Sausage and Herb Stuffing

Hi everyone!  Happy day after Thanksgiving and Friday!  I hope you had a great Thanksgiving.  In case you are having "Friendsgiving" or any other post-Thanksgiving celebrations, you should know about this stuffing recipe!

There are so many ways to make stuffing, but one common thread must run through them all: flavor!  Because, the truth is, who wants to eat stuffing that is bland?  And when you think about it, without the right seasonings, stuffing can be a bland, undesirable side, as it is primarily bread.  Bread is delicious and all, but it's more of a complement to a dish, not a dish in and of itself.  Hence, flavor in a stuffing recipe is crucial!

At this point, you might be wondering what gives this stuffing lots of good taste.  I'll walk you
through that.

1.  Fresh Herbs

The flavor of fresh herbs is key to achieve a delicious stuffing.  While dried herbs impart some flavor, fresh herbs possess a brighter, more vivid flavors that take a mediocre stuffing to the next level.  I know that using fresh herbs requires chopping, but it's worth it 😉.

2.  Sausage 

Meat is a must in a stuffing; it has an irreplaceable fatty, salty richness that adds so much to stuffing.  You can easily cook the sausage a day or two ahead of actually making the stuffing to make the whole dish more manageable.

3.  Veggies

Vegetables are so full of flavor!  It's easy to think of vegetables as bland, sad disgraces.  In reality, however, they are treasures chests bursting with fresh flavors they need only to be unlocked.  The key to unlocking the impeccable flavors found only in vegetables is comprised of a sauté pan, a flame, and some butter.  As the vegetables sauté, they release and develop vibrant flavors that elevate the stuffing.

And while this stuffing recipe is wonderfully flavorful all on its own, it is, of course, extra delicious when doused in turkey gravy and cranberry sauce 😋.

I hope you enjoy this stuffing recipe.  It's a lot like this recipe.

That's all for now.  Don't forget to follow me on Instagram!  I look forward to posting again on Monday 😊.

Sausage and Herb Stuffing

• 4 cups dried whole wheat bread cubes
• 4  cups dried white bread cubes
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 1 cups finely chopped white onion
• 3 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1.5-2T. minced fresh sage leaves
• 1.5 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
• 1 T. minced fresh thyme
• 3 T.  minced parsley, divided
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 large eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.   In a sauté pan, melt the butter, then add the sausage and mash till fine.

3.  Cook the sausage until it is no longer pink, then add the onion through the thyme.

4.  Cook this mixture until the vegetables and herbs are softened, about 10 minutes.

5.  Transfer the mixture from the pan to a large bowl and set aside.

6.  In another large bowl, whisk together the broth, eggs,  and 1.5 T. parsley until homogenous.

7.  Stirring constantly, slowly pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the sausage mixture and add salt and pepper to taste (but don't taste the raw egg mixture 😉.).

8.  Gently fold in the bread cubes until mixed.

9.  Transfer the mixture to a greased 15x 10 baking dish, then cover tightly with foil and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.

10.  Remove the foil, and bake 10 minutes more, then sprinkle with the remaining parsley,

11.  Enjoy, storing leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.