What does adding egg to stuffing do?

Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture .

Does stuffing need to be cooked before?

Give stuffing a head start by heating it up before placing inside the turkey . Like the turkey, stuffing needs to reach the 165 degree mark.

What is sausage stuffing made of?

A mixture of sage, sausage, onion, garlic, and celery lends this stuffing classic flavor.

What can you use as a binder instead of eggs in stuffing?

16 egg substitutes Mashed banana. Mashed banana can act as a binding agent when baking or making pancake batter. ... Applesauce. Applesauce can also act as a binding agent. ... Fruit puree. Fruit puree will help bind a recipe in a similar way to applesauce. ... Avocado. ... Gelatin. ... Xanthan gum. ... Vegetable oil and baking powder. ... Margarine. More items... Mar 30, 2021

What makes stuffing unhealthy?

Stuffing is not strictly a healthy food, because it is typically high in calories, fat, sodium, and refined carbohydrates . 1 But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, All foods can fit into a healthy diet in moderation.

Is it better to make stuffing the day before?

The short answer to whether you can making stuffing ahead of time is yes. " Making stuffing ahead saves time, allows stove and oven space for other things, and making it ahead gives time for the flavor to fully develop ," Chef David Tiner, Director at Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge, tells Southern Living.

Is it OK to make stuffing the day before?

Absolutely. Most Thanksgiving stuffing recipes can be made at least partially in advance since: A) They're easily assembled a day or two ahead of Thanksgiving Day; and B) They're often baked using a two-step process (once covered with foil to cook through, then uncovered to achieve a crispy top).

Is it better to make stuffing with fresh or dry bread?

Any attempts to make stuffing with soft, fresh baked bread will result in a bread soup with a soggy texture. Follow this tip: Stale, dried-out bread makes the best stuffing .

How much water do you put in sausage before stuffing?

Add at least 1 oz. of water per pound of meat to aid in the stuffing process.

Why use a sausage stuffer?

You will be surprised how easy it is to stuff your seasoned ground meat into sausage casings with a sausage stuffer. You can use your meat grinder with stuffing tubes to stuff your sausages, but a sausage stuffer is easier to control, especially if you are doing large batches of sausage .

Why use an egg as a thickener?

Creamy desserts such as crème brûlée also benefit from eggs' ability to emulsify and produce smooth, satiny, hom*ogeneous mixtures. Their ability to hold up to four times their weight in moisture makes eggs a good thickener for sauces, custards and curds. The proteins in eggs coagulate or set at different temperatures.

How do you keep stuffing moist?

Typically, baking the stuffing inside the bird helps keep the mixture moist. “I prefer stuffing (in the bird) to dressing (outside of the bird) because all those delicious drippings that come off the turkey gets absorbed right into the stuffing,” Bamford says.

Why do we need to apply egg yolk in some dressing?

You can use boiled egg yolks in scratch-made dressings or whisk them into store-bought dressings for the ultimate creamy upgrade. Boiled egg yolks can thicken a dressing without breaking or clumping while creating a silky consistency that thoroughly coats your salad ingredients .

Why do people add eggs to everything?

Not only do eggs add an element of creamy indulgence, there's even some science behind their joy. “ Eggs are a perfect emulsifier and binder so work really well to make many dishes cohesive ,” she continues.

Italian Kale and Sausage Stuffing Recipe (2024)

10 Oct 17, 2015 Fall| Jump to Recipe

Where all my stuffing lovers at??

This post may contain affiliate links.

I’ve been making a version of this Italian Kale and Sausage Stuffing recipe each Thanksgiving for the pastfive years. It’s a staple. Everyone loves it. Stuffing is actually my favorite Thanksgiving side dish. I mean what’s there not to love about a savory bread casserole studded with vegetables? Crispy on top and tender below. It’s heaven!

Over the years, I’ve tried many other stuffing recipes, and all were good, but somehow, I always come back to this one. It’s just so darn good. Milk-soaked pieces of airy ciabatta are tossed with a savory mixture of cooked Italian sausage, onion, celery, garlic, parsley and Tuscan kale. Parmesan cheese, basil, sage and rosemary are folded into the mixture, and then the entire casserole is baked until gloriously golden brown. With each bite, you’ll get hits of rich sausage, bitter kale, fresh herbs and salty Parmesan. For Thanksgiving this year, youmust make this stuffing. Continue reading for the recipe

Since I’ve been making this dish for so long, I’ve got a few tips to share to make the process super simple and approachable:

Prepare this dish the day before Thanksgiving, and let the flavors meld together overnight. You’ll want to cover the baking dish and store in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature and uncover before baking with other sides.
If you want to make this dish, but you don’t want to buy all those fresh herbs, you can substitute dried versions for the basil, rosemary and sage (quantities below). Fresh parsley is a must though.
This recipe calls for 1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese, and I would highly recommend “grating” your cheese in a food process using the regular steel blade. This makes the process quick, and the cheese easy to measure. Donot use canned Parmesan cheese here. Or ever really.
If kale’s not your thing, try any other hearty green here (swiss chard, regular spinach, collard greens, mustard greens, etc.).
French bread can be used if ciabatta is not available.

Seasoning is very important here, because most of the ingredients are not naturally salty. Once you’ve mixed up all the ingredients (through step 3 below), taste several bites of the stuffing and add moresalt as needed. Gently mix as you season, so you don’t break up the bread pieces.

Italian Kale and Sausage Stuffing Recipe

by Brandon Matzek

Adapted from here.

4.50 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings 16 servings

Ingredients

3/4 pound ciabatta bread, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 pounds mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds kale, ribs removed and leaves coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese*
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried

Instructions

Place sliced bread in a shallow baking dish or bowl, and drizzle with milk to saturate. Let sit for 30 minutes, gently flipping occasionally to ensure even soaking.
Meanwhile, warm a large cast iron pot (6 - 8 quarts) over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring often to crumble, until lightly golden (10 - 15 minutes). Stir in the onion, celery, parsley and garlic along with a pinch of kosher salt and several turns of black pepper. Cook until the onion and celery soften (5 to 8 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add kale, 1/2 cup water and a pinch of kosher salt, and cook until the kale wilts (about 5 minutes). I like to switch to tongs here to easily mix up the kale and the sausage mixture.
Using your hands, break up the bread into bite sized pieces, then place in a large bowl. Add the sausage-kale mixture to the bowl along with the Parmesan cheese, basil, sage, rosemary, 2 pinches of salt and several turns of black pepper. Gently toss the mixture until all ingredients are evenly incorporated (I like to use my hands here). Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Spoon stuffing into a 9 by 13 baking dish.
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Bake uncovered until hot (at least 150° in center) and lightly browned (25 - 30 minutes).

Notes

This stuffing can be prepared 1 day in advance up to step 3. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Bring casserole to room temp before continuing with step 4 or bake the chilled casserole for a longer time period (may take up to 1 hour).

If you are preparing this dish on Thanksgiving with other sides in the oven, the stuffing can be baked at 325°F or 350°F, depending on temperatures needed bake other casseroles. If baking at 325°F, plan on cooking for 30 - 35 minutes.

Tried this recipe?Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can check it out!

Here are some other Thanksgiving side dish recipes on Kitchen Konfidence:

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Rice Krispie Topping

Brussels Sprout Slaw

Green Bean Casserole

Brussels Sprout and Caramelized Shallot Gratin

Brandon

I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, co*cktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!