MUSHROOM STUFFING WITH SAUSAGE, APPLE, AND WALNUTS

Mushroom Stuffing with Sausage, Apple, and Walnuts image

I hate being "good" over the holidays, but this lower-carb mushroom stuffing makes it so much better! This portobello mushroom-based stuffing has all the amazing flavors of a hearty stuffing without the bread. It is so easy, rich, and delicious, my family eats it as a side dish for any type of meat, any time of year.

Provided by Deirdre

Categories Sausage Stuffing and Dressing

Time 1h40m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

½ medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch slices
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 stalk celery, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 large portobello mushrooms, diced
1 cup diced mixed mushrooms (such as shiitake, maitake, oyster, beech, and/or chanterelles)
4 (3.5 ounce) links sweet Italian sausages
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons red wine, or to taste
2 tablespoons butter, divided, or more to taste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried sage
2 large red apples, diced

Steps:

Sprinkle each eggplant slice generously with salt and sandwich between paper towels. Place a heavy pan on top of the eggplant slices and set aside for 30 minutes.
Combine onion, walnuts, celery, and garlic in a bowl. Mix all mushrooms in a second bowl.
Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat. Squeeze sausage meat without the skin into meatball-sized segments and add to the skillet. Cook in its own juices until browned, breaking up sausage into bite-sized pieces while cooking, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion mixture to the skillet and saute until soft, about 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Meanwhile, rinse off salt and any accumulated liquid from eggplant slices. Don't be afraid to twist and squeeze the slices. Dice eggplant and add with mushrooms to the skillet. Continue to cook stuffing over low heat until mushrooms have softened, about 10 minutes. Add chicken stock, red wine, and 1 tablespoon butter. Season with oregano, rosemary, sage, salt, and pepper. Mix in diced apples. Place remaining butter in thin pats on top of the stuffing and transfer skillet to the preheated oven.
Cook stuffing until browned on the top, about 15 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 465.6 calories, Carbohydrate 28.4 g, Cholesterol 51.2 mg, Fat 33.2 g, Fiber 7.3 g, Protein 16.7 g, SaturatedFat 10.7 g, Sodium 983.4 mg, Sugar 15.5 g