Pumpernickel Sausage Stuffing

This is not your Norman Rockwell kind of Thanksgiving (flashbacks to a certain popular TV show, cough… cough… Modern Family, comes to mind right now as I type).

Well I should correct that.

This is not your Norman Rockwell kind of Thanksgiving stuffing.

You see this stuffing recipe is totally worth gracing your Thanksgiving dinner table (alongside this cranberry sauce and these baked mashed potatoes) but it may not just be the purrtiest dish on the table!

Quite frankly, u-g-l-y (you ugly!).

Ha!

But don’t let the rather unattractive and less than photogenic appearance of this stuffing turn you away.

This stuffing doesn’t use your typical ‘bread’ element (you know, corn bread, French bread, etc.), but rather Pumpernickel bread which gives this stuffing that dark color and appearance; not to mention a nice earthy, wholesome flavor. You know like fall should be!

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Pumpernickel Sausage Stuffing

Printable Version

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 60 minutes Makes: 1 (9×13-inch) pan

1 pound ground sage pork sausage

3 large celery ribs with leaves, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 loaf of pumpernickel bread (1 pound), cut into 1-inch cubes

2/3 cup Parmesan bread crumbs

½ tablespoon poultry seasoning

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 – 2 ½ cups turkey stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

½ teaspoon each salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Place bread cubes on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until toasted.

After toasting bread cubes increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, over medium heat, then add the sausage and cook for 5 minutes, crumbling the meat with the back of a spoon. Add the celery and onion and cook until the vegetables are tender and the meat is browned, an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic during the last 1-2 minutes of cooking. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let cool.

Add the toasted bread cubes, bread crumbs, poultry seasoning, eggs, 2 cups stock and parsley to the bowl and mix well. The mixture should be moist but not soggy; add a little more stock if you like your stuffing wetter. Season the stuffing with salt and pepper. Place in a 9-by-13-inch buttered baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. (To keep the stuffing moist, cover the top loosely with foil while it bakes.)

Adapted from Every Day with Rachel Ray, November 2005