Sausage and Apple Dressing

Ingredients

•  1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups diced yellow onions
• 2 cups diced celery
• 1 cup diced fennel
• 6 ounces bulk pork sausage
• 2 cups diced Granny Smith apples
• 12 cups sourdough bread croutons, toasted (see note)
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/2 tablespoon of freshly cracked pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Instructions

Place a 6-quart, oven-safe casserole dish on the stove. Add butter and melt over medium heat. Add the onions, celery and fennel, then saute for 5-6 minutes. Mix in the sausage, apples and croutons. Season the mixture with salt, pepper and sage. Add the stock. Continue to cook for 8-10 minutes. Place a lid on the casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes.

(If you do not have a large, lidded casserole dish, use a large pot to sauté the onions, celery and fennel. Transfer the mixture to a roasting pan, then mix in sausage, apples, croutons, salt, pepper and sage. Add the stock and stir gently. Cover the pan with foil, then bake for 40 minutes. Remove the roasting pan from the oven, and gently stir the dressing, pulling the edges toward the center of the pan to prevent burnt edges. Cover with foil again and bake an additional 10 minutes. (The stuffing will be very moist. For a drier stuffing, increase the cooking time.)