Holiday Turkey Stuffing with Sausage
Complete Directions and Recipe for Old-fashioned Turkey Stuffing
Nov 15, 2009
While roasting the bird is itself is not that difficult, many home cooks are intimated by the idea of stuffing a turkey, and consider it to be a labor-intensive and perhaps unnecessary task. The truth is that stove-top stuffing, or “stuffing” baked in a separate casserole dish, will simply never have the same slow-cooked flavour and moist texture that old-fashioned turkey stuffing has. Stuffing the turkey takes only a few minutes, and is not nearly as difficult as it may seem
This turkey stuffing recipe is a generations old hand-me-down that will spoil diners for any other kind. The sausage and onions will flavor the pan drippings as well, resulting in an especially rich and aromatic gravy. This recipe makes enough stuffing for a 14 – 18 lb. turkey. If the turkey to be stuffed is smaller, consider halving the recipe.
To stuff a store-bought turkey, first place the turkey in a clean sink and remove all of the plastic wrapped giblets from the neck cavity and the stomach cavity. Rinse both cavities out with running water, and allow to drip dry. Place the turkey on a clean counter or cutting board, and generously sprinkle the inside of each cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff each cavity by hand, using the prepared mixture from the recipe below. Do not be afraid of “squishing” the stuffing in to make it fit; the volume will decrease slightly as it cooks. Close the cavities by pulling the extra flap of skin over the opening and securing it tightly with a metal skewer (sold in kitchen stores expressly for this purpose).
After the turkey is cooked and before it is carved, remove the metal skewer. Using a long-handled ladle, scoop the stuffing out of the neck and stomach cavity into a serving bowl. Cover the bowl to keep it warm until serving. Enjoy!
Holiday Turkey Stuffing with Sausage
You will need:
- 1 lb. sausage (use only good-quality farmers sausage or bratwurst; avoid sausage that has been sweetened or has added artificial smoke flavor)
- 2 yellow onions, peeled and chopped
- 3-4 stalks celery (including the leaves), chopped
- 9 cups day-old bread, cubed (use a sandwich loaf with a soft crust; this is about 2/3 of an entire loaf)
- 1 tsp. sage
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
Directions:
- Fry the sausage in a frying pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or just until browned.
- Mix the sausage, onions, celery and bread in a large bowl.
- Add the sage, salt, and pepper to the chicken broth, and pour over the sausage mixture. Mix well (hands work fine here), and use the mixture to stuff the turkey.
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