Sage and Sausage Stuffing

Sage and Sausage Stuffing #

Ingredients #

  • 1 1/4 pounds high-quality sandwich bread or soft Italian or French bread (about 1 loaf), cut into 3/4-inch dice (about 2 1/2 quarts)
  • 4 Tbsp. butter
  • 3/4 pound sage sausage removed from casing
  • 1/2 large onion, finely chopped (175g)
  • 2 large ribs celery, finely chopped (175g)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or grated on a Microplane grater
  • 1 tsp. dried sage leaves
  • 2 cups of turkey stock divided into 1 cup portions
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes divided into 1 1/2 tsp. portions

Equipment Needed #

  • Large rimmed baking sheet
  • Dutch oven
  • 10 inch-cast iron skillet

Instructions #

  • Adjust oven racks to lower-middle and upper-middle positions. Preheat oven to 275°F (135°C). Spread bread evenly over 2 rimmed baking sheets. Stagger trays on oven racks and bake until completely dried, about 50 minutes total, rotating trays and stirring bread cubes several times during baking. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Increase oven temperature to 350°F (180°C).
  • In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat until foaming subsides (do not allow butter to brown), about 2 minutes. Add sausage and mash with a stiff whisk or potato masher to break up into fine pieces (largest pieces should be no bigger than 1/4 inch). Cook, stirring frequently, until only a few bits of pink remain, about 8 minutes. Add onion, celery, garlic, and sage and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add half of stock.
  • Whisk remaining stock, eggs, and 1 1/2 tsp parsley in a medium bowl until homogeneous. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, slowly pour egg mixture into sausage mixture. Add bread cubes and fold gently until evenly mixed.
  • To cook stuffing, transfer to a buttered 10-inch cast iron skillet, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake until an instant-read thermometer reads 150°F (66°C) when inserted into center of dish, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until golden brown and crisp on top, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes, sprinkle with remaining parsley, and serve.

Original Recipe #

Halved from Serious Eats