In keeping with the Thanksgiving recipe series, this week, we're talking side dishes (and later, dessert!). After all, the countdown to Turkey Day is on! For appetizer recipes and ideas or to see the rest of the series, click here.
When it comes to Thanksgiving, of course the most famous side dish of all is stuffing. Growing up, my mother didn't call it stuffing. She's old school; we called it dressing. She also never stuffed it in the turkey. It was made with the innards that come in a little plastic baggie in the turkey. When I was super young, I hated it. As I got older, it became one of my favorite dishes.
When I started throwing my holiday parties, though, I began making my own stuffing or dressing or whatever the hell you want to call it. Who knew that stuffing was actually super easy to make? Here is my own recipe, which I adapted from this version on allrecipes.
Sage Apple Sausage Stuffing
- 1/2 pound sage flavored ground pork breakfast sausage
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 (4 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and roughly chopped
- 1 (12 ounce) package herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing mix
- 3 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and cubed
- 1 tablespoon chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon sage chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon ground pepper
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Crumble and brown breakfast sausage. Drain and set aside.
3. Melt butter in same pan. Add celery, onion, water chestnuts, and garlic, cooking until soft. Before removing from heat completely, add chopped sage and ground pepper, cooking until fragrant.
4. Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions.
5. Mix in sausage, celery mixture, and apples. Moisten with chicken broth.
6. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes.
Makes 12 servings.
Check back later for more great (and super easy) side dishes! Plus, the grand finale: dessert!
(Photo via here)
