Sausage, Sage and Apricot Stuffing
While you could, of course, dry your own bread cubes for stuffing, this recipe elevates pre- packaged and seasoned stuffing mix. Save time while still making a side dish that “wows” with savory sausage, juicy apricots and fresh herbs! To save even more time, prepare to the point of baking a day in advance and just pop it in the oven when ready to bake.
We want to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Blackbox Meats. Thank you for celebrating with us!
Ingredients
- 8oz Sausage (casing removed)
- 1 12oz Package Seasoned Cubed Stuffing
- 1 Cup Roughly Chopped Dried Apricots
- 1 Cup Diced Onion
- 2Tbs Unsalted Butter
- 1 Cup Diced Fennel Bulb (may substitute celery)
- 2Tbs Fresh Chopped Sage (1Tbs if using dried leaves)
- 1Tbs Fresh Thyme (or 1Tsp if using dried leaves)
- 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- 2 Cups Turkey Stock/Chicken Stock/Chicken Broth/ Vegetable Broth
- 3/4 - 1 Cup Orange Juice
- 1/4 Cup Dry White Wine
- 2Tbs Orange Zest (optional but recommended)
Rehydrate the Apricots:
In a small airtight container, pour orange juice over roughly chopped dried apricots until covered. Use more or less juice depending on your container. Using too much juice will dilute the flavor of the apricots, but you do want them to be covered.
Refrigerate overnight.
Before preparing the stuffing, remove the apricots from the refrigerator and place in a small saucepan. Warm on low until just simmering. Remove from heat and let sit in the warm liquid while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Drain completely before using.
Prepare the Stuffing:
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat. Sautee the diced onion, fennel, sage and thyme until the vegetables soften. (apx 5min)
Add sausage. Crumble sausage with spatula and brown completely. (apx 5 min)
Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
Add white wine and use the spatula to quickly scrape and release the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add broth and bring to a simmer.
Remove from heat and fold in the stuffing mix, drained apricots and orange zest until all cubes are moistened.
Bake:
Transfer to an oiled baking dish cover and bake at 325° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes to brown the top if desired.
Serving Suggestion:
While it is not recommended to stuff the turkey before reheating, it can be stuffed afterwards. Once the reheated turkey reaches an internal temperature of the recommended 125°, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest. As it is resting, we put some of the stuffing inside the turkey’s cavity. This will allow the stuffing to absorb the delicious juices that were released while reheating and makes for a lovely presentation!
