Turkey Sausage Stuffing
People love stuffing/dressing/filling. A stuffing by any other name is just as satisfying and conveys warmth and comfort. This recipe is a savory and sweet merry-go-round of flavor. We created a balanced base of two different kinds of bread—sourdough and cornbread—and added classic autumn flavors. Apples, celery, the earthy sweetness of chestnut. Combined with plenty of ground turkey and our Apple Sausage Blend, this dish is less of a side and more of an attraction in and of itself.
This dish is flexible and can be catered to many palates. Make it for vegetarians by swapping out butter for oil, chicken broth for vegetable broth, turkey for tofu crumbles, and just leave out the eggs. If chestnuts are hard to come by add in sauteed mushrooms, pecans, golden raisins, or dried cranberries. Bonus: If you have any leftovers, this makes amazing waffles.
8 ounces each sourdough and cornbread, cut into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes and dried out
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey meat, we used 93% lean
3 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Apple Sausage Blend, divided
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 large eggs
7 ounces chestnuts, already cooked and chopped
1. Make sure breads are dried out; they can be left on a counter overnight, or put in a 250° oven and turned every 15 minutes, until dry to the touch. The cornbread may take longer than the sourdough. Put dried bread in a very large mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter a 9x13 baking dish or two 8x8 baking dishes. Set aside.
3. Put 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion and diced celery and cook 4-5 minutes, until soft and onions have turned translucent.
4. Add ground turkey meat to pan, breaking up with a spoon into small crumbles. Toss 2 Tablespoons Apple Sausage Blend over the ground turkey and cook until turkey has mostly browned.
5. Add chopped apples and parsley to the pan and toss with another teaspoon of Apple Sausage Blend. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until apples are soft.
6. Put broth in a large measuring cup or mixing bowl. Whisk eggs into broth, then whisk in one more Tablespoon of Apple Sausage Blend.
7. Add turkey mixture to the large mixing bowl with the bread. Then add the broth mixture and stir everything together until fully combined. Pour the stuffing mixture into the prepared baking dish(es) and cover with foil.
8. Put in the hot oven and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the top of the stuffing is crisp and brown.
