3-4 links of sweet Italian turkey Sausage
1 1/2 TBSP unsalted butter
1 medium Vidalia onion chopped
1-2 medium Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped, not peeled
1 cup celery chopped
1 TBSP poultry seasoning
1/2 cup dried cranberries, rehydrated in boiling water for 15 minutes and drained
1 TBSP fresh sage leaves chopped
1/2 TBSP fresh rosemary chopped
6 cups whole wheat bread cubes
1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves chopped
1 1/2-2 cups reduced sodium, low fat chicken stock
2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375.  Remove sausage from casings and saute in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until browned (about 10 minutes). Break it up as it cooks.  Spoon cooked sausage into a large mixing bowl.  Melt butter in skillet and add onion, apples, celery, and poultry seasoning and saute until onions are soft about 8 minutes.  Kill the heat and stir in cranberries, sage and rosemary.  Pour into bowl with sausage.  Add bread cubes and parsley and stir to combine.  Gradually pour in broth, stirring until everything is moist but not sopping.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour stuffing into 9×13 baking dish and bake 20-30 minutes or until top is browned and middle is hot.

You can omit the sausage to decrease the fat or to make it vegetarian (use vegetable stock in that case too). You can also take a short cut and substitute the bread cubes with prepared stuffing cubes.

I made this last year (without the sausage) and it was AWESOME!  This year I am going to make it with the sausage.  The image above is the actual pan I made last Thanksgiving!

I do not have the nutritional numbers. However, using turkey sausage or no sausage at all, dramatically decreases the fat and calories then a traditional sausage stuffing.  I also do NOT cook it in the bird because I am a germ freak and I worry about Salmonella.

Happy Turkey Day!

~MEL