Sausage and Fennel Stuffing with Cranberries
This Rustic Apple Sausage Stuffing is a classic Thanksgiving side dish that strikes the perfect balance between sweet, savoury and salty. It’s filled with gluten free bread, pork sausage and fresh apples for plenty of fall-flavoured goodness. This side dish doesn’t have to be limited to one meal a year. Enjoy it alongside any of your favourite cold-weather entrées such as slow cooked oven roasted beef brisket, ground turkey butternut squash skillet, or lemon butter chicken thighs.
1 loaf gluten-free bread, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
⅓ cup fennel, chopped
8 oz pork sausage, casing removed
1 apple, diced
1 cup fresh cranberries
½ cup walnuts or pecans
fresh sage
sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
24 oz chicken broth
Preheat an oven to 300°F (150°C/130°C fan, Gas Mark 2).
Cut up the loaf of bread into cubes, place on a large baking sheet in a single layer and bake for about 15-20 minutes to toast them up.
Meanwhile heat oil in a large skillet. Add the sausage and cook, stirring often for about 5 minutes. Then add in the onions and fennel, season with salt, pepper and sage and sauté for an additional 3-5 minutes. Finally stir in apples and cranberries and toss to combine.
Transfer toasted bread to a large baking dish. Top with sausage apple skillet and fold to combine. Pour in chicken broth and top with walnuts or pecans.
Increase the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).
Bake for 30-40 minutes, the first 20 minutes should be covered in foil. Then continue to bake uncovered until tebread is nice and toasted.
Cook's Notes:
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Can you stuff apple sausage stuffing into turkey? While I wouldn’t stuff the apple stuffing into a Thanksgiving turkey, it isn’t totally impossible. Just be sure to loosely pack the stuffing into the bird and make sure the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165°F before serving. Alternatively, you can get the same visual effect by stuffing your fully cooked sage and apple stuffing into the cavity of the cooked bird right before serving.
- What is the best sausage for stuffing? Since you’re adding so much fresh sage, fennel, onion, salt and pepper to your stuffing, all you really need is a couple of plain pork sausages. I recommend removing the sausages from their casings before crumbling and cooking.
- Can it be made ahead of time? Yes. You can make the browned sausage mixture, toast your bread and assemble everything into a baking dish ahead of time. Instead of baking the stuffing in the oven, cover the dish with tinfoil and leave it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Just bake it as normal before dinner and then enjoy!
- How do you store apple stuffing? Any leftover apple stuffing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Is it freezer-friendly? As long as your stuffing is sealed in an airtight container or ziplock bag, you can keep this Thanksgiving side dish in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- Which apples are best in apple stuffing? Anytime you’re planning on cooking apples, I recommend choosing a variety that is tart and crisp as opposed to soft and sweet. My favourite apples to use in this stuffing are Granny Smith, pink lady, Honeycrisp, fuji, or gala.
Variations:
- This apple sausage stuffing recipe can easily be tweaked to match a variety of flavour preferences or dietary needs. Use these ideas as a jumping-off point and really make this stuffing your own:
- Vegan or vegetarian stuffing - Swap the pork sausage for a plant-based alternative and use veggie broth instead of chicken broth. Alternatively, make my Apple Sage Stuffing to ensure there’s a vegetarian option at dinner.
- Get creative with the garnishes. I like to switch things up by topping this stuffing with nuts, green onions, additional fresh sage, turkey gravy, or cranberry sauce.
- Love a good sweet and savoury combo? Try adding additional fruit to your stuffing, like pomegranate seeds, figs, or pears.