Cornbread-Sausage Stuffing with Apples

This stuffing goes big on texture and flavor by using three different breads: crumbled cornbread, wheat bread, and French bread. Each one brings something different. The cornbread adds sweetness and crumble, the wheat bread gives heft, and the French bread stays light and absorbs all the butter and pan juices.

Tart apples like Jonathan or Winesap get seared in butter over high heat until they take on color but still hold their shape. That quick sear caramelizes the sugars on the outside while keeping the inside firm, so you get pops of fruity tartness instead of applesauce.

The breakfast sausage brings savory depth and fat. Save that rendered sausage fat, because you’ll use it to baste the stuffing later if baking it in a casserole. That fat carries the sausage flavor right into the bread.

Pecan halves scattered throughout add a buttery crunch that plays off the soft bread and tender apples. Combined with sage, thyme, and Italian parsley, this stuffing is holiday-worthy but unfussy.

Chef Tips

• Cool the stuffing completely before stuffing any bird. Warm stuffing in a cold turkey is a food safety risk.
• Don’t peel the apples. The skin holds the chunks together during baking.
• Coarsely crumble the breads. You want varied textures, not uniform cubes.
• If baking as a casserole, the water bath keeps the stuffing moist and prevents the edges from drying out.

Variations

• Add dried cranberries for tart, jewel-toned pops of color and flavor.
• Use Italian sausage instead of breakfast sausage for a more herbed, savory version.
• Stir in chestnuts for a more traditional holiday stuffing.