onion – finely chopped
- 4 stalks celery – finely chopped
- 2 medium Granny Smith apple – peeled, cored, 0.5-inch dice
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
- 2 tbsp fresh sage – finely chopped
- 2 tsp fresh thyme – finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley – chopped (~0.5 n/a parsleys)
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 large large egg – lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper – freshly ground
Instructions
1. Heat the oven to 300°F. Spread the bread cubes on two baking sheets and bake, stirring once, until dry to the touch and lightly crisp, 15–20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.
2. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Grease a 3-quart baking dish with 1 tbsp of the unsalted butter. Transfer the dried bread cubes to a large mixing bowl.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bulk sweet Italian sausage and cook, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through, 7–9 minutes. Transfer the sausage to the bowl with the bread, leaving any drippings in the skillet.
4. Reduce heat to medium and add 3 tbsp of the unsalted butter to the skillet. Add the yellow onion and celery; cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 5–7 minutes. Add the diced Granny Smith apple and cook until just tender, 3–4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, fresh sage, and fresh thyme; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Scrape the skillet mixture into the bowl with the bread and sausage. Add the chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and toss gently to combine.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk the low-sodium chicken broth with the large eggs until homogeneous. Whisk in the kosher salt and black pepper.
7. Pour the broth-egg mixture over the stuffing mixture and toss until evenly moistened. Let stand 10 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the liquid; the mixture should feel uniformly damp but not soupy.
8. Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly. Dot the top with the remaining 2 tbsp unsalted butter. Cover tightly with foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the top is golden and crisp and the center is set (a skewer inserted in the middle comes out hot and lightly moist), 15–20 minutes more. Rest 10 minutes before serving.
Sausage and apple stuffing marries savory pork with tart, juicy apples, fragrant herbs, and custard-moistened bread for a side that’s both hearty and nuanced. The contrast of a crisp, golden top and a tender, richly flavored interior makes it especially appealing at the table. Aromatics like onion, celery, sage, and thyme build a classic backbone that complements roast poultry and other fall dishes.
Rooted in American holiday cooking, this stuffing reflects New World abundance and Old World technique. Bread-based stuffings trace back to European traditions, but the inclusion of pork sausage and orchard apples became particularly beloved in North America, especially in the Northeast and Midwest. Over time it settled into a Thanksgiving staple, with regional tweaks that adjust sweetness, spice, and texture while preserving the essential bread-and-draping-of-pan-juices character.