When it comes to the holidays, I do not eat stuffing. I have always hated it. Ew. Especially if it was actually inside a turkey at some point in time. Double ew. I was picky growing up, like crazy. But since I am in charge of a huge portion of our holiday dinners this year, I needed to expand my holiday cooking skillset. That is how this Cranberry Sausage Stuffing was born.
Zomg.
I honestly had no idea how simple stuffing was. There are very few ingredients involved, and it doesn’t take all day to cook. I really wanted a different flavor profile, and I remembered my mom talking animatedly about a cranberry turkey breast or something that she had made the previous year that everyone just raved about. I thought that was a great place to start: cranberries. Cranberries are a perfect winter flavor!
With cranberries in mind, I moved forward and started adding some crumbly sausage, Granny Smith apples, toasted walnuts, and of course, a heaping pile of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.
You have the song stuck in your head now too, eh? The struggle is real.
The result is a stuffing that is so savory, yet just a tiny bit sweet, that you’re going to want to skip the turkey all together. More room on your plate for this cranberry sausage stuffing, yo! But, if you find yourself with leftovers, use them to make this Turkey Casserole! Double awesome!
Get ready for the best holiday dinner ever with this cranberry sausage stuffing!
Yield 10
15 minPrep Time
60 minCook Time
1 hr, 15 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 French Baguette, roughly torn into pieces
- 1 Large Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored, and diced
- 3/4 C Dried Cranberries
- 1/2 C Toasted Walnuts, chopped
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 lb Sage Sausage
- 3/4 C Yellow Onion, diced
- 1/2 C Italian Parsley, chopped
- 1/4 C Fresh Sage, chopped
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary, chopped
- 1 tsp Fresh Thyme, chopped
- 3/4 C Dry White Wine
- 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 2 C Chicken Broth
- 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, add the torn bread pieces and bake for around 10 minutes, or until the bread it lightly golden brown. Add to a large bowl, along with the apple, cranberries, and walnuts. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the sausage and cook until thoroughly browned, breaking into small pieces as it cooks, around 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to the large bowl with the other ingredients. Drain all but a tablespoon of the sausage grease then return to the stove top and add the onions. Saute until translucent, around 3 minutes, then add the herbs and cook for 2 more minutes. Transfer to the large bowl with the other ingredients.
- Add the wine to the skillet and allow to reduce by half, scraping up the brown bits and leftover herbs as it cooks. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, and allow to cook for 3 minutes. Pour over the ingredients in the large bowl and gently toss to combine. Add the beaten eggs and gently stir one more time.
- Gently pour the stuffing into a 9x13 inch baking pan, cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, then continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crisp. Garnish with additional herbs and serve.
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