Italian Kale and Sausage Stuffing Recipe
Adapted from here.
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.