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Sausage Stuffing Muffins

SPICY ITALIAN SAUSAGE SOURDOUGH STUFFING

A spicy, crunchy, tender, savoury, tart stuffing. Everyone gets some crunch this way! It covers all the bases and can be baked in a dish or muffin tin. Perfect for leftovers.

Course Side Dish
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients

  • 5 cups cubed stale bread (keep cubes between 1/4-1/2 inch) I like using a good sourdough bread
  • 2 large uncooked spicy Italian sausages casings removed
  • 1 onion med-small dice
  • 2 celery ribs med-small dice
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried sage
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
  • 1 tsp fresh chopped thyme
  • 1 tbsp fresh chopped sage
  • 1 cup chicken (or turkey) stock plus 1/4 cup extra if needed
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 extra large eggs or three medium

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Place bread cubes into a large bowl.

  3. Sauté the sausage over med-high heat, crumbling up, and browning nicely. 

    Drain and add the meat to bread. Remove most of fat in the pan.

  4. Reduce the heat to medium and in same pan sauté the onion and celery till softened and just turning golden. If the sausage did not release enough fat, supplement with a touch of olive oil as needed. Add dried herbs and stir. Add to the bread and sausage.

  5. Add cherries and nuts and herbs to the bowl.

  6. Add the chicken (or turkey) stock to the bowl, quickly fold together.

    Wait a moment to let the bread soak up the liquid.  If you need a bit more, add it now.  It should be moist and hold together, but not be a soggy mess.

  7. Season with 1 tsp each salt and pepper. Taste and adjust.
  8. When happy with taste, beat the two eggs and add to the mixture. Combine.

  9. Spray (very well) a muffin tin (this will make 12 average sized muffins, so use pans to achieve this)  Alternatively spray a 9x13 baking pan.  Or spray a baking sheet for optimum crust formation!

  10. Scoop and mound the mixture into the prepared tin.

  11. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned and crunchy. There should be a slight springyness when you press on one.  If using a baking pan or sheet, the time may be reduced.  Watch and check.

  12. Cool for a minute then remove and serve.  You will need to use a sharp knife or small off-set spatula to release the muffins from the tin.  Go slowly.

Recipe Notes

You will want to ensure you spray well the muffin tin to allow for easy removal. These can be reheated the next day for awesome leftovers. If you bake it in a dish and have leftovers, why not take the leftovers the next day and make 'waffles' out of them?!

This can also be baked off in a 9x13" baking pan.   You can bake this off even the day before: Bake at 350, covered with foil for the first 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool.  Refrigerate.  The next day return it to a 350 oven and reheat, and then remove the foil to brown the top for 10 more minutes.