Sausage, Kale, and Butternut Stuffing

Sausage, Kale, and Butternut Squash are combined in a stuffing that is sure to please any crowd. Be sure to add it to your holiday menu today!

As I mentioned the other day, we’re hosting Thanksgiving at our house with all of our family (well everyone who can make it). We’ve got a total of 17 people coming to our house for the big meal and a variety of time before and after Thanksgiving. To complicate things, we’ve got a vegetarian and a nut allergy to deal with (on top of my lactose intolerance), but I’m looking forward to the challenge.

Being the over planner that I am, I started testing recipes a couple weeks ago in an effort to set the menu with time to plan out when everything needs to go into the oven and whatnot. Now that it’s November, preparations are in full swing. At the end of the summer, I froze some green beans from our CSA for my homemade green bean casserole. We’ve ordered a second fridge to help store food for the week (we had been talking about getting a second fridge for a while anyways). Since people are showing up as early as the Saturday before, I need to think about food for the whole week, not just the big day. I’m hoping to get some food made and frozen ahead of time for the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

So hopefully you guys don’t get sick of my talking about Thanksgiving over the next couple of weeks here… I made this sausage, kale, and butternut stuffing for Hubby and some friends. After two bites, everyone agreed that this had to go on the menu for Thanksgiving. Kale (or spinach) and butternut squash is one of my favorite combinations out there. Add some sausage and you’re golden. I used homemade focaccia in this stuff, but you could obviously use store or bakery bought bread as well.

One Year Ago: Pumpkin Risotto with Seared Sea Scallops
Two Years Ago: Beet Smoothies
Three Years Ago: Homemade Three Musketeers
Four Years Ago: Pecan Pie Cookies
Five Years Ago: Crockpot Keilbasa and Kraut

Sausage, Kale, and Butternut Stuffing

Sausage, Kale, and Butternut Squash are combined in a stuffing that is sure to please any crowd. Be sure to add it to your holiday menu today!

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1 pound sweet Italian fennel sausage, casings removed, broken into small pieces
3 large leeks, white and light-green parts only, sliced
1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bunch kale, leaves trimmed and chopped
1 pound stale onion focaccia, cubed (I used homemade)
1 large egg
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or turkey stock
1 cup diced parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup shredded

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add the leeks and squash and season with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook until the leeks are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the kale, toss and cover until the kale wilts, about 4 minutes. Add the focaccia cubes and the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and toss until the butter melts.

Whisk the egg and chicken broth in a bowl until smooth; stir in the diced parmesan and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour the broth mixture over the bread mixture; cook until the liquid is absorbed by the bread, about 1 minute.

Transfer the bread mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Scatter the shredded cheese evenly on top and bake until golden and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Set aside for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe from Food Network Magazine