Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 5 slices white bread; cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)*
- 3 Tbsp. raisins
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth; divided**
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter; melted and divided
- 2 tsp. rubbed sage; divided
- 1 tsp. dried thyme; divided
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground pepper
- 1 link Italian sausage (about 4 oz.)***
- 1/2 sm. stalk celery; coarsely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 sm. onion; coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 sm. apple; peeled, cored and coarsely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 garlic clove; finely chopped
Preparation:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Soak raisins in a small bowl in 1/4 cup chicken broth.
2. Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss in a bowl with 1 1/2 teaspoon sage, 3/4 teaspoon thyme, salt and pepper. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons butter.
3. Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown - about 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4. Remove casing from sausage and crumble into a medium skillet.
5. Place skillet over medium heat and cook sausage until just done - about 5 minutes. Remove sausage to a paper towel to drain.
6. Add remaining butter to skillet with sausage fat.
7. Add celery, onion, apple, 1/2 teaspoon sage, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions and apples begin to brown - about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
8. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
9. In a large bowl combine bread, vegetable mixture, raisins (and soaking liquid) and sausage. Add 1 cup chicken broth, salt and pepper and toss to mix. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to fully absorb the broth. If you like a moister stuffing add more broth.
10. Scoop stuffing into a 1 quart baking dish and cover tightly with foil.
11. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and cook another 15 minutes.
*Note 1: I recommend Pepperidge Farm Country White Bread. It's a sturdy bread that holds up well in stuffing. I also sometimes substitute a slice of Pepperidge Farm Whole Wheat for a slice of white.
**Note 2: Recipe for turkey broth.
***Note 3: You can use hot or sweet Italian sausage, whichever you prefer, or even American country sausage.
