Sausage and Herb Stuffing

This savoury, custardy version gets its extra-savoury oomph from saggy breakfast sausage and a generous amount of fresh garlic. Start with country-style white bread (sourdough or French bread will also work) and tear it into pieces. Craggy edges, as opposed to the squared-off dice you’ll find in most store-bought stuffing mixes, create a textured surface with ideal crispy peaks and chewy valleys. Breakfast-style pork sausage has the right amount of sweetness and seasoning to complement the stuffing, but sweet Italian sausage is a worthy swap; if you avoid pork, a dark meat turkey version will work well. We load this classic sausage stuffing with the requisite fresh herbs (sage, thyme and parsley), but we’ve also added whole fennel seeds for an extra herbal kick. To cut down on prep time (and cleanup time), you’ll cook the sausage and aromatics in a large pot with plenty of butter, melted, then toss the lot with toasted bread cubes in the same pot before transferring it to a casserole dish, no ginormous bowl necessary.

10 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 (1-1¼ lb) loaf country-style white bread, torn into 1" pieces
1 lb breakfast sausage, casings removed if needed
2 medium onions, finely chopped
6 stalks celery, finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. sea salt
1 tsp. fennel seeds, optional
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, divided
½ cup fresh parsley, packed, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh sage, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
3 large eggs

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Grease a 9x13" baking dish with butter. Arrange one 1-1¼ lb loaf country-style white bread, torn into 1" pieces, in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet and bake until dried out and golden around the edges, 30-40 minutes. Let cool.

Meanwhile, melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high heat. Cook 1 lb breakfast sausage, casings removed if needed, stirring and breaking into small pieces, until well browned and cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a small plate, leaving fat behind.

Reduce dial to medium heat and add remaining 8 Tbsp. butter to fat in pot; heat until melted. Cook 2 medium onions, finely chopped, 6 stalks celery, finely chopped, 8 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped, 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton sea salt and 1 tsp. fennel seeds (if using), stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and golden around the edges, 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth along with sausage, ½ cup (packed) coarsely chopped parsley, 2 Tbsp. fresh sage, finely chopped, 2 Tbsp. finely chopped thyme and ½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground.

Whisk 3 large eggs and remaining 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth in a small bowl to combine, then stir into pot (don’t worry, eggs won’t scramble). Add bread to pot and toss gently to combine. Let sit, tossing occasionally, until liquid is almost completely absorbed, about 10 minutes.

Transfer stuffing to prepared dish (don’t pack or press down) and cover loosely with foil. Place dish on a clean large rimmed baking sheet and bake until stuffing is hot throughout (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should register 160°), 35-45 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6) and remove foil (no need to remove stuffing from oven while heat increases). Continue to bake until stuffing is light golden brown on top, 25-30 minutes longer.

Make-Ahead: Bread can be baked 1 day ahead; store loosely covered at room temperature. Stuffing can be assembled 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before baking.