Dressing or stuffing? In case you're not sure of the difference, dressings are served on the side of roasted meats and poultry. Stuffings are what the name implies - stuffed into a bird (or rolled into meat, etc.). For this recipe, I chose to serve the dish as a dressing, but feel free to stuff it into something if you want!
Flavor profile: I love the combination of flavors in this dish: savory sausage, tangy sourdough bread, sweet apples, and crunchy celery (and of course, herbs like oregano and sage).
Why no butter? I don't often use loads of butter in my dressing and stuffing recipes; I don't think you need it. What I DO think you need is good-quality broth (in this case chicken broth). The flavor really shines through and gets absorbed into every cube of bread. If you're a huge butter fan, once the mixture is in the casserole dish, dot the top with small pieces of butter (about 1-2 tablespoons) before baking. As the butter melts in the oven, it will ooze down into the bread.
Make ahead tip: The dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. Pull the dressing from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
Serving suggestion: Serve the dressing with your favorite roasted chicken and turkey recipes, or as a partner for grilled pork chops.
Apple-Sausage Dressing with Sourdough
Cooking spray
1 pound mild Italian sausage
1 cup diced celery
1/2 diced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cups cubed sourdough bread with crusts
1 apple, cored and diced (and peeled if desired)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2-2 cups chicken broth
1 large egg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray.
Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a large bowl (leave the drippings in the skillet).
To the same skillet over medium heat, add the celery, onion, and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, until soft. Add the sage, oregano, salt, and pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, until the herbs are fragrant.
Add the celery mixture to the sausage, with the bread, apple, and parsley. Toss to combine.
Whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the broth and egg and add to the bread mixture. Stir to combine. If the mixture seems dry, add the remaining broth and mix well.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until cooked through and browned.
Servings: 4-6
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