Basic Sausage & Herb Stuffing for Thanksgiving

As we get closer to Thanksgiving, we wanted to feature some recipes from our HRFoodSafe staff! Today's recipe is for a delicious autumnal sausage stuffing from our instructor Jerry -- and let's be honest, this stuffing would be perfect any time of the year! It's a great addition to any holiday table.

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Jerry's Basic Sausage & Herb Stuffing

Ingredients

• 16 cups 1-inch bread cubes, white or sourdough (1 1/2 pound loaf)
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 cups medium-diced yellow onion (2 onions)
• 1 cup medium-diced celery (2 stalks)
• 2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and large-diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 oz – combined - fresh chopped herbs – Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Basil
• 3/4 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 cup chicken stock ( may need more based on how wet you want the stuffing )
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Place the bread cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 7 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the bread cubes to a very large bowl.
• Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, melt the butter and add the onions, celery, apples, parsley, salt and pepper. Sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add to the bread cubes.
• In the same sauté pan, cook the sausage over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a fork while cooking. Add to the bread cubes and vegetables.
• Add the chicken stock and  cranberries to the mixture, mix well, and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish
• Bake for 30 minutes then uncover and bake additional 20 minutes until golden brown .

• Serve warm and Enjoy!