Italian Sausage Stuffing with Leeks
This Italian sausage stuffing with leeks is destined to be a hit at your Thanksgiving or Christmas gathering. Made with cremini mushrooms, Pecorino Romano cheese, and, of course, sweet sausage and leeks, its moist interior and crispy exterior make it hard to resist seconds.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 16 ounces sweet Italian sausage ground
- 1 cup celery diced (about 2 ribs)
- 4 cups leeks white and light green parts, sliced thinly (about 2 large leeks)
- 24 ounces cremini mushrooms stems trimmed and sliced thinly
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (Note 1)
- Ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup Italian flat-leaf parsley minced
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ¾ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese divided (½ cup + ¼ cup)
- 4 large eggs whisked
- 8 cups stale rustic bread loaf cut into 1" cubes (Note 2)
Instructions
- In a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, and set aside.
- Add the celery, leeks, and mushrooms to the same pan, and cook for 20-25 minutes until the mushrooms acquire some color. Water will release from the mushrooms and leeks before evaporating, so be patient.
- Stir in the salt, some ground black pepper, the parsley, and the cooked sausage, and heat everything for another 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set the pan aside.
- Stir the chicken broth and ½ cup of the Pecorino into the whisked eggs until well-incorporated. Place the bread cubes in a large casserole dish, and pour the egg mixture over them. Toss gently to ensure even coverage, and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the sausage mixture to the bread cubes, tossing everything gently until well-combined. Don't press the bread cubes; they'll hold their shape. Top the stuffing with the remaining ¼ cup Pecorino.
- Bake in the oven, covered, for 20 minutes, then for another 25-30 minutes, uncovered, until golden on top.
Notes
Note 1: ¼ teaspoon salt might not seem like a lot, but the sausage is salty. Taste and add more if you like, but also keep in mind the addition of the Pecorino, which is inherently salty.
Note 2: A 12- to 14-ounce loaf will yield about 8 cups. In addition to using 1-2 day-old bread, allow it to sit out, uncovered, for a couple of hours after cutting it to dry out even more.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1002kcal | Carbohydrates: 125g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 1137mg | Potassium: 1081mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1277IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 472mg | Iron: 11mg
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