Ingredients
1 pound pork sausage
1 16 oz bag bread stuffing
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions diced
4 large celery stalks diced
to taste Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper,
2 Pink Lady or Envy apples, cored and diced whole
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 cup dried cranberries, plumped in 1 cup warm apple cider
1/2 cup parsley chopped
1 quart chicken or turkey stock
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small bits
Optional Ingredients
2 eggs beaten
Directions
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Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook pork sausage about 10 minutes, breaking into smaller pieces.
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Place bread stuffing in a large bowl and pour cooked sausage and pan drippings on top. Mix and let rest while flavors to soak in.
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Add butter to skillet and sauté onions and celery with a dash of salt over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes, then add apples and continue to sauté for 4 more minutes. Remove from heat and add to bread mixture.
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Add thyme, sage, parsley and cranberries in cider, to the bread mixture. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Mix to combine. Continue mixing while slowly adding in 4 cups of stock until all bread is evenly soft. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
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If using eggs, add to stuffing and mix well to combine. The eggs are not necessary, but act as a binding agent to hold stuffing together and create a moister texture.
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Place stuffing in buttered 9’ x 13” baking dish, and gently pat down. Dot with butter bits. At this point you can cover and refrigerate stuffing for up to 3 days.
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Place in preheated 350° oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until heated through and golden on top.
