Around this time of year, I always seem to get a craving for turkey with all the fixings.  As a Canadian-American, and in commemoration of Canadian Thanksgiving (which is tomorrow 10/12/20), I thought I’d share this recipe for a delicious stuffing that’s chock full of tasty autumn goodies.  Added benefit: it’s another good way to polish off that giant bag of Costco dried cranberries!  If you prefer not to stuff your turkey, I have also baked this stuffing in a casserole dish alongside the bird.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

By Brenda Fenech-Soler

(Yield: makes 12 cups of stuffing, enough for 18 pound turkey)

NB: Always cool the stuffing completely before filling the turkey.

Ingredients

2 pounds well-spiced bulk turkey sausage
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups each chopped red onions and celery
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried sage leaves, crumbled
12 cups cubed (1-inch) bread, toasted
2 Granny Smith apples, diced
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup each dried apricots and pitted prunes, quartered
2 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Brown the sausage in a pan, breaking up clumps; remove to a large bowl.

Add the oil to the pan; stir in the onions, celery, garlic, thyme, and sage and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.  

Add to the sausage along with the bread, apples and dried fruits. Toss well.  

Drizzle the broth over the mixture to moisten as desired and season with salt and pepper.  

Cool before stuffing the turkey. 

Nutritional Information Per serving (3/4 cup):  330 calories, 43 g carbohydrates, 14 g protein, 11 g fat, 45 mg cholesterol.