Recipe: Gluten-Free Sausage and Apple Stuffing

As we continue to get closer to the holidays, a number of great Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes are being released. For most Celiacs, the focus will be placed on finding a gluten-free stuffing (which is typically as easy as finding a good gluten-free bread to use with a traditional stuffing recipe).

If this sounds like you, here is a good-looking gluten-free recipe for a sausage and apple stuffing that you will likely enjoy! If you try it out, leave your feedback in the comments below!

Gluten-Free Sausage and Apple Stuffing Recipe

Stuffing Ingredients:

• 1 pound mild bulk breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean All Natural Regular Pork Sausage is gluten-free)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (check ingredients to make sure gluten-free)
• 1 cup dried cranberries, rehydrated in boiling water for 15 minutes and drained
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 6 cups of fresh gluten-free bread, cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces (it tastes best if you remove the crusts before cutting)
• 2 to 3 cups chicken stock, gluten-free
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Stuffing Directions:

1. To prepare the gluten-free bread, spread the 6 cups of cut bread on a cookie sheet (or two) in a single layer and place in a 200-degree oven for about an hour. (Pieces should dry and be a little crispy)
2. To prepare the stuffing, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
3. Sauté sausage in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through.
4. Using a slotted spoon, drain the sausage and move it to a large bowl.
5. Wipe most of the grease out of the pan with paper towels.
6. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat.
7. Add onions, apples, and poultry seasoning to the skillet and sauté until the onions are soft, about 8 minutes.
8. Mix in the drained cranberries, sage, and rosemary.
9. Add the mixture to the sausage, then mix in the bread crumbs.
10. Add the chicken stock a little at a time until the stuffing is very moist. Be sure not to overdo it; it shouldn’t be mushy. Stir carefully to avoid destroying the gluten-free bread crumbs.
11. Season with salt and pepper.
12. Spray a 9- by 13-inch rectangular casserole dish with gluten-free cooking spray, fill with stuffing, and place, uncovered, in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the top is crispy and the center piping hot.
13. Remove and serve immediately.