Sausage and Apple Stuffing: A Twist on Tradition Thanksgiving Menu

Mild, sweet Italian sausages add good flavor to this stuffing. Simply skin them and crumble them into the skillet. You might also want to substitute sweet onions for the red ones.

4–6 servings

Ingredients

½ pound pork sausage
1 medium apple (Ida Red, Empire, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith)
2 medium onions, chopped
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground mace
½ teaspoon dried sage
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 slices whole-wheat bread
1 egg

Directions

1. Cook the sausage meat in a large skillet for 5 minutes, turning occasionally.
2. Peel, core, and chop the apple. Add the apple and onions to the meat with the ginger, mace, sage, thyme, and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes.
3. Crumble the bread into the pan. In a small bowl, beat the egg, add it to the pan, and mix all together.
4. Stuff into a 10- to 12-pound turkey and bake. When the turkey is done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of the stuffing. If it has not reached 165°F, transfer the stuffing to a baking dish and bake until it reaches 165°F.
5. The stuffing can also be baked separately in a greased 1½-quart baking dish for 45 minutes at 350°F.

Add an Apple: Among my favorite apple side dishes are apple-based stuffings. An apple can be added to almost any stuffing recipe without throwing it off balance; it will impart only a mild flavor, but it will make the stuffing a little more moist. Use ¼ cup apple juice to replace some water or broth in your stuffing — it will make the dressing a touch sweeter.

Excerpted from Apple Cookbook © 2001, 1984 by Storey Publishing, LLC.
Written by Olwen Woodier. All rights reserved.

Go to: A Twist on Tradition Thanksgiving Menu for more great Thanksgiving recipes.