Ciabatta and Sausage Dressing

Ciabatta and Sausage Stuffing

In my family the celebration of Thanksgiving has always been centered around family, friends and a table full of food. Growing up it was a time when my grandmother (Mimi) made her famous apple and pumpkin pies. Her pie crust was legendary and the left over bits and pieces would be baked separately with a little sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon. There would be a turkey, a ham and my grandmothers goulash. Mimi always made the best dressing too and it was always baked in a separate dish on the side. There was a large table for the adults and a couple of card tables for us kids. We were a loud and boisterous group.

I still yearn for the recipes of my childhood. Mimi never wrote a recipe down, and when asked it was; “always just a little of this and a little of that”, nothing was ever measured. In that spirit every year I fixate on a certain dish. This year it is the dressing, it’s the one dish that I make that is never quite right. Too soggy, too much bread, too spicy, not enough herbs, you get the picture. Which leads me to this recipe……

The recipe I used is straight forward and simple, the way Mimi cooked and baked, right from the heart. This rustic dressing is from Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro in Yountville, CA. It is this holiday and restaurant that Mr. Keller and his staff volunteer and serve a Thanksgiving feast to the local veterans and their families. Crusty ciabatta bread holds up wonderfully with the fresh herbs, the trinity of onions, carrots and celery and the sweet sausage.

Some years ago I realized that there is no such thing as a perfect meal. What I perceived as a child was what I saw and felt being around a close knit family that loved being together. It is this tradition that will keep our family happy and optimistic in this year, this holiday. Take care!

yield: 6 to 8Author: Cheriprint recipe

Ciabatta and Sausage Stuffing

prep time: 25 MINScook time: 30 MINStotal time: 55 mins

Crusty ciabatta bread holds up wonderfully with fresh herbs, the trinity of onions, carrots and celery and the sweet sausage to make a rustic holiday dressing.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 pound of sweet or hot Italian sausage
• 2 carrots, cut into 1/4 inch coins
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 small onion, diced about 1/4 pieces
• 2 cups turkey broth
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons sage, coarsely chopped
• 1 12 ounce-loaf ciabatta bread, cut into 1 inch pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Melt 1 tbsp. butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage, breaking up meat into pieces with a large wooden spoon, until browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer sausage into a large bowl, set aside.
3. Add remaining butter to skillet and sauté carrots, celery and onions until tender about 5 to 8 minutes, transfer to sausage bowl. Add stock, oil, parsley, rosemary, sage, salt and pepper. Stir together. Now add bread, toss to combine.
4. Spread mixture into a 9" by 13" baking dish. Bake until golden brown about 30 to 35 minutes.

Created using The Recipes Generator