Nothing goes with the holiday meal quite like a warm and inviting savory stuffing. Our maple-infused take on this classic is the perfect addition to any gathering with family and friends.
PREP TIME: 35 TO 40 MINUTES
SERVES: 6 to 8 PEOPLE
INGREDIENTS:
1 10 oz bag cubed seasoned stuffing
1 lb breakfast sausage
½ cup butter
1 cup onion, diced (about 1 medium onion)
1 cup celery, diced (about 4 ribs celery)
½ cup fresh cranberries, chopped (or sub with 1/2 cup dried cranberries)
½ apple, chopped (we use honey crisp)
½-¾ cup pecans, rough chopped and toasted
3 Tablespoons Whiskey or Bourbon (apple juice may be substituted)
4 Tablespoons Crown Maple Dark Color Robust Taste organic maple syrup
1-2 cups chicken or turkey broth/stock
DIRECTIONS:
In a large heavy sauté pan, over medium-high heat, brown the breakfast sausage (we like to remove the casings if using tube sausage).
Once browned, remove sausage to a large bowl.
Pour bag of dry stuffing mix into the bowl over the sausage.
In the same pan you browned your sausage, melt your butter over medium heat, heat until it foams up and then subsides, browning the butter until a nutty aroma is smelled.
Add your chopped onions and celery and sauté until tender and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
While your veggies are sautéing, heat another pan and toss in pecans over medium heat, toss around for a couple minutes until warmed and slightly toasted.
Add your chopped cranberries and apples to the onion/celery mixture and sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Stirring well.
Increase heat slightly and carefully pour in whiskey (bourbon or apple juice may be substituted) and reduce until liquid almost gone.
Pour in your maple syrup, stir around.
Remove from stove and pour veggie, fruit mixture over the stuffing.
Gently combine all ingredients gently stirring.
Add 1 cup of chicken stock and gently stir to coat most of the stuffing mix.
If stuffing a turkey, remove amount needed to stuff and stuff turkey when ready to roast.
Otherwise, butter a casserole dish well and place stuffing inside dish. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Remove from fridge 30-60 minutes prior to baking.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, for crisper dressing, leave uncovered, for moister keep foil on and uncover during last 15 minutes of baking.