If you’re looking for a truly special side dish for your holiday menu, look no further. This Homemade Stuffing Recipe with Apples and Sausage is the perfect complement to a Christmas Crown Roast of Pork or a juicy Thanksgiving Turkey. Nice and crusty on the top layer, an interior that is soft and fluffy. Loads of flavor and texture from herbs, onions, garlic, celery, apples, and Italian sausage.

The Ingredient List for this Homemade Stuffing Recipe

The ingredient list seems a tad bit extensive, but you’ll find the combination of all of these to be a nice blending.

Ciabatta Bread

I chose ciabatta because it’s crusty on the outside but chewy on the inside which holds up well when chicken stock is added. The key is to buy day-old bread and make sure it is stale and/or dried out before combining all the ingredients.

The best way to dry the bread out is to first of all cut it into 1/2-1-inch cubes, spread them on two baking sheets, single-layered, and bake for 30-45 minutes at 300°F. Let the cubes cool completely before adding the other ingredients.

This can be done a day or two ahead of time. Just make sure the bread is completely dried out and cooled before you store it in plastic bags. You can substitute a bag of regular cubed stuffing mix if you prefer (15-ounce package).

Italian Sausage

You can use mild, sweet, or hot Italian sausage. It’s all in your taste preference. Fry up one and a half pounds of the sausage over medium heat until browned. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon onto a plate covered with paper towels. Blot it with more paper towels to absorb the grease.

Aromatics Vegetables – Onion, Celery, and Garlic

Sautéing chopped onions, celery, and garlic in the sausage grease releases flavors and impart aromas that will highlight and deepen the overall taste of this dish.

Get your pan good and hot over medium-high heat. If there’s more grease than just covers the bottom of the pan, pour off the excess. Let the sausage grease get hot again before you add your vegetables.

Onions and celery are the first to jump in. There’s no need to stir continually but you’ll want to stir frequently in order to promote consistent browning and cooking. Don’t cook until vegetables are completely tender because they will continue to cook after you add the apples.

Wait until the apples are cooked before you add the garlic. Garlic is easy to burn which is not appealing to any dish. You should add it at the end of whatever you are sautéing and cook it for only one minute.

Linger Tips:

To save time, prep the vegetables ahead of time and store them in ziplock bags in the fridge.
The rule for sautéing vegetables: heat the pan then add the oil. Heat the oil then add the vegetables.
Cut the onions and celery to a uniform size and shape. This will ensure they cook evenly.

Apples

Apples add a sweet component to this savory dish. When purchasing them, choose types that are a sweet-tart variety with a texture that is firm and crisp. Pink Lady, Piñata, or Honeycrisp work really well in this Homemade Stuffing Recipe.

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Parmesan cheese adds a nutty, salty aspect. Don’t be tempted to grab the bland powdered parmesan that comes in the green can. There’s no comparison between that and freshly grated parmesan. Even the pre-grated packages lose flavor over time.

Linger Tip:

Don’t throw your parmesan rinds away. You can toss them into sauces or soups while they’re simmering. The rind will add wonderful savory notes while acting as a thickening agent. It won’t melt in the sauce or soup, only soften and then you can remove it before you serve the dish. Throw your rinds in a ziplock bag and keep them in the freezer for when you need them.

The Herbs: Italian Parsley, Fresh Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

A good authentic stuffing is found in the depth of its flavors. Nobody appreciates bland and boring stuffing. The addition of these herbs gives a nice pop of aroma and flavor to this Homemade Stuffing Recipe.

Chicken Stock

Adding the stock has always been the tricky part for me when making stuffing. Add too much and you have soggy stuffing, add too little and it’s dry as a bone. Neither one is appealing in the end. Start with a cup of stock. Toss everything together. Continue adding 1/2 cup at a time until the stuffing starts to clump together and is moist, not wet. You know you’ve added too much if there is a puddle of liquid at the bottom of the bowl. If that is the case, throw in more bread cubes to soak it up.

Linger Tip:

I always choose stock over broth as the stock has more of a full mouthfeel and a richer flavor because of the gelatin that is released from the simmering bones when cooking.

The Seasoning: Salt and Pepper

There are no fancy seasonings in this dish. Salt and pepper, that’s it. When you start adding too many competing flavors, it only complicates the finished recipe. Keep it simple, that’s my motto. The best time to season is after everything is mixed together but before you add the eggs.

Eggs

The eggs act as a binder and prevent the stuffing from becoming crumbly. It also creates a fluffy texture on the interior of the stuffing.

How to Cook this Homemade Stuffing Recipe

Generously butter a 9×13-inch casserole dish and spoon in the stuffing. Cover it with foil and bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes or until the center is heated. The foil helps prevent the stuffing from drying out while it cooks. Remove the foil and continue to cook for another 10 or 15 minutes until it is golden brown and crunchy on top.

What to serve this Stuffing Dish with

One of my all-time favorite entrées to serve during the holidays is Crown Roast of Pork. And there is nothing better to complement the roast than this Homemade Stuffing Recipe with Apples and Sausage. But in all honestly, the stuffing itself goes beautifully with many menus.

If you are looking for more side dishes for your holiday menu, click on these below:

Hasselback Potato Ring

Sautéed Brussel Sprouts with Dates and Blue Cheese

Roasted Green Beans with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus Bundles

Candied Carrots with Orange-Maple Glaze

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