Friday, November 26, 2010

apple sausage dressing.

I'm exhausted.  Are you exhausted?  That said, here's my recipe for Pretty Mommy's Holiday Recipe Exchange. (Make sure to check out Michelle's Cranberry Bread and Torrie's recipe for Turkey Gumbo.  Hope you saved the carcass!)

Allison's Apple Sausage Dressing (serves 8-10)
1/4 cup of unsalted butter 
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped fennel (about 1 large bulb)
2 tart apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds hot Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons fresh sage finely chopped
8 cups day old *bread, cubed (see cook's note #1 please)
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste 
1 cup chicken stock

Melt butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Saute onion, until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add celery and fennel and saute until tender about 10 minutes.  Remove form heat; add apple, sausage, sage, bread, and salt.  Season to taste with pepper and mix well.  Add the chicken stock, a little at a time, to moisten until the mixture just holds together. (You might not use all of the stock.)

Place dressing in a large covered baking dish and bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 to 50 minutes.  Take the cover off the last few minutes so the top gets brown and crusty.

Cook's Notes

1.  I use *cornbread in this recipe.  But you can also use a large loaf of day old sourdough bread, which is delish too.  Actually, any old bread will do!  I know there can be some (household) controversy over bread vs. cornbread stuffing.  In fact,  we got to my parents' last night and I discovered that my mom had made a second non-cornbread dressing!  Oh, and and I should mention that there were only SEVEN of us, two of which were the girlies, and you know whose stuffing they ate!  (REALLY mom????!!!!!)  

2. I use a combination of sweet Italian and spicy Italian sausage so that the girlies can and will eat it.

2.  Don't save this recipe for the holidays!  It's yummy and SO easy.  Half it up and make it for dinner whenever.

3.  Leave the bread out and you've got a wonderful saute to serve with eggs served any way.  

4.  I host Christmas morning and plan on trying the saute mixture (minus the apples and bread) in a frittata.  




Hope everyone enjoyed her Thanksgiving!  We are getting our tree today.  : )

13 comments:

  1. I'm totally making this. My mom always makes an oyster stuffing and yesterday my husband made his dad's, which is totally different. I think we need a compromise that's not like either!

    ReplyDelete
  2. MMMM!! This looks delicious!! I didn't host so I don't have any stuffing leftovers - might have to make this asap...
    so,so sorry I spaced on linking to the recipe exchange today!! I'm pleading mommy/holiday brain... Will post about it in the morning and on Monday so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks delicious. Thank you so much for the sweet comment on my blog. Have fun picking the tree today. I think we are waiting another 2 weeks. last year we got it so early that by Xmas the tree was almost dead :(

    ReplyDelete
  4. We didn't "do" Thanksgiving this year since I had to work so maybe I'll make this on my upcoming weekend. Yum! I missed stuffing most of all.

    Jenn

    ReplyDelete
  5. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Spain but it looks like a great recipe for any other special day! You have a lovely girl btw!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sounds so yummy! I saved our carcass and made a yummy turkey/bean/veggie stew. Yummm, and the best thing is my hubby loves leftovers so he is a happy man this week:-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Too funny (about your mom's "non-CB stuffing addition"...

    @ least I know we're not the only ones with stuffing issues:).

    I always make a different type stuffing shortly after Thanksgiving (just to try a new one- cornbread, ciabatta, etc.). This year, I'll make this one. Looks delicious.

    Hope you had a great holiday, and a fun time getting the tree!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think this sounds delicious! Believe it or not, I'm still in the mood for stuffing. I love the idea of apple/sausage...great combo!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm ALWAYS in the mood for stuffing! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. This looks so good!


    xoxo,

    colormenana.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yuuuuum. Might have to give this a try!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. recipe looks delicious :) And that last picture is seriously too cute.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I made the stuffing tonight. We loved it. Used 1/2 sweet Italian turkey and 1/2 hot, per your suggestion, and left out the jalapenos in the CB (although we would have loved to keep them in!).

    Definitely a keeper recipe... WILL make again. :)

    ReplyDelete