Apple-Sausage Dressing

Hooray! It's stuffing and dressing season! And this, my friend, is dressing done right. Moist bread cubes, dotted with caramelized red onion, sweet apples, savory sausage, fresh parsley, and plenty of herbs. Quick, easy, prep-ahead friendly and a true crowd-pleaser!

Let’s first clarify the difference between dressing and stuffing: Stuffing is cooked inside the turkey or chicken. Dressing is cooked outside the bird, in a separate dish. I ADORE dressing, so I rarely stuff birds anymore. I love how the top gets all toasty... And this version has all the flavor and color of apples, sausage, onions, garlic, parsley, and a generous amount of herbs. Oh yeah, and that toasty bread.

Here's the thing about dressing - it can easily become dry because you’re basically baking already baked bread. So take note - make sure your dressing is pretty moist before the baking dish hits the oven. If there’s not enough moisture in the recipe, dry dressing is almost guaranteed! So how moist is moist? The bread should feel damp, but not so wet that it dissolves. If you think you need more liquid (in this case broth), add it 1/2 cup at a time. Why the fluctuation in how much to add? Whether you're starting with day-old bread cubes or a stuffing mix, it doesn't matter. Bread and stuffing mix varieties are not created equal, so there may be a wide variation in the amount of liquid you need.

What happens if you've already baked the dressing and NOW you wish it was more moist? Drizzle homemade or store-bought gravy over the dressing and let it go to town. The dressing will absorb moisture and flavor from the gravy and you’ll have the moist side dish you crave. Quick fix!

Prep 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.

Note: I don't put butter in my dressing. Some people do. If you want a more buttery experience, dice 2 tablespoons of cold butter and arrange the pieces on top of the dressing before baking.

Apple-Sausage Dressing 

Cooking spray
1 pound mild or hot Italian sausage
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 apple, cored and diced (I like to leave the peel on for color)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 ounces cubed stuffing (unseasoned or seasoned), or 5 cups cubed day-old bread
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2-3 1/2 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
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 the sausage to a large bowl, leaving the drippings in the skillet.
To the same skillet over medium heat, add the onion, apple, and garlic. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion softens, stirring frequently. Add the sage, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 30 seconds, until the herbs are fragrant.
Add the onion/apple mixture to the sausage in the bowl. Add the cubed stuffing and parsley. Toss to combine.
Whisk together 2 cups of the broth and egg and add to the stuffing mixture. Stir to combine. If the mixture seems dry, add more broth, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix well.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Serves 6-8