Sausage & Chestnut Stuffing

 

I have always wanted to try Sausage & Chestnut stuffing.  The stuffing is always the favorite part of any holiday meal for me, but we usually go for the traditional stuffing recipe which we have always used. This year I thought I would try out a new recipe ahead of time on the off-chance that we would like it enough to want to make it for the holidays.

I had picked up a couple of packages of boiled Italian Chestnuts in the shops a few months ago and went on a search for a recipe that I could use them in.  I think chestnuts in stuffing are very Dickensian and British, especially if you are planning on roasting a goose.  We are not. But they are also good with turkey.

Sausage is also a very British thing to add so stuffing. My friend Jo makes her stuffing by mixing together equal parts of the Paxo stuffing mix and bulk sausage meat. It's really delicious!  It just gets packed into a baking dish, baked, and then is cut into squares to serve.

 

 

This Sausage & Chestnut Stuffing recipe which I am sharing with you today is one that I adapted from a site called She Loves Biscotti.  It looked and sounded really delicious.

It was.

I did make a few changes. First, I cut the recipe in half to make only six servings rather than twelve. If you are wanting to make more by all means, check out her recipe.  Second, I used celery instead of fennel.  Fennel is just not something that is available here where I live very often.

Third I used dry herbs.  You just cannot always get the fresh herbs here either and it is no longer growing season.  If you have fresh herbs, by all means use them, just double the amounts as dried herbs are much more concentrated in flavor!

This was fabulously tasty. A new favorite!!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SAUSAGE & CHESTNUT STUFFING

It's amazing how delicious this is.  A few simple ingredients, put together in a simple way.  Fabulously tasty! 

• 1 TBS butter to butter the baking dish
• 1/2 pound (225g) crusty white bread, crust removed, in ½-inch pieces (dry out in a slow oven.)
• 1 TBS olive oil separated
• 1/2 pound (227g) sweet Italian sausage, casings removed & discarded
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 medium brown onion, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 large stalk of celery, trimmed and diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 TBS dried flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 TBS dried crumbled sage leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 ounces (170g) boiled Italian chestnuts, chopped
• 1¼-1½ cups (300 ml to 360ml) vegetable or chicken broth separated
• 1 large egg
• chopped parsley to garnish

 

I used salted butter and some stale kaiser buns, which I trimmed the crusts off and cubed.  I also used light olive oil, which is olive oil with a lighter color and flavor.

You could use fresh herbs if you want, simply double the amounts.

I found the chestnuts in my local grocery store several months back and nabbed a couple of packages for the holidays.  If you cannot get them, feel free to substitute hazelnuts, macadamia nuts or pecans for the chestnuts. Delicious!

The original recipe used fresh fennel instead of celery. That is not always available where I lived so I used celery. If you can get fennel, by all means use that. You could also use chopped apple.

 

HOW TO MAKE SAUSAGE & CHESTNUT STUFFING

Fairly simple to make and delicious.  Be prepared to fall in love. A very worthy holiday side. I hope you will give it a go!

Butter a deep casserole dish (about 9 inches square) with the first amount of butter. Set aside.

Place the toasted bread in a large bowl. (I toasted the bread cubes on a baking tray in a 325*F/160*C/gas mark 3 oven for about 20 minutes.)

Heat 1/2 TBS of oil in a large skillet. Crumble the sausage into the skillet and cook until lightly browned and no longer pink, mashing with a fork to break it up into smaller pieces. Using a slotted spoon, remove to the boil and toss with the bread. Stir in the chopped chestnuts.

 

Add 1/2 TBS of oil and 2 TBS of butter to the skillet. Add the onions and celery. Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 - 10 minutes. Allow to cool to warm. Add to the sausage and bread in the bowl, tossing to mix everything together. Add 3/4 cup (180ml) of the chicken stock and leave so that the bread can absorb it.

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4.

Add the seasonings to the bread mixture in the bowl, mixing everything well together. Taste and adjust the seasoning as required.

Beat the egg well with a fork. Whisk in 1/2 cup (120ml) of chicken broth. Add this to the bowl also, mixing well together again.

 

Spoon the stuffing into your prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with a buttered sheet of aluminum foil, butter side down.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is crisp and golden brown.

Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

NOTE - I have not cooked this in the bird so cannot make any solid recommendations as per taking that route.

 

Although I had tasted British stuffing with sausage meat added in (a box of Paxo and a packet of sausage meat crumbled) and enjoyed it, this was my first time trying this version of Sausage stuffing.  I love chestnuts as well and they were a great addition.

This was fabulously delicious.  I couldn't stop picking at it. This is a new favorite that I will make again and again!!

Love stuffing, but sausage and chestnuts are not your thing.  Why not consider the following delicious options!

MARY BERRY'S SAGE & ONION STUFFING - This is one of my favorite stuffings to serve with roast chicken or turkey. It is simple. It is delicious.  It is foolproof. Everyone loves this.  In fact, I could eat a whole bowl of this and nothing else.

MOM'S BREAD & POTATO STUFFING - This is the way my mother always made her stuffing, and her mother before her, etc. With mashed potatoes, plenty of butter, soft breadcrumbs, onion, herbs and seasonings.  A bit of stock.  This is quite simply delicious as well.  It's a very Canadian Maritime provincial thing. Usually flavored with summer savory.

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Chestnut & Sausage stuffing

Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 65 MinTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

This is a fabulous stuffing that is loaded with flavor and texture. This goes wonderfully with the holiday bird!

Ingredients

• 1 TBS butter to butter the baking dish
• 1/2 pound (225g) crusty white bread, crust removed, in ½-inch pieces (dry out in a slow oven.)
• 1 TBS olive oil separated
• 1/2 pound (227g) sweet Italian sausage, casings removed & discarded
• 2 TBS butter
• 1 medium brown onion, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 large stalk of celery, trimmed and diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 TBS dried flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 TBS dried crumbled sage leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 ounces (170g) boiled Italian chestnuts, chopped
• 1¼-1½ cups (300 ml to 360ml) vegetable or chicken broth separated
• 1 large egg
• chopped parsley to garnish

Instructions

1. Butter a deep casserole dish (about 9 inches square) with the first amount of butter. Set aside.
2. Place the toasted bread in a large bowl.
3. Heat 1/2 TBS of oil in a large skillet. Crumble the sausage into the skillet and cook until lightly browned and no longer pink, mashing with a fork to break it up into smaller pieces. Using a slotted spoon, remove to the boil and toss with the bread. Stir in the chopped chestnuts.
4. Add 1/2 TBS of oil and 2 TBS of butter to the skillet. Add the onions and celery. Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 - 10 minutes. Allow to cool to warm. Add to the sausage and bread in the bowl, tossing to mix everything together. Add 3/4 cup (180ml) of the chicken stock and leave so that the bread can absorb it.
5. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4.
6. Add the seasonings to the bread mixture in the bowl, mixing everything well together. Taste and adjust the seasoning as required.
7. Beat the egg well with a fork. Whisk in 1/2 cup (120ml) of chicken broth. Add this to the bowl also, mixing well together again.
8. Spoon the stuffing into your prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with a buttered sheet of aluminum foil, butter side down.
9. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is crisp and golden brown.
10. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

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