Southern Italian Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipe

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds bulk Italian sausage
• 6 ounces pancetta bacon, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 7 large stalks celery, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups day-old French bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 cups crumbled cornbread
• 1 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1.5 tablespoons rubbed dried sage
• 1.5 tablespoons poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 0.5 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 1 ounce shaved Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or roasting pan. Gather all ingredients for the stuffing.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook and stir the Italian sausage until it's crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain off any excess grease.
3. Transfer the cooked sausage to a large mixing bowl.
4. In the same skillet, heat pancetta and olive oil over medium heat until the pancetta begins to brown. Add celery and onions, and cook until the onions become soft and translucent, approximately 8 minutes.
5. Stir in minced garlic and cook until the aroma becomes mellow, about 3 minutes.
6. Transfer the onion mixture to the bowl containing the cooked sausage.
7. Add French bread, cornbread, pine nuts, rubbed sage, poultry seasoning, and salt to the bowl. Stir to combine all ingredients. Pour in chicken broth and add mozzarella cheese. Mix until the bread absorbs the broth and the stuffing is well combined.
8. Transfer the prepared stuffing to the greased baking dish, packing it in evenly. Dot the top with butter. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top turns golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Garnish with fresh sage and shaved Parmesan cheese before serving.

Nutrition

• Calories: 594 kcal
• Fat Content: 35 g
• Fiber Content: 4 g
• Sugar Content: 5 g
• Sodium Content: 1795 mg
• Protein Content: 26 g
• Cholesterol Content: 71 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 45 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 14 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g