One thing that I often miss when I make a roast turkey breast for Thanksgiving instead of a full bird is the stuffing (aka dressing). Luckily you can make a stuffing without actually stuffing it into a turkey as you can easily bake it in a baking dish. When I was planning this years Thanksgiving meal I could not stop thinking about a stuffing so I decided to do one.
The base of stuffing is normally cubed dried bread along with onions, celery and herbs and from there you can add pretty much anything that you want. I was going with a kind of Italian theme for my Thanksgiving dinner this year and so the first thing that I added to my stuffing was some Italian sausage. From there I added sauteed mushrooms and some roasted chestnuts for a touch of sweetness. For me the most distinctive thing about stuffing it the aroma and flavours of the herbs and in particular it is the sage that stands out so I was sure to add a lot of sage along with a bit of thyme. This stuffing is just packed with flavour and it sure did disappear from the table really quickly!
Italian Sausage, Mushroom and Chestnut Stuffing
A tasty stuffing or dressing with Italian sausage, mushrooms and chestnuts that would make a perfect addition to any holiday dinner table.
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 ounces mushrooms, quartered
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
- 2 tablespoons sage, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup white wine or chicken stock
- 1 handful parsley, chopped
- 1 cup roasted and peel chestnuts, halved
- 1 day old loaf Italian bread cut into 3/4 cubes
- 2 cups chicken stock, warm
directions
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Add the sausage and cook until no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes, breaking it apart as you go and set it aside.
- Add the butter, onions and celery to the pan and saute until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, sage, salt and pepper and saute until everything is tender and just starting to brown, about 10-12 minutes.
- Add the wine, deglaze the pan and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Mix the sausage, vegetables, parsley, chestnuts and bread in a large bowl and mix in the stock until all of the bread is moist but not soggy.
- Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish and cover with foil.
- Bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue cooking until the top turns nice and golden brown, about 10 minutes.
You're helping the folks here in the States come up with Thanksgiving recipes now. This is perfectly savory and filling.
This looks and sounds so good and makes me want to do a rehearsal US Thanksgiving. Boy am I hungry!
Winnie
What a gorgeous combination! That would make a great Xmas stuffing.
Cheers,
Rosa
Un plato genial, me encanta coo te ha quedado.
Saludos
I keep trying to get my parents to update from Stovetop but still, no luck. Maybe once I mention this baby, they'll come around!
I really like the addition of chestnuts to the stuffing. I wish the U.S. Thanksgiving was in October, too!
I love making my stuffing in a separate dish and find I make it the same way every year. This one looks great and will find it's way to my table this year. Thanks!
Mmmm, sounds so good! It makes me eager for Thanksgiving to arrive =)
This is truly beautiful to look at and, I'm guessing, even more so to eat. I like the sweet + savory approach with the chestnuts and sausage added, and I agree about sage–it's the distinctive key to good stuffing for a traditionalist like me! I think I'll use fried sage for mine this year . . .
YUMMMMMMMM!!! I cheat a bit. I get stove top herb stuffing (I like the herb packet and the seasoned bread) and then add sauteed onions, mushrooms, apple pieces for sweetness and extra sage. I love stuffing.
I've grown up hearing from my grandmothers that the basic distinction is that *stuffing* is made inside the bird, or, wrapped in cheesecloth and tucked under the wing of the bird whilst roasting, and that if you elect to bake it outside of the bird in a separate dish, it's *dressing.*
Either way, your version looks and sounds delicious. Save some in a loaf pan or container and chill it. When it gets cold and firm enough to "slice" into thin layers, build yourself a left over sandwich of turkey, stuffing, cranberry and avocado sandwich on very hearty bread.
that does look yummy though i would go for a vegetartian version. i have never had chestnut stuffing and would like to give it a try. when do you add the chestnuts? i see them on the ingredient list but don't see them mixed in. i'm assuming w/ the stuffing but wasn't sure they were included w/ the mushrooms.
Kathryn: The crispy fried sage would be great in a stuffing!
Anonymous: The chestnuts are added in step 6 when the final stuffing mixture is made.
2 questions. 1. Is it 1 cup of chestnuts before or after you peel them? and 2. Have you tried making this day before? If so, how long did you reheat for?
Help! No where is carrying chestnuts and I don't have time to keep looking. Do u think I can substitute dried cranberries for chestnuts, or should I just do mushrooms and sausage?? This is my 1st thanksgiving dinner cooking.
Anonymous: 1 cup after peeling the chestnuts. This should work making it the day before. I would place it int he oven ofter pulling out the turkey and give it 15-25 minutes at 350, covered to reheat. Enjoy!
Anonymous: Cranberries might work, or you could just omit the chestnuts.
Can't wait to try this!
Kevin, this looks and sounds divine. Approximately how many cups of cubed bread from the loaf are you basing your recipe on? Loaf sizes can vary quite a bit. Thanks