Italian Sausage and Bread Stuffing
A rich and savory stuffing made with Italian bread, sweet sausage, and aromatics. Perfect as a Thanksgiving side dish or turkey stuffing, this recipe combines crusty bread cubes with Italian sausage, vegetables, and Parmigiano-Reggiano for a delicious holiday classic.
Ingredients
- •1 loaf Italian bread
- •2 tablespoons olive oil
- •2 pounds sweet Italian sausage
- •1 stick unsalted butter
- •3 medium onions
- •4 large ribs celery
- •5 cloves garlic
- •4 large eggs
- •¾ cup heavy cream
- •½ cup turkey giblet stock
- •1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
- •½ cup flat-leaf parsley
- •4 quart baking dish
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Generously butter baking dish.
5 min
- 2.
Put bread in 2 shallow baking pans and bake, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until just dried out, about 10 minutes.
10 min
- 3.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook half of sausage, stirring and breaking it into small pieces, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Brown remaining sausage in remaining tablespoon oil, transferring to bowl.
12 min
- 4.
Pour off fat from skillet and wipe clean. Heat butter over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook onions, celery, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Add vegetables and bread to sausage.
15 min
- 5.
Whisk together eggs, 1/2 cup cream, turkey stock, cheese, and parsley, then stir into stuffing and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Reserve 5 cups stuffing to stuff turkey and spoon remainder into baking dish, then drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup cream. Cover stuffing and chill.
30 min
- 6.
About 1 hour before stuffed turkey is finished roasting, bring dish of stuffing to room temperature. When turkey is done, increase oven temperature to 425°F and bake stuffing, covered tightly with foil, until hot throughout, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until top is golden and crisp, about 15 minutes more.
35 min
- 7.
Cooks' Note: Bread can be toasted 3 days ahead and kept (once cool) in a sealed bag at room temperature. Stuffing can be prepared (but not baked) 4 hours before roasting turkey. If baking stuffing at the same time as potatoes, put stuffing in upper third of oven and potatoes in bottom third (allow extra time).