Best Italian Antipasti Stuffing Recipes

BEST EVER ITALIAN SAUSAGE STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the cubed bread on a baking sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until dried and toasted. They should be golden brown. Transfer the bread cubes to a very large bowl.
• Add 2 cups of broth (I used vegetable) to a large sauce pan. Heat on medium-low.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the sausages over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a fork while cooking. I didn't find ground sausage so I bought sausage in the casing and removed it from casing before browning it. Use ground sausage if you found it.
• In another skillet, add the other part of oil and butter (I used vegan butter sticks to keep it dairy-free)in medium heat.
• When it is heated up, add the onions, celery, parsley, sage, rosemary or thyme. Add just a dash of salt and pepper, if you like. Saute over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.
• Add the browned sausage, toasted bread to a large bowl. Next, add in the onion mixture.
• Add in one cup of the broth. With a large spoon, gently stir the ingredients together. Add in the whisked egg. Gradually add the remaining broth 1/4 cup at a time until the stuffing is wet. With each addition, gently stir and pat the stuffing ingredients together. Take care not to over mix it, you're just combining it all together. The goal is to have it wet, but not soaked and drippy. You may need the whole 2nd cup of broth and you may need less. You may even need a little bit more than a full 2 cups of broth.
• When the broth is soaked in and combined, spoon the stuffing into a 2qt. baking dish (or 9x12-inch baking dish); then cook for 30-40 minutes, or until it's heated through and golden brown on top. Check it at about 25 minutes and if it seems to be browning too much, cover with foil paper. I baked mine a full 40 minutes. Every oven is different. You may even need to bake it a few minutes longer to get that nice golden brown and have the inside fully heated through.
• Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with additional parsley, then serve.

ANTIPASTI STUFFED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a heavy baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.
• For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk the red wine vinegar, oregano, fennel seed, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. Gradually whisk in the oil.
• For the chicken: In a medium bowl, combine the salami, pepperoncini, prosciutto, provolone and tomatoes with 1/4 cup of the dressing; toss to blend evenly.
• Place the chicken breasts, smooth-side down on the work surface with the thickest part at the top and the straight side on the left. Using a very sharp knife and starting on the right side, cut each chicken breast almost in half horizontally (stopping close to the left side), creating a pocket for stuffing. Open the chicken breasts like a book.
• Mound a fourth of the stuffing onto the right side of the breast, and press firmly to compact. Fold the left side (flap) of the chicken tightly over the stuffing. Lay three 10-inch pieces of string on the work surface 1 to 11/2 inches apart. Place the chicken on the strings and tie the strings around the chicken at intervals to keep the flap closed over the stuffing. Press in any stuffing pieces that fall out.
• Place the chicken breasts on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of the dressing.
• Roast until the chicken is cooked through, 18 to 20 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a sheet of foil. Let rest 5 minutes.
• For serving: Divide the arugula among four plates. Cut the strings off the chicken. Cut each breast on a slight diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Fan the slices of one breast over the arugula on each plate. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.