Even though it is after Thanksgiving I had to share this “new favorite” dressing. This would make a great side not only with turkey but ham – think holiday dinners! It is my fourth dressing/stuffing recipe and my second one with sausage. Besides sausage this recipe has cranberries and apples in it and I also used sourdough bread which were great additions. I chose hot Italian sausage and it definitely added a “kick” to the dressing. Use a sweet or milder sausage if desired.
This is one of the best dressings I have made thanks to all the flavorful ingredients. Also, I accidentally overcooked some of the bread cubes as they looked more like croutons than dried bread but it was a great mistake as you can see in the pictures. The crispy texture was softened while baking – the color was nice too!
Next year I hope to make either a cornbread dressing or one shaped in a bundt pan. One recipe showed a Cranberry Sauce in the middle of the bundt pan dressing – great idea!
I have a Traditional (Mom’s), Sausage from KAF that can be done in the slow cooker, Cherry and Pecan (I think this came from Martha Stewart) and now this one.
This recipe appeared as an email from the Food Network and is a recipe by Ina Garten. I changed a few ingredients and the directions. You can find Ina’s original under “Sausage and Herb Stuffing”. Rarely do I change one of Ina’s recipes so much but I did with this dish.
Sausage, Cranberries and Apple Dressing With Fresh Herbs, Adapted
- 16 cups sourdough bread, cubed
- 8 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 cups onions, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and diced
- I used a mixture of fresh sage, thyme and parsley (2-4 tbsp.) – use any seasonings you like – fresh herbs are much better than “poultry seasoning”
- 1/2 to 1 tbsp. kosher salt (if you use hot sausage there is already enough spices that you really don’t need to add any salt or pepper)
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (optional)
- 1 lb. spicy or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I did use spicy and it did dominate the recipe)
- 3-4 cups chicken broth/stock ( Ina’s recipe only had 1 cup; I added 2-3 additional cups)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten (I added)
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the racks on the upper and lower levels of your oven. Lightly spray two sheet pans (or better yet butter them). Cube the bread and place 8 cups on each baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes, turn and switch the pans to different racks. Cook another 10 minutes. Mine actually started to look like croutons and were a nice golden brown. At first I thought I cooked them too long but they added a nice texture once the dressing was baked. Place the croutons in a large bowl.
In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the onions, celery, apples, herb mixture of sage, thyme and parsley, salt and pepper (optional – use only with sweet or mild sausage). Saute for 10 minutes until the veggies are softened; add to the bread cubes and combine.
Remove the casings from the sausage, tear into pieces and break up with a fork. Cook until no longer pink; add to the bread cubes and veggie mixture.
Add the chicken stock, cranberries and egg adjusting the liquid as needed. Mix well and add to a lightly buttered 9×12-inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered. Add additional chicken broth if the dressing looks dry.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
Doesn’t this look good? Let me tell you it was!
Great flavor combination!
Thanks Liz – sausage has been an added ingredient in my dressings the past few years. This version was a big hit and I am sure will appear again on my “table”.
So tasty it is 🙂
It definitely was good – lots of seasonal ingredients (cranberries and apples) and some zesty sausage added to “kick” it up 🙂
This looks so very tasty! Wonderful combination of flavors. I sometimes prefer the stuffing over the turkey, and with the added sausage, it can actually be the main dish for me. 🙂
Thanks Ronit – a definite keeper. Next year I want to make a dressing in a bundt pan – just need to find the right recipe that will hold together. I like it all – dressing, turkey, cranberry sauce, etc. 🙂
I’v seen a few in magazines. I’m sure there are plenty on the web. I guess you’ll need to add more protein, to bind it.
That’s a complete meal! I love dressing and the sausage would be delicious in this.
Thanks Julie – we love dressings and this version is No. 1 (sorry Mom).
Looks amazing! Really awesome flavor combination, I can almost taste it in my head.
Thank you – the flavors were perfect and you could even make it without the spicy sausage or certainly use a milder flavor. The heat along with the fruit and bread – just super good!
This sounds super tasty, great to serve along with turkey on Christmas day! #Fiesta Friday
Thanks Monika – I’m sure this recipe will appear again at more of my holiday dinners 🙂
What a great flavor combination you have here, Aunt Juju! This sounds absolutely delicious! Baking this in a bundt pan sounds pretty, too! Thanks for bringing this lovely dish at Fiesta Friday party! I hope you are enjoying! Have a lovely weekend!
Thanks Jhuls – I adapted Ina’s recipe quite a bit and was very pleased with the results. So much you can do with dressings like this. Can’t wait to try a bundt pan version 🙂 Snow is falling here – very pretty! Happy FF!
Over the years I’ve made many different kinds of stuffing, but now that my kids are older, then tend to request one that is quite similar to yours. But i add a little cognac and also a little cream. Plus, I have to make a vegetarian stuffing for one daughter! Not as much fun!
Me too – this version is a keeper as everyone loved it. We liked it with the “spicy” sausage. Cognac and cream sound like two great additions – I will have to think about that 🙂
Wow looks delicious, wonderful pick of ingredients and flavours!
Thanks – as some commented a meal by itself.
This does sound like a good recipe…I’ve definitely saving it.
Thanks Karen – it has become a favorite now 🙂
Oh judi, I love the idea of this dressing! Close to traditional with just a bit of a fruity twist. I haven’t done the bundt pan recipe yet = I came across an old cheap thin bundt pan and was just abut to put it in my donation pile when I thought it would be just the thing for stuffing next year.
Thanks Mollie – the dressing was really, really good – we loved it! I will be working on a recipe using a bundt pan as the dressing will need to hold its shape. I don’t know why I don’t make it more often – instead of just for the holidays. It will be interesting to see what we both come up with 🙂
I am interested in getting crispiness around the outside edges and the tender, soft dressing in the middle which is why I thought that little cheap, thin bundt pan might be just the thing. I don’t know why, either! I think maybe, collectively as a country, we’ve gotten used to (and have recipes for) making huge batches and most people don’t think of making a little for dinner. I remember that for a while savory “bread puddings” were popular in cooking magazines. They were really stuffings…or dressings, lol!
I was wondering about the bundt pan you have – mine are standard thickness. My bread was crisp to begin with (not dried) and added a nice texture especially on top. It was soft and moist once you cut into it so I think I came pretty close to what you are after.
I think that old thing was one of my Mom’s but honestly I don’t know where it came from. It never really released well. I standby my Nordic ware!
Sounds like the perfect dressing for the holidays! 🙂