Pork Sausage Dressing
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Recipe type: Sides
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8 people
 
This moist and tender Pork Sausage Dressing is a stand-out dish on any Thanksgiving table!
Ingredients
  • ¾ pound pork sausage, casings removed
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion, ¼-inch dice
  • 1 large celery stalk, ¼-inch slice
  • 1 granny smith apple, cored, ¼-inch dice
  • ⅓ cup pecans, roughly chopped
  • 1 loaf (about 1¼ lbs, 567 grams) white bread*, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • ¾ cup chicken or turkey stock
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Spread the cubed bread out on a baking sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes, or until bread is lightly toasted.
  3. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the pork sausage. Stirring frequently, breaking the pork up into small pieces. Cook for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Scoop into a bowl and set aside.
  4. Reheat the sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. Once melted, add the onion and celery - scraping up all the brown bits from the sausage. Stir occasionally until the onion is fragrant and translucent, about 3 minutes.
  5. Add the apple and pecans, and cook for another 3 minutes.
  6. Add the bread and pork, carefully toss to combine. Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, sage, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Transfer the dressing to a large baking dish and cover with foil. Bake on the center rack for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and keeping the rack in the center, set the broiler to high. Cook under the broiler for 2-4 minutes, just long enough to brown and slightly crisp the top of the dressing (keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn the top). Remove from oven, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
*When selecting a bread, you may assume that you want a fancy artisanal variety. However, think of the bread as being a vehicle for flavor, rather than adding flavor. Artisanal breads are generally chewy and have larger holes - not ideal for soaking up the surrounding flavors and adding a custard-like consistency. Likewise, whole-grain bread is too rough in texture. Believe it or not, the secret to amazing dressing is a simple good-quality white sandwich bread! It's soft, pillowy, and has a fine hole structure, which makes for better flavor absorption and retention. I used a nice loaf of white bread from a bakery.

* The bread should be dried out before using. This allows for better absorption while retaining the breads structure - the perfect dressing will allow for maximum retention of liquids without becoming a big pile of mush. You'll want to cube and toast the bread in a 350 degree F oven for 7 - 8 minutes.

**If you are making this dressing for the Roasted Turkey Roulade, do not bake the dressing (omit step 6).
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 6
Recipe by at https://hapanom.com/pork-sausage-dressing/