BAKED APPLE PEAR STUFFING

Baked Apple Pear Stuffing image

Provided by Kelsey Nixon

Time 1h20m

Yield 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 pound sweet Italian fennel sausage, removed from casing
3 small leeks, thinly sliced (white and light green parts)
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
1 Bosc pear, cored and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
One 12-ounce bag cubed country-style stuffing, such as Pepperidge Farm
1/2 cup golden raisins
4 large eggs, beaten

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, brown the sausage, breaking it up with the back of a spoon, crumbling as it cooks. Once browned, add the leeks, apple and pear and saute until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the parsley, sage, thyme, salt and pepper and continue cooking for an additional minute. Add the chicken broth and scrape up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, add the stuffing and cooked sausage mixture. Toss to combine and then add the golden raisins and eggs. Mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Transfer to a baking dish.
Bake until golden brown on top, 30 to 35 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the oven, let cool 5 to 10 minutes and garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.