Southern Sausage Turkey Stuffing or Dressing
Stuff a Holiday Turkey or Bake a Pan of Savory Dressing
Nov 12, 2009
Whether the plan is to stuff the turkey or to bake a pan of dressing on the side, Southern Sausage Stuffing is a delicious side dish to go with a holiday meal. It’s a traditional white bread stuffing, popular in the South, but the addition of sausage gives it a little kick in terms of flavor and a richness that balances well with turkey or ham.
Southern Sausage Stuffing can be made ahead, so it’s one less dish to fuss over on the day of a big meal. Just stuff the turkey right before baking (never ahead as that’s unsafe) or have a pan of the Sausage Dressing ready to pop in the oven just in time to serve at the big meal.
Southern Sausage Stuffing or Dressing Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 loaf of white bread broken into small pieces and allowed to sit out an hour or more
- 1 pack sausage 12 ounce (better grades of sausage fresh-packed like Neese’s brand taste better)
- (amount of bread can vary – look for a long loaf versus the really small loaves of bread)
- 2 TBS vegetable oil or butter (for sautéing the chopped vegetables and apple)
- 3 stalks of celery chopped fine
- 2 medium to large onions chopped fine
- 2 apples peeled and chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ½ teaspoon sage (optional)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- pepper (just a light sprinkle if wanted)
- fresh turkey broth or canned turkey or chicken broth (amount varies depending on amount of bread and dryness of bread)
Directions:
- Break or tear the loaf of white bread into little pieces in a large bowl and let dry a bit. This can be done the night before. Just place a towel over the bowl of bread before bedtime. Or, just allow an hour or so while working on other holiday dishes.
- Fry the sausage and use a fork while frying to crumble it into small pieces. The sausage can be mild or hot depending on how zippy the family likes the holiday stuffing.
- Remove sausage and let drain on paper towels on a plate.
- Chop celery, onion, and apples.
- In the pan used to fry the sausage with the drippings remaining, add about 2 TBS of vegetable oil or butter. Can use less if sausage was fatty.
- Sauté celery, onions and apples until tender.
- Place celery, onions, and apple into large bowl and let cool 15 minutes or so.
- Stir in sausage.
- Add bread and other ingredients and lightly stir until well mixed.
- Add broth as needed. The stuffing should be moist but not drippy. Amounts vary. Use small amounts until the mixture reaches the moist stage.
Stuffing a Turkey with Sausage Stuffing
Make sure the bag of giblets are removed from the turkey. Wash and dry turkey inside and outside. Lightly fill the turkey with stuffing right before baking and follow the directions for the turkey purchased. Don’t do this ahead of time and don’t pack tight as stuffing expands when it cooks.
If all the stuffing won’t fit in the turkey, place the extra in a small baking dish (buttered) and bake for around an hour at 350 degrees F.
Stuffing Baked as Dressing for a Turkey Side Dish
If making Sausage Dressing, generously butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Spoon turkey dressing into casserole dish. Do not pack down which makes the dressing heavy and not as tasty.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees F covered and then for 20 to 30 minutes uncovered to brown up the top. Times vary depending on whether the dish is chilled overnight or made up right before baking.
The center of the dressing is the space to watch. It should be browned and not soggy looking. Also, the edges may very slightly pull away from the pan when the dressing is ready.
Other Favorite Holiday Recipes:
Crock Pot Turkey Breast - Perfect with pan baked sausage stuffing.
Honey Baked Ham - Very tasty.
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes - Saves time on holiday meal day.
Green Bean Casserole - An old favorite recipe.
Classic Pecan Pie - Very traditional Southern dessert for the holidays.
 |
