Make Ahead Ciabatta Sausage and Apple Stuffing! Comes together quickly and can be made the day before!
Holiday dinners are the hardest meal to coordinate. The stress-O-meter runs a constant 10. Everything has to be hot and on the table at the same time and there are soooooo many dishes to prepare. Imagine how happy you will be, when you you realize at least one of the dishes is done and ready to go in the oven! Stress meter reduced to an even 6. Grandma and Grandpa are blowing kisses…your BFF is pouring you wine…everyone is so happy because YOU are happy! All because of this make ahead dressing! Ahhh, the Holidays :).
What makes this dressing keep its shape overnight is the Ciabatta bread. It’s a durable chewy bread from Italy. Thank you Italy, we love you! Clink!
Simple is always best when serving mass amounts of people, and this is a simple, but super flavorful dressing. No eggs to worry about. Just butter and broth. The sausage adds a ton of flavor and the apples add some sweetness and interesting contrast. This will feed about 8 guests and can easily be doubled.
So count to ten guys and take a deep breath, the Holidays are upon us. Do as much work as you can the day before and enjoy your family and friends!
When your oven is full of turkey, use your slow cooker to make my Creamy Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes. You cook and mash the potatoes right in your slow cooker!
And don’t forget the Make Ahead Mushroom Gravy. Make a couple cups or a quart!
Ciabatta Sausage and Apple Stuffing
Save Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
35 mins
Total time
55 mins
Serves: 8
Ingredients
1 pound. bulk sweet or hot breakfast sausage, casing removed
¼ cup butter
2 carrots, diced
1 medium yellow onion,diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 cups turkey or chicken stock
2 tbsp. roughly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
1 large apple, any variety. chopped, peel on
1 large (12-oz.) loaf ciabatta bread, cut into 1" pieces
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
If baking now, Heat oven to 375°.
In large skillet, cook sausage, stirring and breaking up meat into medium pieces, until browned, 8–10 minutes.
Transfer sausage to a large bowl; set aside.
Add butter to skillet; cook carrot, onion, and celery until soft, 5–7 minutes.
Transfer to bowl with sausage.
Add cubed bread and apple to bowl.
Add stock, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper to bowl; toss to combine.
Taste for seasoning. More salt? More Pepper?
Spread evenly in a buttered 9" x 13" baking dish.
(If making ahead: Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove from fridge 30 minutes prior to baking to warm it up a bit.)
Bake until golden brown and bread is slightly crisp on top, 30–35 minutes.
Garnish with more parsley.
3.4.3177