Italian Sausage Stuffing
GUESS.
WHAT.
WEEK.
IT IS?!?!?!
It’s Thanksgiving week, y’all, and it flew in out of nowhere like a bat out of hell.
I must confess, this is my favorite time of year. I enjoy it more than spring, summer, heck, even more than my own birthday which pains me to say because I LOVE my birthday.
I’ve always been what I think can only be described as a Christmas Psycho™. Starting promptly the day after Halloween, I begin thoroughly abusing my Christmas music privileges. By mid-November, I’ve decorated every square inch of my living space in pine cones, miniature evergreen trees, ornaments, garland and Italian lights. By early December, I’ve watched each and every free Christmas movie available On Demand. By mid-December, I can’t stop crying, and by Christmas Day I’m a shell of a (wo)man because it means the season is over.
But it really wasn’t until recently that I truly started enjoying Thanksgiving. Honest to God, I can actually pinpoint the day. It was the day I discovered this recipe.
Prior to this recipe, Thanksgiving had just been kind of …meh. The people were great, the turkey was solid, but the rest of the food in the main spread never really blew me away. But the number one offender was the stuffing. Why would anyone be interested in eating WET BREAD? The concept both baffled and repulsed me. Then one day, I was late to the draw on Friendsgiving assignments and the stuffing was assigned to me. How could I make the stuffing? I was the LEAST qualified friend to make it - I loathed the very concept!
Alas, I took to the interwebs and began my hunt for a tolerable recipe. And that’s when I found this one, and the whole trajectory of my life changed. That’s when I became obsessed with Thanksgiving.
I’ve changed a few things over the years, but largely keep the recipe untouched. I’ve made the fat version and the skinny version (you’ll see the substitutes - namely butter and cream) and both are delicious. I have gotten to the point where I now make a second pan of it just for Chris and I to eat for dinner/snack/dessert whenever the craving strikes in the week before/after Thanksgiving.
And with that excessive fanfare and immensely unnecessary introduction out of the way, I present to you:
Italian Sausage Stuffing.
Ingredients (Serves 12):
1 (1-pound) round loaf of quality Italian bread (I use Turano, but any good crusty loaf will do), cut into 1-inch cubes
2 pounds spicy Italian bulk ground sausage
1/2 stick unsalted butter (1 full stick can be used for extra richness)
3 large onions, chopped
4 large celery ribs, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup half and half, divided into 3/4c and 1/4c (heavy whipping cream can be subbed)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried sage
Salt and pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F; generously butter two baking dishes (this recipe often overflows beyond one 2.5qt casserole dish, so I like to have a second on hand so as to not crowd the dish during baking).
Dry out the bread cubes - either cut the cubes a day ahead of time and let them sit overnight uncovered, or spread them across a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes in the oven as it preheats until dried out.
Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds, then add the sausage and brown on all sides. Once cooked through (no pink!), transfer the sausage to a large, deep bowl.
Discard the fat in the skillet and wipe with a paper towel (no need to wash!), then heat the butter over low-medium heat until melted.
Add the chopped vegetables (onions, celery, garlic) and stir to ensure everything cooks evenly. The onion should be translucent and celery should be very tender.
Add vegetables and bread to the bowl with the sausage.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the beaten eggs, 3/4 cup half and half, chicken broth, parmesan cheese, parsley and sage.
Stir slowly into bread mixture, ensuring an even coat across everything. This is key to ensure that nothing burns in the over. Salt and pepper generously. Add crushed red pepper to your desired level of heat.
Spoon everything evenly into your greased baking dish(es), drizzling with remaining 1/4 cup half and half. Wrap tightly with foil. Cool until room temperature (or store in fridge if you will be cooking later in the day.
Raise oven temperature to 400°F and bake (still wrapped with foil) for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and continue to bake, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes more.
Lots of this prep can be done ahead of time. In fact, I cut the bread into cubes to dry out and chopped the vegetables 2 days in advance. Come si dice geni?
Here’s all the pics because I know you ain’t here for just words.
I only use half of this two-pound honker. I use the rest for big, buttery grilled cheeses. Dank.
Not pictured: the onions that made me bawl my eyes out on the kitchen floor.
Also not pictured: me cooking raw sausage because it was literally the grossest photo I’ve ever taken.
You’re going to need a bigger bowl than you think.
10/10 would drink. Except that it’s half raw eggs. 10/10 doctors would not recommend drinking.
ALREADY WANT TO EAT U BUT UR RAW
You’re perfect. Don’t tell your brothers and sisters, but you’re my favorite.
There you have it. Everything I’m thankful for in one 2.5qt Corningware dish. Spicy, meaty, cheesy, Italian-y goodness that makes traditional stuffing but a distant memory of the past.
Full disclosure: I actually got up in the middle of writing this post to eat some more. I have an insatiable craving for it.
I hope you make this recipe and let it change your life like it has changed mine. Be the a hero this year. Give your Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving stuffing the spicy Italian sausage it deserves.
Happy Thanksgiving week, turkeys. May all your calories be merry and bright.
