Apple, Sausage and Parsnip Stuffing: A Last Minute Thanksgiving Suggestion

*Post by Angela.

Psst.  Hey, Thanksgiving is tomorrow. You all probably have had your menu planned out to the tiniest detail for weeks now, right? Sure. 

Or you are rapidly approaching a mental breakdown trying to lock down what dishes will most wow your guests with the most minimal of efforts.

So, yeah. This stuffing is pretty good. And not too difficult. If you're still on the lookout, maybe give this guy a shot.

List of ingredients:

• 1 1 1/2-pound loaf sliced sourdough bread with crust, cubed
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1 1/2 pounds hot Italian sausages, casings removed
• About 1tbsp of olive oil
• 6 cups chopped onions (probably about 3-4 medium onions)
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, divided
• 3 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cubed
• 2 pounds parsnips, peeled, cubed
• 3/4 cup packed fresh sage leaves
• 1 cup low-salt chicken broth

To make the bread component, I preheated oven to 325°F, then baked the bread cubes on large rimmed baking sheets until lightly toasted, about 20 minutes. I actually prepped the bread a day before, then sealed it up in a plastic freezer bag to wait on the counter. So, uh, I suppose you could be doing that right now.

In a big pot, I sautéed the sausages over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking into pieces with spoon, about 15 minutes. Using slotted spoon, I transferred the meat to large bowl, leaving the drippings in the pan. Another use for the slotted spoon? Slapping Mark's hand away as he kept attempting to dart in and snag bits of meat.

I added the onions and celery to the oh-so-delicious smelling sausage drippings along with a quick glug of olive oil, and and sautéed the veggies until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes; I poured the onions and celery, drippings and all, into the bowl with the meat.

Then I melted 1/4 cup butter in the pot over medium heat. I added the apple cubes and sautéed until tender, about 7-9 minutes, then into the bowl with the rest of the goodies.

I melted yet another 1/4 cup butter in same skillet over medium-high heat, added the parsnip cubes and sautéed until cooked through and golden, about 7-9 minutes. Into the bowl!

I melted the final 1/4 cup butter in the pot over medium-high heat, then added sage and sautéed just about 2 minutes. I mixed the sage and butter into stuffing, seasoned with salt and pepper, and covered it and refrigerated it until about an hour before I was going to serve it (can refrigerate up to 4 hours).

The oven was already at 350 from the turkey, so no need to preheat. I buttered a baking dish, tossed the meat/apple/parsnip mixture in with the bread cubes (giving it a good mixing to combine everything), then drizzled it all with about a cup of chicken broth. After covering the dish with foil, I shoved it in the oven with all the other things that I needed to hurry up and heat while the turkey was resting (mashed potatoes and the like). I baked the stuffing until heated through, about 1 hour, and in the last 10 minutes, I removed the foil so that the top got a nice golden brown.

This is a bit more work than Stove Top, but it's very good - great sweetness from the apple, balanced out by the earthy, subtle spice of the parsnips and the fennel notes from the sausage. And if you run out and buy the ingredients like, right now, you still have time to make this for tomorrow!

Comments

[Kurt Whitner]

Thanks for the recipe. Too late Thanksgiving is over. I'll keep this for next year. Thanks!

[Angela]

:( Sorry so late! Although...it's pretty good even on non-Thanksgiving days.