Recipes

[ChiliPepper]

Sausage & Apple Stuffing Bites

Enjoy the timeless pairing of savory pork and sweet apples in these autumnal stuffing bites.

Active Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 24 mini muffins

Ingredients:

• Vegetable cooking spray

• 4 ounces white country bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (3 cups)

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground pepper

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2/3 cup finely chopped onion

• 2/3 cup finely chopped celery

• 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 3/4 teaspoon dried sage

• 1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled and finely chopped

• 4 large eggs, beaten

• 2 tablespoons chicken broth

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 12-cup mini-muffin pans with cooking spray.

2. On a baking sheet, toss together the bread and 2 tablespoons of the oil; season with salt and pepper. Bake in preheated oven until toasted, about 10 minutes. Transfer the croutons to a bowl. (Do not turn the oven off.)

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the onion and celery, and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, garlic, and sage; cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until no trace of pink remains, about 5 minutes.

4. Stir the sausage mixture, apple, eggs, and broth into the croutons. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand for 5 minutes.

5. Pack the stuffing into the muffin cups, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a rack, and let stand for 5 minutes. Carefully loosen the muffins with a sharp paring knife and lift them out. Serve warm.

Notes from the Test Kitchen:

This recipe calls for Granny Smith apples, which add wonderful tart juiciness to the savory pork. You can use another apple variety if you like, though we enjoy the sharpness that Granny Smiths bring to the dish.

Make ahead:

To make your muffins a day ahead, bake them and let them cool in the pans. Cover the muffins and store them in the fridge overnight. Rewarm the muffins in a 350°F oven (or in the microwave) before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Can I use a different type of bread in my stuffing bites?

  Yes, you can try this recipe with another bread of your choice. Hearty whole-grain and seeded breads, as well as homemade pumpernickel bread would make robust stuffing.

• What is the difference between stuffing and dressing?

  Whether you call it stuffing, dressing or filling, largely depends on where you grew up and what the people there called it. Traditionally, the word stuffing referred to the bready mixture you'd stuff inside a bird before cooking it.

  Nowadays, we're all more aware that this method can cause food poisoning, so we typically prepare the stuffing separately from the main bird. You'll often find that dressing in the South is made with cornbread, while stuffing from the North is more often based on white bread.

• What else can I add to these stuffing bites?

  These stuffing bites are already packed with flavorful ingredients, but if you want to play up the savory-meets-fruity flavors even more, you can add chopped dried fruits like cranberries or cherries to the mixture before baking.

• Can I make these stuffing bites vegetarian?

  Yes, you can make these meatless by removing the sausage or replacing it with plant based meat sausage or crumbles.

[RespectLife]

I may have posted this b4.  I found it years ago in a newspaper!  That's how old it is!

Every since, my family insists on it!!!!

WILD RICE CHERRY STUFFING

¾ c wild rice (The long black rice, that doesn’t look like rice!)

1 T olive oil

1 lb pork sausage like the breakfast roll

2 c chopped onions

Chopped celery

½ c Fennel or less to taste    the spice NOT the onion

½ lb Shiitake, white, baby bella, or cremini mushrooms quartered (or a combo of mushrooms

1 bay leaf

¾ t salt

½ t freshly ground pepper

½ c fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped

½ c dried cherries or dried cranberries (I use more, sometimes a combo but mostly dried cherries. I have also used Craisins, dried oranges and dried blueberries!)

½ c brown or wild long-grain rice, cooked according to directions (I use easy Unc Ben in the pouch, TOTALLY OPTIONAL)

½ c slivered almonds

Handful of stuffing mix (crushed, not croutons) to bind, again Totally optional...but it binds it a bit)

May add some chix. broth if needed at the end 

Cook black wild rice according to instructions on pkg. just until tender but still has a slight crunch, approx. 40-50 mins. Remove from heat and cool to room temp.  Can do this the night b4 since it takes so long.

1. Heat oil in large skillet. Add sausage and cook, breaking up w/ a spoon, 5 – 8 mins. till no longer pink.
2. Add onions, celery, fennel, mushrooms, bay leaf, S & P. Cook till vegs soften approx. 5 mins. Add parsley and cherries/craisins, cook 2 mins. Remove from heat.
3. Add brown/long-grain rice and almonds. I then add just a small handful of crushed stuffing mix and some chix broth if needed. This is not a traditional bread/crouton stuffing so just add enuf stuffing mix and broth to make it ‘stuffable’ OR serve as a side dish.

Kinda looks like this...but my recipe calls for slivered almonds, Not pecans,

[RespectLife]

@ChiliPepper 

I bet the oranges w/ those yams is delicious!

Thanks for posting!

[RespectLife]

Those bites look fantastic!

I am def going to try them some time!

Thanks @ChiliPepper 

[ChiliPepper]

Cranberry Brie Bites 

Cranberry Brie Bites are a super easy but beautiful appetizer. Made with crescent roll dough, brie, cranberry sauce and a sprig of rosemary!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes 

Total Time: 25 minutes 

Servings: 24

 

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour (for dusting the dough and cutting board)

8 ounce crescent dough sheet (or crescent rolls)

8 ounce wheel of brie cheese

1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce (not jellied)

fresh rosemary sprig (you will probably need about 2 - depending on how long they are)

 

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375°F degrees. Spray a 24 count mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Spread a little all-purpose flour out onto your counter or cutting board. Then roll out 8 ounce crescent dough sheet. If using crescent rolls, pinch the seams together to make one long sheet.
• Cut crescent roll dough into 24 equal-sized squares.
• Place squares into muffin tin slots.
• Cut 8 ounce wheel of brie cheese into small pieces and place inside the crescent dough squares.
• Top with a generous spoonful of whole cranberry sauce. 
• Then add a small piece of fresh rosemary sprig to each one.
• Bake until the crescent dough is a light golden brown (about 15 minutes). Then serve warm!

Notes:

• Some folks like to cut off the rind to the brie. This isn't necessary with brie but feel free to remove that additional rind if that is your taste preference.
• I used a mini muffin tin. If you don't have a 24 count muffin tin, just use what you have (probably a 12 or 18 count tin.) You will just have to do it one at a time.

Nutrition:

Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 137mg | Sugar: 5g

[ChiliPepper]

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[ChiliPepper]

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