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
- 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.
