Bread Stuffing with Sausage, Pecans, and Apricots for a Crowd
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Yield
Serves 16
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds bulk breakfast sausage 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks), plus extra for baking dish4 medium ribs celery, chopped fine2 medium onions, minced½ cup minced fresh parsley leaves 3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves or 2 teaspoons dried3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves or 2 teapoons dried1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram leaves or 1 teaspoon dried3 cups chopped pecans, toasted2 cups dried apricots, sliced thin3 pounds high-quality sandwich bread slices (white), cut into ½-inch cubes and dried (see note)5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth4 large eggs, beaten lightly2 teaspoons table salt 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Before You Begin
Drying the bread before making the stuffing is crucial for texture and flavor. If you plan ahead, you can simply leave the bread cubes out on the counter for a few days to become stale. Otherwise, spread them out on baking sheets and dry in a 300-degree oven for 30 to 60 minutes. Let the bread cool before using in the stuffing. You can substitute three 14-ounce bags of plain dried bread cubes for the homemade dried bread cubes, but you'll need to increase the amount of chicken broth to 7 cups. This recipe can easily be halved and baked in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish for a smaller crowd.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the sausage from the skillet and reserve. Drain the fat, and reserve.
- Either add all the butter to the now empty skillet, or substitute the reserved sausage fat for an equal amount of butter -- you'll need a total 12 of tablespoons of fat. Add the celery and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley, sage, thyme, and marjoram and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a very large mixing bowl.
- Add the sausage, pecans, apricots, dried, cooled bread, stock or broth, eggs, salt, and pepper to the vegetables and toss gently to distribute dry and wet ingredients evenly. Turn mixture into buttered 15-x 10-inch baking dish.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until golden, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- To Make Ahead: The stuffing can be assembled in the baking dish, then wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. To bake, let the stuffing stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and proceed to bake as directed in step 3.
Yield
Serves 16Ingredients
1 ½ pounds bulk breakfast sausage
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks), plus extra for baking dish
4 medium ribs celery, chopped fine
2 medium onions, minced
½ cup minced fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves or 2 teapoons dried
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
3 cups chopped pecans, toasted
2 cups dried apricots, sliced thin
3 pounds high-quality sandwich bread slices (white), cut into ½-inch cubes and dried (see note)
5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds bulk breakfast sausage
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks), plus extra for baking dish
4 medium ribs celery, chopped fine
2 medium onions, minced
½ cup minced fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves or 2 teapoons dried
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
3 cups chopped pecans, toasted
2 cups dried apricots, sliced thin
3 pounds high-quality sandwich bread slices (white), cut into ½-inch cubes and dried (see note)
5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds bulk breakfast sausage
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks), plus extra for baking dish
4 medium ribs celery, chopped fine
2 medium onions, minced
½ cup minced fresh parsley leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
3 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves or 2 teapoons dried
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
3 cups chopped pecans, toasted
2 cups dried apricots, sliced thin
3 pounds high-quality sandwich bread slices (white), cut into ½-inch cubes and dried (see note)
5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
4 large eggs, beaten lightly
2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Before You Begin
Drying the bread before making the stuffing is crucial for texture and flavor. If you plan ahead, you can simply leave the bread cubes out on the counter for a few days to become stale. Otherwise, spread them out on baking sheets and dry in a 300-degree oven for 30 to 60 minutes. Let the bread cool before using in the stuffing. You can substitute three 14-ounce bags of plain dried bread cubes for the homemade dried bread cubes, but you'll need to increase the amount of chicken broth to 7 cups. This recipe can easily be halved and baked in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish for a smaller crowd.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the sausage from the skillet and reserve. Drain the fat, and reserve.
- Either add all the butter to the now empty skillet, or substitute the reserved sausage fat for an equal amount of butter -- you'll need a total 12 of tablespoons of fat. Add the celery and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in parsley, sage, thyme, and marjoram and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to a very large mixing bowl.
- Add the sausage, pecans, apricots, dried, cooled bread, stock or broth, eggs, salt, and pepper to the vegetables and toss gently to distribute dry and wet ingredients evenly. Turn mixture into buttered 15-x 10-inch baking dish.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until golden, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- To Make Ahead: The stuffing can be assembled in the baking dish, then wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. To bake, let the stuffing stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and proceed to bake as directed in step 3.
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