Sausage and Onion Dressing
This easy Thanksgiving dressing recipe made with sourdough, sausage, and aromatics is the perfect turkey side dish.
Sausage and Onion Dressing
Photo Credit : Adam DeTour/styling by Catrine KeltyHere’s a classic savory dressing that you bake in a casserole dish. Food scientists prefer this method, as stuffing the bird carries some risk of contamination. If you miss that baked-in-the-bird flavor, just drizzle some gravy or pan drippings over the dressing before serving. And if you are willing to add an eighth ingredient, 2 teaspoons of dried sage are a nice touch.
Yield:
10 servingsIngredients
1¼ pounds sourdough bread cut into ¾-inch cubes (makes about 13 cups)
2 tablespoons salted butter, plus more for baking dish
1 pound fresh mild Italian sausage, removed from its casings
2 medium onions, diced
2 medium celery stalks, diced
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
½ cup plus 2½ cups chicken or turkey stock
2 eggs
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 275°F and set a rack to the middle position. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Toast the bread, stirring halfway through, until toasted and completely dry, about 50 minutes. Pour into a large bowl. Increase oven temperature to 350°F and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until it begins to brown. Add the 2 tablespoons butter, then the onions, celery, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 6 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour this mixture into the bowl with the bread. Stir well. Taste and add salt if needed.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining stock and the eggs. Pour over the bread mixture and gently stir until all liquid is absorbed. Transfer dressing into the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the dish reads 150°F, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes longer.
Amy Traverso
Amy Traverso is the senior food editor at Yankee magazine and co-host of the public television series Weekends with Yankee, a coproduction with WGBH. Previously, she was food editor at Boston magazine and an associate food editor at Sunset magazine. Her work has also been published in The Boston Globe, Saveur, and Travel & Leisure, and she has appeared on Hallmark Home & Family, The Martha Stewart Show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Amy is the author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, which was a finalist for the Julia Child Award for best first-time author and won an IACP Cookbook Award in the “American” category.
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