Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing
Made with savory Italian sausage paired with sweet apples and tart cranberries, this sausage and cranberry stuffing is a delicious addition to any holiday table!
Servings 10
Ingredients
- 10 cups cubed bread any type of of bread will work - I used country white
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter divided use
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 8 ounces fresh white or baby bella mushrooms diced
- 1 Granny Smith apple cored and diced
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
- 1 ¾ to 2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread the bread cubes onto 2 large baking sheets - be sure they are in a single layer. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until evenly toasted. Allow cubes to cool on pan before transferring them to a very large mixing bowl.10 cups cubed bread
- While the bread toasts, brown 8 tablespoons of the butter: Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly. As it cooks, the butter will begin to foam and then subside. Brown specks will begin to form at the bottom of the pan and the butter will take on a nutty aroma. As soon as the butter reaches your desired color, immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into a bowl to stop the browning process. Set aside.12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook the sausage over medium heat until evenly browned, remove from the pan and set aside. To the pan, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, onion, celery, mushrooms, apple, salt, pepper, garlic powder and poultry seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently for 7-10 minutes to blend the flavors and soften the vegetables.12 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 pound ground Italian sausage, 1 medium sweet onion, 3 stalks celery, 8 ounces fresh white or baby bella mushrooms, 1 Granny Smith apple, 3/4 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning
- Add sausage back into the pan and stir to combine. Pour sausage mixture over the toasted bread cubes. Add in the dried cranberries and parsley. Drizzle with the browned butter and chicken broth and stir gently to combine. At this point, taste your stuffing and adjust the seasonings as desired.3/4 cup dried cranberries, 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, 1 ¾ to 2 cups chicken broth
- Spread into (1) buttered 9x13-inch baking pan, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. If desired, sprinkle with additional fresh parsley before serving.
Notes
We like our stuffing with a crispy top layer, so we always baked it uncovered for a bit. If you do not like a crisp top, leave it covered for the entire baking time. We also like our stuffing to be moist, so feel free to adjust the amount of chicken broth to suit your taste.
This stuffing can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days before baking. I allow it to come to room temperature before baking.
