Rustic Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing (make-ahead)

Whether you call it “stuffing” like us in the north, or “dressing” (likely to consist of delicious cornbread) like my southern friends, or “filling” like those located somewhere around and in-between, we can all agree that no Thanksgiving table is complete without it.

In my Rustic Sausage, Apple and Cranberry Stuffing, we’ll use day old rustic bread, hand-picked apples, local sweet Italian sausage, and plump ruby-red cranberries that come together (the night before the big day) in a gentle perfume of sage and rosemary – along with a good measure of butter, always butter.

Growing up our stuffing was always cooked inside of the turkey, with the exposed part of the bread becoming crisp and fragrant from the occasional baste, while the bread inside remained buttery soft and tender.

Over time, I began to fill the turkey with aromatics like onion, garlic and citrus, their oils lending a natural moisture to the turkey from the inside out (see my Butter Roasted Turkey with Herbs de Provence and Citrus) and this beloved stuffing of mine became a much anticipated side dish of its own.

The best part?  Just like when stuffing is cooked inside of the turkey, this one is reminiscently soft and tender, with cubes of buttery bread and yummy bits of bright apple and cranberry peeking out from underneath and between it all.  Serve alongside my homemade cranberry sauce (see my Cranberry Sauce with Orange and Vanilla).

Can it still be called stuffing when it isn’t stuffed into the turkey?  Yes.  Yes, it can.  Because when we stuff our faces with it, that definitely counts.

Have Leftovers?

As far as leftovers go, the possibilities are endless.  One of my favorite ways to enjoy this stuffing leftover is to add equal parts of the stuffing and mashed potatoes mixed, along with an egg or two to hold it all together (you’ll need to think about 2 eggs for 2 cups each of potatoes and stuffing).  Shaped into patties and fried in a little butter and olive oil until the outside is golden and crisp and the inside is soft and full of that beloved Thanksgiving flavor.  Top with leftover gravy or cranberry sauce.

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Scroll down and leave me a comment below, I’d love to know if you plan on making this!  If you give it a go, please share it with me on Instagram, I’d love to see!  Make sure to tag me @chasingtheseasons so I don’t miss it!

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Rustic Sausage, Apple, and Cranberry Stuffing (Make-Ahead)

Homemade sausage and bread stuffing studded with cranberries and apples and fragranced with sage. The perfect holiday make-ahead side dish recipe.

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Dressing, Stuffing, Thanksgiving

Servings: 0

Author: Chasing the Seasons

Ingredients

• 8 tbsp butter (1 stick), divided
• 10 cups cubed rustic bread, 1/2-inch to 1-inch (3-6 cm)* recommended: semolina or bastone
• Fine sea salt
• 2 lbs sweet Italian sausage, casings removed**
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup finely diced celery
• 2 ½ tsp dried sage
• 2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 medium (heat tolerant) apples, peeled and cubed recommended: Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 2 ½ cups chicken or turkey stock, divided

Instructions

• Use 1 tablespoon (15 g) of butter to grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 in. (22×33 cm) baking dish (with deep sides), set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C).  Spread the cubed bread in a single layer on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Lightly season the bread with salt (and dried herbs, if desired).  Bake until the bread is evenly dried and toasted, careful not to brown the bread, about 7-10 minutes depending on the moisture in the bread.  They should feel hard and dry, like croutons, when done.  Transfer the bread to a large bowl and set aside.
• In a large 12-15 inch (30-38 cm) skillet over medium heat, add the remaining butter.  When hot and melted add the onions and celery, stirring to coat well in the butter.  Add the sausage breaking it up with a fork or the back of a cooking spoon until roughly small and bite-sized, stirring often until cooked through and evenly browned, about 10-15 minutes.  Add the sage, rosemary and thyme and cook, stirring until well combined and the flavors blend, about 2 minutes more.
• Spoon the sausage mixture over the bread in the bowl, stir gently while lifting from the bottom to combine evenly and well.  Add the cubed apples and cranberries, gently mix to combine while lifting from the bottom again.  Drizzle in 1 cup of stock and stir again to combine in the same manner.
• Spoon the stuffing into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly.  Drizzle the remaining stock evenly on top and in between the bread pieces.  Lightly push down on the top of stuffing with the back of your spoon to help it all lightly adhere together, not too hard though.  Cover with plastic wrap and foil and refrigerate overnight.
• (NEXT DAY) Preheat the oven to 375 F.   Before baking, allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Be sure to remove the plastic wrap and wrap again only in the foil.  Bake until fully heated through, about 1 hour.  Remove the foil, the top should be golden brown and slightly crisp.  Bring to the table.

Notes

* The bread should be cubed small to yield the most, approximately 1/2-inch to 1-inch (3-6 cm).  Don’t fret over keeping it even though, it’s a rustic homemade stuffing so slight variations in size are welcomed.   A loaf and a half of semolina or bastone, will yield approx. 10 cups of cubed bread.

** I recommend using fresh whole sausage links, with the casings removed, instead of buying pre-ground sausage so you have control over the desired size of the pieces.  Stuffing results are best when the sausage is broken into small almost ground-like pieces.

The end result of the stuffing, after it has been cooked, should consist of bread that is moist and tender, not dry, and somewhat adhered to the sausage, reminiscent of how the stuffing would be if it had cooked inside of the turkey.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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