Slow Cooker Stuffing with Apple and Sausage Recipe

This is it, the time we've all been waiting for. The weather is cooler, we can wear baggy sweaters, put on elastic waist pants, and eat.

Really eat.

it's your patriotic duty, you know.

We're having a bunch of people over for Thanksgiving. I'm not sure how many---somewhere between 24 and 33. It's a wide range.

we really shouldn't talk about it too much.

I might hyperventilate.

But! there will be lots of food. And? a rocking stuffing that has both sausage and apples.

I'm a giver.

The Ingredients.

serves 8 (at least)

12 cups dried bread cubes (I used brown rice bread.)

8 ounces ground pork or turkey sausage, browned and drained

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/2 cups chopped Granny Smith apples (no need to peel)

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 cups diced celery

1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup chicken broth, plus an additional 1/4 cup if desired

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker (or larger if you have one). Cut the bread into 1/2 inch cubes and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, flipping once, or until the bread is golden brown and toasty. While the bread is toasting, brown the sausage on the stovetop and drain. Toss the bread cubes and sausage together in your slow cooker, and pour in the melted butter.

Add apples, vegetables, and seasonings. Use two large spoons to toss the ingredients and disperse the spices. Pour in 1/2 cup chicken broth, and stir gently to coat bread and veggies with broth. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours. When the bread is browned on the top and edges, and the vegetables are tender, your stuffing is done. Stir well, and keep on the warm setting until meal time.

Add an additional 1/4 cup of broth before serving and stir again if you'd like added moisture.

The Verdict.

This was the first time I've  made a stuffing with sausage, and I loved it. I liked the savory, smoky bits strewn throughout the bread cubes, and I loved the way the spices all worked well together. 

 gobble gobble gobble.

Utilizing your slow cookers this Thanksgiving, or any other big honking family Holiday:

Plan ahead. Make your meal plan a week or so before the event, and purchase non-perishable food.

I'm serving:

cranberry sauce

mashed potatoes with cream cheese and sour cream

traditional stuffing

cornbread stuffing

(or maybe I'll combine the two and add the sausage and apples from this one? not quite sure. I'm leaning that way though...)

candied sweet potatoes

sweet and sour caramelized onions

dijon brussels sprouts

we're doing turkey in the oven and ham on the bbq

dessert is being brought. If I was making it, I'd do crustless pumpkin pie and ice cream.

need more? crockpot holiday food 

I will do as much as humanly possible in the next few days to keep Thursday from being beyond bonkers.

I suggest making cranberry sauce as early as Monday, chopping all vegetables and keeping them in sealed plastic bags on Tuesday, you can boil potatoes, sweet potatoes early, make dessert a day or 2 ahead of time, etc.

and delegate!

I'm *very* lucky in that Adam enjoys being in the kitchen (probably more than I do!), and likes to chop onions and vegetables. (I'm not ever going to be a person to have a zen moment while chopping onions. It's just not who I am.) 

I also make sure the house is clean days before having company. I've always stuck to my Daily 7, and then just kick it up a notch a few days before expecting a houseful of people. The last thing you need to worry about on a Holiday is whether or not the toilet is clean!

and my last tip? Get 3 large rubbermaid garbage cans, and put them in the middle of the living room. Plop a kid into each one and don't let them out until the event is over.

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA! :-)

What are your make-ahead secrets for a stress-free (or lesser) Holiday meal?