This is my go to FAVORITE Thanksgiving stuffing. Many guests have decided to make this their family tradition. Enjoy!!!!!
Sausage Stuffing with Fennel and Roasted Squash
Course Holiday Favorite, Side Dish
- nonstick vegetable oil or spray
- 4 cups 1/2 to 3/4 – inch cubed peeled seeded butternut squash (from 1 3/4 pound squash)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick
- 3 cups chopped onions about 1 pound
- 2 cups chopped celery 4-5 stalks
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fennel bulb about 1 medium
- 1 lb pork sausage log
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
- 12 generous cups 1 inch cubes day old ciabatta bread with crust about 1 1/4 lbs
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup (or more) chicken broth
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Scatter squash on sheet in single layer; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Roast squash until tender, stirring occasionally, about 55 minutes. Transfer to large bowl; cool.
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and fennel. Saute' 8 minutes. Add sausage. Saute' until vegetables are tender and sausage is cooked through, breaking up sausage with a fork, about 10 minutes. Add all herbs; saute' 1 minute longer. Add to bowl with squash.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. divide bread between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until bread is crusty but not hard., reversing sheets after 5 minutes., 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer to very large bowl and cool.
Butter a 13x9x2 -inch baking dish. Stir vegetable mixture into bread. Whisk eggs, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend well; whisk in 1 cup broth. Add egg mixture to stuffing, tossing to combine evenly and adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish.
Bake stuffing uncovered until cooked through and brown and crusty brown top, 50 to 60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.
