Apple Sage Stuffing

Mmm… stuffing! I love stuffing! It has always been my favorite dish on Thanksgiving day! Apple Sage Stuffing or “dressing”, whichever you want to call it, is what I will be making on Thanksgiving day.  I know that “stuffing” is technically supposed to go inside the bird and “dressing” is on the side. I guess I should call this Apple Sage Dressing, since I do not “stuff” my bird, but I call it stuffing anyway because “dressing” is what I put on my salad. Feel free to “stuff” your bird with this stuffing, just not my thing, I like it on the side… and a lot of it!

I make my own bread cubes for the stuffing. You can also just buy some at the store if you want to make things simple. I like to make my own since it gives you a lot more control over the taste, texture and what you are putting into your body, you also know how old the bread is. For example, I used flaxseed bread to make my cubes since it is healthy and low in carbohydrates. You can use other kinds of bread like French or Italian bread that really taste great! There are so many different kinds of bread to choose from so have fun with it! If you are in the mood to make your own bread you could try my Whole Wheat Basil Bread which can be made in a bread machine to keep it simple.

I usually put turkey sausage in my stuffing. The turkey sausage gives the stuffing a more complex flavor and texture. I know that some people do not like sausage, so I made this recipe without it. Plus, this apple sage stuffing still tastes great without the sausage and omitting it makes this recipe easier on the big day. If you would like to add the turkey sausage to your stuffing, which I highly recommend, I have added that step as an option in the instructions. On Thanksgiving day, I will be making it with the turkey sausage.

Ingredients needed to make Apple Sage Stuffing:

• Bread Cubes – 1 loaf of bread (1 lb. or 10-12 cups dried bread cubes) I will show you how to make your own below. I used low carb Flaxseed bread.
• 2 apples – peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 onion – finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tsp ground Sage
• 2 tbsp dried Parsley or 1/4 cup fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 tsp dried Thyme
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (adjust salt to your liking and use a little less if you are adding sausage.
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth (add an additional half cup of broth if it looks too dry, different types of bread can absorb the liquid differently)

Optional:

• Turkey Sausage – I highly recommend if you want to add more texture and flavor to your stuffing. That is how I make it on Thanksgiving day. I use 12 oz. of fresh lean turkey sausage breakfast patties. I also add 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper while browning the turkey sausage to make it a little spicy! Just brown the sausage in a pan until completely cooked, set aside and add it when you are mixing all the ingredients with the bread cubes.
• Celery – You might have noticed that I do not use celery in my stuffing, I am not a fan of celery in my stuffing. If you do like celery in your stuffing just add about 1 cup of chopped celery to the pan at the same time you add the chopped onions.

How to make the stuffing bread cubes:

Again, I used store bought flaxseed bread to make my cubes since it is healthy and low in carbohydrates. Choose whatever bread you prefer.

Once you have your bread of choice, coarsely chop the loaf of bread into cubes and arrange on a sheet pan. Drizzle or spray with olive oil. Lightly sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper. Bake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hours, or until bread is dried out. Allow to cool completely and store in a storage bag until ready to use. I usually do this the day before I make the stuffing so it’s ready to go.

How to make Apple Sage Stuffing:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or spray a large casserole or baking dish. Chop the apples and onion. Pour your dried bread cubes into a large mixing bowl and get all of the ingredients ready to make your Apple Sage Stuffing!

Melt the butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Then, add the chopped onion, sage, thyme, salt and pepper to the pan. Cook onion over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the chopped apples and parsley to the pan and cook for an additional 6 – 8 minutes over medium heat. Once finished, add 1/2 cup of the chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Pour the apple mixture into the bowl of bread cubes and mix. (Note: If you are adding the browned turkey sausage, add it now.)

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining chicken broth and pour over the bread and apple mixture. Mix well, then pour the stuffing into your prepared casserole dish. Cover the dish with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the tin foil and continue to bake for an additional 15 – 20 minutes. Once finished, cover with tin foil until ready to serve. Serve and enjoy!