Apple, Sausage, and Parsnip Stuffing with Fresh Sage

 Here's a stuffing recipe that I found on Epicurious.com. As soon as I saw it I thought "well, if THAT doesn't scream THANKSGIVING, I don't know what does!" Sausage stuffing with fresh sage? I mean, COME ON! And the apples and parsnips bring a sweetness to the party that is simply just perfect!! It's definitely something new and different, but it's classic at the same time. Cool, huh?
 Now, if you've read any of my other recipes, you know that I can't leave a recipe alone. In this case, I didn't change the ingredients listed in the original recipe, I changed the AMOUNTS. Apparently, the folks at Epicurious were feeding an army, and their amounts were about twice as much as I needed for my 9x13 casserole dish. Then again, they used part of it to stuff the turkey, and part of it to bake in a dish. Since I prefer to stuff the turkey with aromatics, I just cut the recipe in half (except for the butter and chicken broth) and that's how I have listed the recipe below. It worked perfectly! However, if you have quite a gang to feed, or if you prefer to stuff your turkey with stuffing instead of aromatics, then by all means double everything and go for it!


1 lb loaf sliced sourdough bread with crust, cubed
1 lb sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
1 lb hot Italian sausages, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups celery. chopped
3/4 cup (1  1/2 sticks) butter
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cubed
1 lb parsnips, peeled, cubed
1/4 cup packed fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth


Preheat oven to 325°F.
Bake bread cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet until lightly toasted, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, sauté sausages in very large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking into pieces with spoon, about 15 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to large bowl; add bread.
Add onions and celery to same skillet and sauté until golden brown, about 10 minutes; transfer to bowl with bread. Melt 1/4 cup butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes; mix apples into stuffing. Melt 1/4 cup butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add parsnips and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes; mix into stuffing. Melt 1/4 cup butter in same skillet. Add sage and sauté until dark green, about 2 minutes. Mix sage and butter into stuffing. Season with salt and pepper.
Place in buttered casserole dish. Drizzle with 1/2 cup chicken broth. Cover with foil.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake stuffing covered until heated through, about 1 hour. Uncover and bake until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.


Tips:
When I brought some to my brother, Chris, he said he wished that it would hold together a little more. Since there are no eggs or any kind of binder to the recipe, the best way to keep everything together is to chop everything a little more finely than I did, and don't skimp on the butter and chicken broth. Again, the amounts are just guidelines. Add them til it's enough!
This can absolutely be prepared a day in advance. Actually, you could even do it TWO days in advance if you cover it tightly with foil and keep it in the fridge until it's time for baking.