Best Apple & Sausage Homemade Stuffing Recipe

Deliciously Easy Savory Dressing for Your Holiday Turkey Dinner

Nov 16, 2009

Homemade Apple & Sausage Stuffing Will Taste Great, Ethan Lofton

What is a holiday turkey dinner without homemade stuffing? Try this simple combination that can be put together quickly; guests will ask for the recipe and for seconds.

Holiday entertaining is as much about getting together with family, friends and loved ones as it is about the food. All of the ingredients in this delicious easy stuffing recipe are basic and will keep the shopping list simple. The sausage is an option ; this homemade stuffing recipe is delicious without it but the addition of ground cooked sausage adds a nice texture to the mix.

There are lots of small chores within this recipe so even the kids can lend a hand in making the holiday turkey dinner special. Keep in mind that the quantities of spices are approximate and can easily be adjusted according to taste (i.e. garlic powder can be omitted, pepper can be increased or decreased, etc).

Best Homemade Apple & Sausage Stuffing

3 loaves day old bread (white, whole wheat or mixed) with crusts, cut into cubes or torn into small pieces
3 large peeled, cored and coarsely chopped Golden Delicious apples
2 cups chopped yellow onions
3 large carrots, grated
zest (finely minced peel) of one large orange
3 large sausage links (chicken apple sausage is perfect if available; sausage seasoned with sage or garlic will also work; stay away from anything specifically called 'spicy')
1 cup apple juice
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1 tbsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. seasoning salt

How to Put the Best Homemade Apple & Sausage Stuffing Together

About 1 - 1 1/2 hours before the turkey is ready to be stuffed:

In a very large bowl (an old-fashioned bread dough bowl usually works), add cut up or torn bread pieces. Try not to pack it down as the liquid won't be properly absorbed if the bread is flattened.
Grate the carrot over the bowl.
Chop the onions and add them to the bowl with the peeled, cored and chopped apples.
With a zester, remove as much of the zest of one large orange as possible, taking care that none of the pieces are too big. Add the zest to the bowl with the other ingredients.
In a medium to large frying pan, spray some non-stick cooking spray. Squeeze the sausage meat from the casings into the pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Break the meat into the smallest pieces you can to ensure the sausage meat is thoroughly cooked.
Continue stirring and scraping any meat stuck to the pan until the sausage is browned. If any large pieces remain, either break them with a fork or use a potato masher in the pan until all pieces are small. Scrape the sausage meat into the bowl; draining won't be necessary as there will be very little fat.
If fresh bread is necessary, reduce the juices by 1/4 cup each. Melt the butter and combine it with with the orange and apple juices in a large liquid measuring cup. Pour the measuring cup mixture evenly over the contents of the bowl. Carefully mix all of the ingredients so as not to mush or flatten the bread cubes. Mixing by hand is probably the easiest way. Pull the mixture up carefully from the bottom of the bowl and turn over. Keep turning the bowl and repeating until all the stuffing ingredients are well combined.
Add all of the spices (poultry seasoning, garlic powder, ground black pepper and seasoning salt) into a small dry measuring cup. Mix the spices together. Sift the spices, in two steps, evenly over the contents of the bowl, alternating with mixing the bowl contents together after each spice addition. The moisture from the butter and the fruit juices will help the spice to attach to all of the stuffing ingredients.

Additions and Variations for Apple & Sausage Stuffing

add one cup of seedless golden raisins (Step 3)
add one cup of finely chopped celery (Step 3)
substitute both the orange and apple juices with apple cider; omit the orange zest (Step 7)
add one cup of pre-cooked wild rice (Step 3)

Makes enough apple and sausage stuffing for an 18 - 20 lb. turkey

Stuffing recipes made with fruit have such a wonderful aroma when cooking. Holiday guests will be glad they came when they try this delicious recipe as stuffing recipes made with apples are a favorite of children and adults alike. This stuffing is also terrific in sandwiches made with the turkey leftovers if it doesn't get all gobbled up with the delicious dinner. Be sure to include the recipe in this year's holiday entertaining plans.

HOL101

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