NEW ENGLAND SAUSAGE STUFFING WITH MAPLE CORN BREAD

New England Sausage Stuffing with Maple Corn Bread image

Yield Makes 16 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

1 pound breakfast-style bulk sausage
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 3/4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped
1 pound onions, chopped
4 large celery stalks, chopped
1 cup chopped celery leaves
9 cups coarsely crumbled day-oldMaple Corn Bread
4 large eggs
2/3 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1/3 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon crumbled dried sage leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Steps:

Sauté sausage in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking up finely with back of fork, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to very large bowl. Melt butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples, onions, and celery stalks; sauté until very tender, about 12 minutes. Add celery leaves and stir 30 seconds to wilt. Add mixture to bowl with sausage. Stir corn bread into sausage mixture. Whisk eggs and all remaining ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Mix into stuffing.
Loosely fill neck and main cavities of turkey with stuffing. Generously butter baking dish. Spoon remaining stuffing into prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake stuffing in dish along side turkey until heated through, about 25 minutes. Uncover stuffing. Bake until top of stuffing is slightly crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish, depending on recipe. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake until heated through, about 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 20 minutes longer.