Fig and Italian Sausage "Dressing" (not stuffing)

I admit it, this is a repeat from last year's star of Thanksgiving.  However, I've had so many requests for great Thanksgiving dishes, that I thought this is worth republishing. This is a fantastic recipe and result, the best side dish on your holiday table!

What's the difference between "dressing" and "stuffing"? Whether it's cooked inside the bird or outside.  This is dressing, since it's cooked outside the bird and actually great if you're not cooking whole poultry at all!  My "Fig and Italian Sausage Dressing" is a winner, hopefully you can try it either this week or in many of your holiday meals.

Here's the recipe, Happy Thanksgiving!

Ingredients
Serves 4

1 round of rosemary-olive oil Italian bread (wow, I found a recipe, next time I'll make the bread too)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
6 leaves fresh sage, 4 minced and 2 whole
1/2 yellow onion, diced
12-18 dried mission figs, stemmed and quartered
1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings or ground
3 c. low-sodium chicken stock (or homemade turkey or chicken stock)
1/2 tsp. fennel seed, crushed
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Method:
1. Slice the crusts off the bread if desired and dice into cubes.  Leave out for a few hours in advance to dry out slightly.  Preheat oven to 325˚F.  Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 20 minutes, stirring once.  Remove from oven when toasted and let cool.  Increase the oven temperature to 350˚F.

2. Heat the olive oil over medium-high in a medium skillet.  Add the onion and 2 whole sage leaves and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 4-6 minutes.  Add the figs and toss until coated.  Remove from heat, take out the whole sage leaves and set the onions and figs aside.

3. Add the stock to a saucepan and gently bring it up to simmer.

4. Add the sausage to the skillet and sauté, making sure to break sausage into fine chunks and cook until brown on the outside and very little pink inside.  It should be browned as you would ground beef but slightly longer. Remove from heat when cooked through.  Drain any excess fat from the sausage.

5.  Place the bread in a very large bowl.  Add the fennel seed, the minced sage, onions and figs and the sausage.  Mix gently with a spoon.  Slowly add the stock, adding one cup at a time until the bread is completely moist but not soggy.  Depending on your bread, you may need slightly more or less than 3 cups.  Make sure all sides of the bread look coated, but not too wet.  Taste and adjust seasonings with a little kosher salt and ground black pepper.

6.  Spread the dressing into a heavy, dark baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake for 35 minutes covered.  Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes more, until crispy on the top and edges.  Serve immediately!

Comments

[Carlene]

We made this for our thanksgiving dinner this year. A hit with our guests, even those who were skeptical about the figs. The homemade bread was wonderful.

[Stephanie Beack]

Carlene, I agree- this is even better with homemade bread. That's how I did it this year too. So glad to hear it was a hit at your holiday table and I LOVE It when our recipes prove to the skeptics that an open mind and open palate are a great combination!