Even if you stuff your bird, it’s great to have an extra dish of stuffing. Using the slow cooker to prepare it frees up that much more room in your oven. Plus, the stuffing stays moist.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
1 pound Italian sausage, sweet, spicy or a combination
3 large apples, peeled and cored
1 large onion, diced
1 cup diced celery
6 cups bread crumbs or 10 cups dried bread cubes
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 eggs
6 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Cut sausages into bite-sized pieces or cut casings and remove meat so that it is loose. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage until browned and cooked through. Transfer cooked meat to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 1/4 cup fat from skillet. Add the apples, onion, and celery, and cook, stirring, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the onion mix to the bowl with the sausage.
2. Stir the bread crumbs or cubed bread into the bowl with the sausage and onion mix. Add thyme, salt, and pepper, stirring to combine. Put seasoned bread into the slow cooker.
3. In the bowl in which the bread mixture was prepared, whisk the eggs together lightly and add the chicken stock. Whisk briefly to combine. Pour over bread mixture. Dot with the butter pieces.
4. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours. Transfer to a bowl to serve, garnishing with the chopped parsley.