Sage and Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Walnuts

With Thanksgiving right around the corner I've been busy testing recipes for our Thanksgiving dinner.  My favorite part of the meal is always the stuffing so I started there.  This year I wanted to do one that included apples and walnuts in addition to all the traditional vegetables and some sweet sausage.   My big secret for sauteing both the sausage and the vegetables is to use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!^®

The new I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!^® is made from real, simple ingredients that you can recognize like plant based oils, purified water, and just a touch of salt.  That means there are no artificial preservatives in it.  It's also available in Original, Light, and Olive Oil.   I prefer the Original for cooking and the Olive Oil variety for spreading on my muffins and toast.  One of the biggest reasons we use the new I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!^® spread is that it has 40% fewer calories and 70% less saturated fat than butter which makes it easy to be included in an overall healthy, balanced diet.

To make the stuffing I started by sauteing the sweet sausage in a few tablespoons of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!^®  I added the sausage to the bread cubes and then sauteed some vegetables and apples in a little more of the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!^®  Then I mixed in some herbs, seasonings, and even some toasted walnuts for some added crunch.  Since stuffing needs some moisture I also added in some chicken stock.  I gave everything a stir and placed it in the oven.

I will say that my mouth was watering while it was in the oven.   I could really smell the shallots and sausage cooking in with the stuffing.  When it came out the top was golden brown and crunchy while the underneath was soft and flavorful.   I like the little bit of sweetness the apples added, the crunch of the walnuts, and the flavor from the sausage.   It ended up being a delicious stuffing that is easy to cook outside of a turkey or chicken and great to serve with any type of poultry.

If you want to add a little something extra for both color and flavor, dried cranberries would be a beautiful addition to this stuffing.  I've also seen where people add eggs to their stuffing which I didn't try, but it's something to think about for next time.

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Sausage and Sage Stuffing with Apples and Walnuts

Yield: Serves 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

A tasty stuffing made with sage, sweet Italian sausage, apples, and walnuts!

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Ingredients

• 16 oz. bread cubes (either buy a bag or cube yourself)
• 6 T. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!®, divided
• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
• 2 large shallots, minced
• 2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 4 ribs of celery, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T. sage, chopped
• ¼ c. parsley, chopped
• ⅓ c. walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1 t. black pepper
• 3 c. chicken stock

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the sweet sausage and saute for 6-8 minutes or until it is no longer pink. Remove the sausage from the pan and place it in the bowl with the bread cubes.
4. Melt another 2 tablespoons of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® in the same skillet over medium heat. Add in the shallots, apples, celery, garlic, and sage. Saute for 5 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften.
5. Stir in the parsley and walnuts and cook for an additional minute. Sprinkle with black pepper and pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then pour over top of the sausage and bread cubes.
6. Mix the stuffing together until it is moistened. Scoop the stuffing into a buttered 9 x 13 baking dish.
7. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and mix the stuffing. Melt the remaining I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® and drizzle over top of the stuffing. Cook for 20-25 more minutes or until the top is golden brown.
8. Serve hot.

Notes

A Hezzi-D Original Recipe

Have you tried the all new I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!^® ?  If you have make sure you leave a product review on the website!  Also, if you are looking for more delicious recipes using I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!^® you can find them HERE.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.