Day 11 of 12 - Cranberry Sausage Stuffing w/ Walnuts

(no pictures yet, I promise soon!!!

I created this recipe many years ago. It was our first Christmas in this house. It was the first Christmas that I hosted my whole family. I cooked a big turkey that year, and was thankful for an Aldi right around the corner. I believe we had 16 or so people that first year. It was amazing, and a lot of fun. I came up with the following recipe because I wanted to have an "it" stuffing. The one that everyone remembered. The one that the kids would crave when they were grown up and missing home. The one that put my Christmas on the map. It was my first time hosting "the family" Christmas dinner. The torch had been passed to me, even though I was not the oldest, because I was a cook...I loved to cook and loved to entertain. And it was true. It was a lot of fun to host that first year, and in subsequent years. And on the menu each year is this favorite, as requested by my husband. It is now officially not Christmas dinner without it! :)


Cranberry Sausage Stuffing

1 1lb tube pork sausage (bulk)
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 Tbs Butter
2 box Cornbread Stuffing Mix
2 1/2 Cups Fit & Active Chicken Broth
1 cup Southern Grove dried cranberries
1 cup Chef's Cupboard French Fried Onion Strips
1/2 Cup Southern Grove chopped walnuts

Saute onion & celery in butter in a large stock pot (4 qt at least). After 5 minutes, add bulk sausage and brown. In a saute pan, brown sausage. Add chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add cranberries and walnuts. Turn off heat and add stuffing mix and fried onion strips. Stir well and cover pot. Allow to cool completely if you're stuffing into the bird. If serving without cooking in bird, fluff with fork first.

This will stuff about an 18 lb bird.

YUMMY!!!!