Sausage and Apple Dressing With Cranberries

Stuffing with Cranberries
Stuffing with Cranberries. James Baigrie/The Image Bank/Getty Images
  • 55 mins
  • Prep: 15 mins,
  • Cook: 40 mins
  • Yield: 8 Servings
Ratings (7)

By Diana Rattray

Updated 09/01/17

Apples and cranberries give this basic bread dressing fabulous fall flavor, and the sausage adds an extra dimension. Add 1/2 cup of pecans to the dressing for even more texture.

Use this bread dressing to stuff a 12- to 14-pound turkey or bake it in a shallow baking pan in the oven. If you bake the stuffing in the turkey, make sure it reaches the minimum safe temperature of 165 F in the center of the stuffing. Even if the turkey is done, if it's stuffed it might need more time.

Taste the stuffing and adjust the seasonings before you add the egg.

See Also
Andouille Sausage Cornbread Dressing
Basic Bread Stuffing
 

What You'll Need

  • 1 loaf (1 pound) white bread, cut into small cubes (about 10 to 12 cups cubes)
  • 4 tablespoons butter, plus about 2 to 3 teaspoons for greasing the pan
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 8 ounces ground pork sausage
  • 1 teaspoon dried  rubbed sage
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/2 teaspoon crumbled leaf thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon crumbled leaf rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup to 1 cup chicken broth or stock, unsalted or low sodium
  • 1 large apple, peeled, cored, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

How to Make It

  1. Heat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
  2. In a large skillet, melt butter; add onion and celery. Saute the vegetables, stirring, until just tender. Add sausage and cook, breaking the sausage up with a spatula, until cooked through.
  3. In a large bowl combine the vegetable and sausage mixture with the bread cubes and seasonings. Stir and add chicken broth until the crumbs are well moistened but not too mushy. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add the apples and cranberries then stir in the egg until well blended.
  1. Pat the dressing mixture in the prepared pan and cover tightly with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and broil the dressing just until lightly browned.
  2. Note: If using the dressing as a turkey stuffing, stuff the turkey just before roasting. When the turkey is finished (the stuffing must reach 165 F), let it stand for about 20 minutes, then remove all of the stuffing to a bowl to serve. Refrigerate leftover stuffing in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking. See also: Stuffing the Bird Safely

Tips and Variations

  • Use half cornbread crumbs with the bread crumbs.
  • Replace the sage, marjoram, thyme, and rosemary with 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of a poultry seasoning blend.
  • Add about 1/2 cup of toasted pecans, chopped.

 

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 317
Total Fat 11 g
Saturated Fat 4 g
Unsaturated Fat 4 g
Cholesterol 129 mg
Sodium 565 mg
Carbohydrates 41 g
Dietary Fiber 3 g
Protein 13 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)