Adapted from Joy of Cooking
Makes 14-16 cups
Use a 1.5 multiplier to feed 8-10 people (with leftovers)
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Ingredients
1 pound sliced Italian bread, including crusts, cut into ½-inch cubes, or 10 cups lightly packed bread cubes
1 pound bulk pork breakfast sausage
4 cups diced peeled green apples, such as Granny Smith
4 T. (½ stick) unsalted butter
2 cups onions, diced
1 cup celery, finely chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, minced
1 teaspoon dried sage, or 1 tablespoon minced fresh
1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 tablespoon minced fresh
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
⅓ to 1 cup turkey or chicken stock
Directions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Toast bread cubes until golden brown - Set the toasted cubes aside until the end of the recipe
- Cook the sausage in a large skillet until fully cooked, making sure it is in small pieces
- Remove the sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain
- Reserve 2 Tbsp. of the sausage fat and discard the rest
- Put the cooked sausage, chopped apples, and reserved fat back into the skillet
- Cook until the apples are tender
- Add the 4 Tbsp. butter to the skillet
- Add the butter and all the rest of the herbs and vegetables to the skillet, and cook over medium-high heat until the onions are tender (about 5 minutes)
- At this point you can refrigerate the mixture until just before you want to bake it.
- To finish the stuffing, stir in the bread cubes and toss until well combined.
- Depending on how firm you want the stuffing, stir in the stock, a little at a time, until the stuffing is lightly moist but not packed together
- Adjust the seasonings and turn into a large, shallow buttered baking dish.
- Bake in a 350°F oven until the top has formed a crust and the stuffing is heated through, 25 to 40 minutes.