Thanksgiving Stuffing the Italian Way!

Coming from an Italian-American family, our Thanksgiving table is always a blend of tradition with an Italian twist. One of my favorites is this stuffing, the classic bread and mirepoix base, then loaded with Italian sausage, chestnuts, and all those cozy flavors I grew up with.

What are some “non-traditional” dishes you have on Thanksgiving?

Italian Sausage and Chestnut Stuffing
Ingredients:
– 16 oz day-old bread, cut into 1″ cubes
– 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
– 3 Tbsp butter (plus 3–4 Tbsp for topping)
– 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
– 1 1/2 cups finely chopped Vidalia or yellow onion
– 2–3 garlic cloves, finely minced
– 1 cup chopped celery (about 3 stalks)
– ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
– 1 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
– 1 Tbsp fresh chopped sage
– ¾ tsp salt (or to taste) & Black Pepper to taste
– ½ cup white wine (for deglazing)
– 2-3 cups turkey or chicken stock
– 3 large eggs
– 3/4 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
– ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
– 5 oz chestnuts, roughly chopped

Steps:
1️⃣ Preheat oven to 350°F and spread bread cubes on a sheet pan. Toast until lightly golden and dry.
2️⃣ Heat olive oil and 3 Tbsp butter in a large skillet. Add sausage and cook until browned. remove the sausage asn set aside.
3️⃣ Add the onion and celery into the pot with the sausage drippings, add the salt and a generous amount of fresh ground pepper.  Sauté until softened, then add the garlic and cooked until fragrant about 2 minutes
4️⃣ Add parsley, rosemary, sage, and salt. Cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
5️⃣ Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Let it simmer until mostly reduced.
6️⃣ In a large bowl, combine toasted bread, sausage, onion mixture, and chestnuts.
7️⃣ Whisk together 2 cups of stock, eggs, heavy cream, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
8️⃣ Pour wet mixture over stuffing and gently toss until coated. If it feels too dry, add another ½ to 1 cup of broth.
9️⃣ Transfer to a buttered 9×13 baking dish. Dot with remaining butter.
🔟 Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, then uncover and bake 20 minutes or until golden and crisp on the outside and moist and flavorful on the inside

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