Slow Cooker Sausage & Apple Cornbread Stuffing
Looking for an easy stuffing? When you’re cooking for Thanksgiving, oven space can be limited. Cook your dressing in the slow cooker instead. This is a great recipe to prep ahead of time for easy assembly on the big day. Make this slow cooker sausage and apple cornbread stuffing recipe for your family gathering.
Recommended Apple Variety:
Gala, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Rome
Ingredients:
- 2 boxes (8.5 oz) Jiffy cornbread mix (Made in Michigan!)
- 1 loaf of French Bread (about 14-16 ounces), cubed
- 2 stalks of celery, cleaned
- 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
- 2 large Michigan Gala apples, or other Michigan Apple varieties of your choice, seeded and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 16 oz sausage roll, original style
- 4 cups chicken stock, heated
- 1-teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Directions:
- If making crunchy topping, preheat oven to 375º.
- Prepare cornbread as instructed on the package. You can make both boxes on one large-rimmed cookie sheet. While cornbread is baking, toast French bread in the oven on a separate cookie sheet. Watch it closely!
- In a large chopper, add celery and onion. Pulse to chop into medium-sized chunks.
- Using a large pan, heat over medium heat, add sausage roll.
- Crumble using a wooden spatula, stirring until completely cooked. Drain grease and return to pan.
- Add apples, onions, and celery to the hot pan, plus 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until onions soften slightly. Season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Set aside.
- Preheat your slow cooker to HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Coat with cooking spray.
- Once the cornbread is cooked, chop it into large chunks, matching the size of the French Bread.
- Place both breads into the slow cooker. Add remaining 6 Tablespoons of butter, sliced by tablespoon.
- Add sausage mixture over the bread and slowly pour chicken stock. Stir to combine. Slowly add whisked eggs.
- Allow to cook for about 3 hours, then taste to see if more seasoning is necessary. Remember, the sausage can add a lot of salt!
- If a crunchy topping is desired, put cooked stuffing into a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes at 375º.
