SAGE, SAUSAGE AND APPLE DRESSING

Sage, Sausage and Apple Dressing image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 1h20m

Yield 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

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One 16-ounce bag stuffing cubes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan and topping
1 pound fresh sage sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cooking apples, such as Gravenstein, Rome, or Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 to 2 ribs celery with leaves, chopped
Kosher salt
3 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted (see Cook's Note)
2 large eggs, beaten

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Put the stuffing cubes in a large bowl and set aside. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until it loses most of its pink color, but not so much that it's dry, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and pan drippings to the stuffing cubes. Melt the remaining butter in the pan. Add the onion, apple, celery, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the vegetables get soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and parsley and bring to a boil.
Pour the vegetable mixture over the stuffing cubes and toss until evenly moistened. Mix in the walnuts and eggs. Loosely pack the dressing in the prepared pan and cook uncovered until the top forms a crust, about 40 minutes. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of turkey pan drippings or melted butter over the top. Cook until the top is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes more.