My Grandma Reed made this stuffing for as long as she cooked holiday meals. I can’t remember a Thanksgiving or Christmas without it growing up in West Virginia. She would volunteer us grandchildren to help her by toasting the bread and tearing the toasted bread into pieces, of course we fought over the toaster duty, no one wanting to be the tearer. Today when I make it the smells remind me of my Grandma Lucy Reed. I’ve replaced the toasted bread with packaged stuffing cubes – the taste is the same and there are never any leftovers!

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Course

Side Dish

Cuisine

Comfort

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

1.5 hours

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. bulk fresh country sausage
• 5 stalks celery - diced
• 1 large yellow or white onion - diced
• 2 medium Granny Smith Apples peeled and diced into small pieces
• 2 cloves fresh garlic - finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley - chopped discard stems
• 1/2 t. dried sage be careful dried spices are stronger than fresh
• 1 t. sea salt
• 1/2 t. fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 large can chicken broth or homemade stock
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 1 bag stuffing bread cubes I use seasoned variety
• 1 bag cornbread stuffing cubes
• 2 large eggs-beaten
• cooking spray

Course Side Dish Cuisine Comfort Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 1.5 hours Servings people Ingredients 2 lbs. bulk fresh country sausage 5 stalks celery - diced 1 large yellow or white onion - diced 2 medium Granny Smith Apples peeled and diced into small pieces 2 cloves fresh garlic - finely chopped 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley - chopped discard stems 1/2 t. dried sage be careful dried spices are stronger than fresh 1 t. sea salt 1/2 t. fresh cracked black pepper 1 large can chicken broth or homemade stock 1/2 stick unsalted butter 1 bag stuffing bread cubes I use seasoned variety 1 bag cornbread stuffing cubes 2 large eggs-beaten cooking spray

Instructions

1. In a large skillet or pan brown the sausage. Remove to paper towels to drain. Reserve 1 T. drippings and add butter to pan. When melted an hot add the onions, celery and apples - sauté until translucent and then add garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes until softened, don't burn (garlic is bitter if burned). If using the giblets from turkey cook those separately, cool and pick meat off bones and chop (I don't use and discard). In a large bowl add the bread cubes, sausage and vegetables and apples. Add seasonings to taste - Mix well and begin adding the chicken broth until the mixture is quite moist. Spray a 2-qt backing dish (deep is better - 13 x 9 x2 will make the stuffing to dry during baking) with cooking spray. Pour dressing mixture into pan and add beaten eggs (gently mix through the stuffing). Cover the top with sprayed aluminum foil. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350°F for 35-45 minutes remove foil after 35 minutes to allow the top to brown.

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