Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing (Sage and Rosemary)

sausagesagecranberrystuffing Cranberry and Sausage Stuffing with Sage is a sure-fire way to impress this holiday season. Make sure to use fresh herbs for this hearty stuffing that’s savoury with a touch of sweetness from the cranberries.

16 oz crusty bread, cut into 1" pieces, use at least day-old bread for best results
1 Tbsp. avocado or Canola oil
16 oz hot Italian sausage, casings removed
3 Tbsp. butter
1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 cup celery, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced (about 1½ Tbsp.)
⅓ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly cracked
½ cup dry white wine
3 cups vegetable stock
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1 cup dried cranberries

Garnish:
fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Spread out the bread on a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and toast for 10 minutes. Transfer the bread cubes immediately to a large bowl.

While the bread toasts, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook for 5 minutes, until just cooked through. Transfer the sausage to the bowl with the bread.

Melt butter in the same skillet. Add onion and celery and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Next, add salt, pepper, rosemary, sage and parsley. Toss together and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Pour the stock into the skillet, and allow to sit for 2 minutes to cool the vegetables. Stir in the beaten egg and add the cranberries.

Pour the vegetable mixture into the bowl with the bread and sausage. Mix well with a wooden spoon, until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Transfer the mixture to a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes on the middle rack. Transfer to the top rack and bake for another 15 minutes.

Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

Cook's Notes:

Mix everything together well with a Wooden Spoon. Then allow the mixture to rest for 1-2 minutes and mix again. This helps the liquid absorb, so you don’t end up with really mushy stuffing on the bottom.
Don’t smush the stuffing into the baking dish. I did that the first time, thinking it would help the liquid finish absorbing. It didn’t, and the bottom was softer than I liked.
Move the baking dish to the top rack for the last 15 minutes. This helps the bread on top get even more golden brown.
Make sure you use bread that is a couple of days old. This helps it soak up the liquid better. I like to use a loaf of Sourdough bread and keep the crust on.
Use fresh herbs. I can’t stress this enough. Fresh herbs make a world of difference in the flavour.
Use a wine that you like to drink. You’re not adding much wine, and the alcohol cooks out. But if you use a wine you don’t like, you’ll end up with a stuffing you don’t like.

Options and Substitutions:

Don’t like Italian Sausage? Use pork sausage instead. Or skip true pork altogether and use turkey or chicken sausage. If you use a leaner sausage you may need a little more oil.
Don’t have sourdough bread? You can use any crusty bread. The real key is that it’s a little stale and you cut it into chunks.
Don’t like cranberries? You can omit them, but then the stuffing will be very savory. I recommend that you substitute with raisins or carrots. If you use carrots, cook them along with the onion and celery so they soften.
Don’t drink wine? Substitute with a little more chicken broth.

Ingredients:

I like to use Hot Italian Sausage because I really like the flavour and always have it on hand.
Make sure you use bread that’s a couple days old. This helps it soak up the liquid better. I like to use a loaf of Sourdough bread and keep the crust on.
Cut the bread into good-sized chunks, about 1”. This helps the bread keep its texture and not get overly mushy.
Use fresh herbs. I can’t stress this enough. Fresh herbs make a world of difference in the flavour. Parsley is plentiful year-round and available in bunches. You can find small packages of fresh sage and rosemary near to the other packaged produce in the grocery store.
Use a wine that you like to drink. You’re not adding much wine and the alcohol cooks out. But if you use a wine you don’t like, you’ll end up with a stuffing you don’t like.
Dried Cranberries add a really nice touch of sweetness to the stuffing. I have not tried this recipe with fresh cranberries but I think they would be REALLY tart.

Make-Ahead:

Prep the stuffing, and transfer it to the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and put into the fridge up to 1 day ahead. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking, and bake as normal.
Cook the sausage, prep the vegetables, and store in separate containers in the fridge up to 2 days ahead. Toast the bread, assemble the stuffing and bake.