Recipe: Sage Dressing with Cherries, Apples, and Sausage

SAGE DRESSING WITH CHERRIES, APPLES, AND SAUSAGE

"When my brother and I were very young, my mother would sit us down on the couch the night before Thanksgiving with a big roasting pan and a couple of loaves of bread. "Earn your keep," she'd say, pouring herself another martini. Our job was to tear the slices of bread into chunky pieces so it could stale on the counter overnight for her dressing the next day. We were so proud at dinner, when everyone raved about "our" dressing. Even the littlest ones can pitch in to help with preparation. Why deprive them of that by buying stuffing mix? I prefer to bake the dressing in a separate pan for the last hour of the turkey's roasting time, rather than putting it in the bird."

2 loaves rustic white bread, sliced
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) salted butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 pound bulk fresh pork sausage
3 large apples, unpeeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon dried sage, crumbled
1 to 2 cups chicken broth

THE NIGHT BEFORE COOKING:
Tear the bread into chunks about 1-inch in size. Spread the bread out on a rimmed baking sheet; leave the bread on the counter or in the oven overnight to stale.

THE NEXT DAY:
Butter a 4-quart casserole or baking dish.

Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden and softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer the onion and celery to a very large bowl.

Into the same skillet, crumble the pork sausage. Cook the sausage, stirring to break up large chunks, until it is well-browned and no pink remains, about 10 minutes. Drain the sausage and add to the bowl; discard the drippings.

Add the stale bread, apples, cherries, walnuts, and sage to the bowl; stir to combine. Moisten the bread mixture with enough chicken broth to get it to hold together but not be soggy.

Transfer the dressing to the prepared casserole and refrigerate if you are not baking immediately.

Bake the dressing, covered, at 350 degrees F for 1 hour and then serve.

Makes 12 to 14 servings
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Random House
Source: The Feast Nearby by Robin Mather