Potato Bread Dressing with Apples, Sausage, and Sage
Paired with sausage, onion, sage, and apple, this potato bread dressing with apples and sausage is savory, moist, fluffy, and crisp on top.
By Yankee Magazine|Oct 07 2016|
Potato Bread Dressing with Apples, Sausage, and Sage
Photo Credit: Elizabeth CecilYou’ve probably had potato bread in some form or another—perhaps even potato donuts. Potato starch helps baked goods retain moisture and gives them a pleasingly chewy texture. Paired with sausage, onion, sage, and apple, this dressing is savory, moist, fluffy, and crisp on top.
Yield
8 to 10 servings
Total Time
1 hour, 55 minutes minutesHands-on Time
55 minutes minutes
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds potato buns (hot dog or hamburger, see Notes)
5 tablespoons salted butter, plus more for the baking dish
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion (about 1 1/2 medium onions)
2/3 cup diced celery (2 large stalks)
2 large firm-sweet apples, such as Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Jonagold, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey stock, divided
1 cup medium-sweet hard cider, such as Harpoon, Citizen Cider, or Bantam brands (see Notes)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350° and set a rack to the middle position. Grease a 9×13-inch (31/2 quart) baking dish and set aside.
First, prepare the bread: Separate the buns and lay them, cut-side down, on 2 foil-lined baking sheets. Bake until toasted and dry, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool, then cut into 1-inch cubes (this step can be done up to 2 days in advance). Transfer them to a very large bowl.
Melt 5 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet, then add the sausage. Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to break the sausage into small pieces as it cooks. Cook until crumbled and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, 6 minutes, then stir in the apples and sage and cook an additional 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of the stock to the pan and remove from the heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining 11/2 cups stock and the cider with the eggs. Add the salt and pepper and whisk again. Pour this mixture in with the sausage mixture, then pour all over the bread cubes. Stir well to combine—you want all the bread cubes to be moist. Transfer the dressing to the prepared pan, cover with foil, and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake until the top is nicely browned and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes more.
Notes
Yes, the dressing is made with potato buns. They’re easier to find in most grocery stores than potato bread, and their shape makes them easy to toast and cut into cubes. We love the fruity wine-like flavor that cider adds to the dressing, but if you prefer not to use it, simply substitute an additional cup of stock.
I have a dressing recipe I’ve used for 20+ years and decided to try something different this year. This was soooo good! Almost didn’t even need gravy. Served it along side the Maple Sage Dry-Brined Turkey, which was also a keeper.