Description

An easy homemade stuffing with sausage, green apples, and pumpernickel - perfect for Thanksgiving!

Ingredients

Scale

4 cups stale pumpernickel bread, cubed (see recipe notes)
1 pound mild or spicy Italian sausage
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
2 granny smith apples, diced with seeds and stems removed
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups vegetable, chicken, or turkey stock
fresh sage and fresh chopped parsley (optional), for garnish

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Instructions

COOK THE SAUSAGE, ONION, AND GARLIC (15 MIN):

Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to break up any large pieces.
Remove sausage to a very large bowl (you'll use this to mix the stuffing later!) and set aside. Leave any residual fat in the skillet and return skillet to stove over medium-high heat.
Add onion and garlic to skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes or until onion is translucent.
Add salt, pepper, and chopped sage to skillet and stir to combine.
Return cooked sausage to skillet and stir to combine.
Turn off the heat and set aside. (If you're making this part of the recipe ahead, let cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. If you're making the stuffing immediately, proceed to the next section).

ASSEMBLE THE STUFFING (5 MIN):

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place sausage, onion, and garlic mixture in a very large mixing bowl.
Add stale pumpernickel bread, diced apples, and melted butter to bowl and stir to combine.
Add stock to stuffing mixture 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well between each addition. Stuffing should be moist but not mushy - if it's soaked up enough liquid after 1 and 1/2 cups of stock you may not need the whole 2 cups.

BAKE THE STUFFING (45 MIN):

Transfer stuffing to a deep, oven-safe baking dish (we use an 8x10).
Bake stuffing at 350 degrees F for 45-60 minutes until top is slightly dry and crispy. Top with fresh herbs (optional) and serve immediately.

Notes

To get stale pumpernickel, start with a fresh loaf of bread and tear or cut it into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. Spread cubed bread on a sheet pan and leave it uncovered on the counter at least 12 hours to dry out (you can leave it out for a day or two if you need to!) or bake in a 250 degree F oven for 30-60 minutes until stale.

To prep this stuffing in advance, set the bread out to dry 1-2 days before baking. Sauté sausage, garlic, onion, and sage as directed, then let mixture cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When you're ready to cook, just mix everything up and bake as directed!

Additions and Substitutions. Replace part or all of the pumpernickel in this recipe with sourdough bread, pumpkin bread, or cornbread. Omit the Italian sausage and use vegetable stock for a vegan dish. Add sliced mushrooms, fresh or dried cranberries, or diced celery if you like. Use pears in place of the apples if you prefer. We love the kick from mild or spicy Italian sausage here, but you can use plain ground pork, chorizo, andouille, or even maple sausage instead. Use 1/2 teaspoon dried sage in place of fresh.

Equipment. We love a deep skillet and an 8x10" baking dish here.

Baking Temperature: This is a very forgiving recipe. If you have your oven set at a slightly higher or lower temperature to cook your turkey on Thanksgiving, don't worry! Bake the stuffing anywhere between 325 to 450 degrees F - just keep an eye on it as it cooks and know that you'll have to adjust the cook time if you adjust the temperature! When stuffing is done, the top should look dry and slightly crispy.