Easy Holiday Sausage Apple & Cranberry Dressing

The Stuffing v. Dressing  debate. It’s been around for eons.  I suppose it depends on the region and family background you come from. When I was a little girl, (in the mid west) my mother called it stuffing, so growing up and when I finally hosted my first family Christmas dinner for 30 people, (talk about getting a crash course in huge family dinners) I too referred to is as stuffing. Over the years I’ve come to learn, and which is what most people believe, stuffing is what goes in the turkey and dressing is what is outside the turkey. Easy peasy.

My sister-in-law was the one who originally taught me to flavor the dressing with sausage.  I have since modified my own version of this dressing recipe and I also don’t put the stuffing inside the turkey anymore. So hence, I call it dressing.  I also used to use those horrid stale croutons cut of stale bread from our local supermarket bakery. I have since switched to my mother’s way. Using a fresh baked bread. Tee hee, I still get it at my local supermarket bakery and use a sourdough and Italian combination. Whether you are a “stuffing” or “dressing” kinda person, or you use croutons v. fresh baked bread, this sausage, apple, & cranberry dressing is both tasty and a beautiful addition to your holiday spread.  I’m all about easy clean up so I used a throw away foil pan and transferred it to a pretty bowl at presentation time.

Happy Holidays!

Are you a “Dressing or Stuffing” person?

Author: Sherri @ The Kitchen Prescription (dot) com

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 6-8

A tasty and beautiful addition to your holiday spread.

Ingredients

• YOU WILL NEED:
• 1/2 loaf of cubed sourdough bread
• 1/2 loaf of cubed Italian bread
• 1 stick salted butter (melted)
• 1 small red/purple onion chopped
• 4-6 tablespoons approximately) chopped celery ( i use just enough to flavor not to overpower the dressing)
• 1 sliced honey crisp OR granny smith apple
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
• 1/2 cup chicken broth (add a little at a time until moist. Add more if needed)
• 4 mild sausages casing removed, chopped and cooked until almost done (don’t forget you will be baking and don’t want to dry out your sausage)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Remove casing from sausage, chop and cook in pan until just underdone
3. set aside.
4. Cube bread and place in large baking dish
5. Melt butter and add chopped onion and celery and cook in pan until onion is transparent
6. Pour melted butter, onion, and celery mixture over bread
7. Add spices, salt and pepper
8. Mix well with a spoon
9. Moisten with chicken broth (add a little at a time)
10. Add chopped apple, sausage and dried cranberries.
11. When ready place in oven for 30-40 minutes or until warmed through. If you like a crispy top leave in a little longer.