Sage, Sausage and Apple Dressing

Sage, Sausage and Apple Dressing

16-ounce bag stuffing cubes (OR: I used one 20oz loaf of French Country Artisan bread sliced to a #15 thickness at Harmons Grocery Store).
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan and topping
1 pound fresh sage sausage, casing removed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cooking apples, (Gravenstein, Rome, Golden Delicious) peeled, cored, and chopped.
1 to 2 ribs of celery chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
¼ cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
(I also added a few sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary-yum!)
½ cup walnut (or pecan) pieces, toasted (I did over a cup-I like the crunch)
2 eggs, beaten

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Put the stuffing cubes in a large bowl and set aside. If using fresh bread, toast the cubes 5 or 10 minutes to dry them out. Butter a 3-quart (9X13 casserole dish).

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break 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 salt. Cook until the vegetables get soft, about five 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. Set immediately or warm.

To toast the nuts spread them on a baking sheet and toast at 350 degrees until golden, about 7 minutes.