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Cooking in the Country

Sausage Herb Stuffing

Claire Burns
Posted 11/22/24

Since they’ve been married, my parents have been hosting Thanksgiving for the past 30+ years for our extended family, so we know all about cooking for a large crowd. Since us kiddos have gotten …

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Cooking in the Country

Sausage Herb Stuffing

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Since they’ve been married, my parents have been hosting Thanksgiving for the past 30+ years for our extended family, so we know all about cooking for a large crowd. Since us kiddos have gotten older, we’ve grown into the roles of re-creating our favorite side dishes to help out. My sister makes the green bean casserole, Fred’s on the smoked turkey, Andrew’s on the wonderful role of shining china, and I have the duties of making grandma Shirley’s pumpkin pie and my famous sausage stuffing . It really isn’t all that “famous” but we have been so used to boxed “Stove Top”, that when I decided to kick it up a notch and make stuffing from “scratch”, it was quite like calling it gourmet. 

When people hear the word “Thanksgiving”, many think slaving over the stove for hours or days. This stuffing recipe is very simple, and enhances a well known side dish by making a few simple changes. Everyone is looking for simple dishes that don’t compromise on flavor, and that’s exactly what my sausage stuffing does. Adding sautéed veggies and sausage brings this side dish to life and if you’re used to boxed stove top, you don’t know what you’re missing. 

To make a sausage stuffing that will trick your guests into thinking you’ve slaved all day, you will need:

-1 package Jimmy Dean sage stuffing

-one yellow onion minced (typically, you can find the mirepoix at Shoprite pre chopped!)

-4 stalks of celery finely sliced into half moons

1 small package finely chopped mushrooms (optional)

2 tsp thyme (sometimes I’ll add more… it can’t hurt)

1 tsp fennel

a package of cubed bread (Pepperage Farm herb flavored is my favorite!)

4 tablespoons of butter

2 3/4 cup of chicken stock

and salt and pepper to taste

To start, brown your sage sausage in a skillet. To the sausage I add my thyme and crushed fennel seed. Adding all your fresh or dried herbs gives a really good base to this dish and builds flavor. I highly recommend Jimmy Dean sausage, but feel free to use your favorite local brand. Once your sausage is completely browned, drain the fat and set aside. Next, place about two tablespoons of butter into your unwashed skillet along with a heavy sprinkle of salt and add your minced onion, mushrooms, and celery. Don’t forget to scrape up all the browned bits from the sausage! This is where your flavor is coming from. The salt is going to draw out all the liquid from your onion and help them to become nice and tender. You do not want to brown them, you simply want to make it so the vegetables are translucent and soft.

Next, in a large bowl, combine your sausage, bread cubes, onion/celery mixture, and chicken stock. The stock is going to become soaked up by the bread and gives additional flavor. Typically recipes will ask that you boil your stock before adding it into your croutons, but I find that it makes it too soggy for my liking. If you like your stuffing extremely moist, add your stock to your celery/onion mixture (bring to a boil first) and add it to your bread cubes. I just add it in separately and adjust the liquid based on the desired texture I like. Taste and adjust your seasonings. I like mine to be seasoned with a rich umami taste which is why I started adding mushrooms to my stuffing last year.

Bake the stuffing for 30 minutes covered in a 350 degree oven. Take the foil off, then cook an additional 10-15 minutes uncovered so the top gets some color. 

This is a very versatile dish. I love eating this stuffing not just on Thanksgiving, but with a nice pork chop and beans. Typically, I will make two trays so there are plenty of leftovers; one with sausage and one without sausage for the vegetarians in the bunch. P.S. It tastes even better the next day! I hope everyone has a lovely Thanksgiving holiday. 

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