Satko Family Recipes

South Beach Diet Friendly Whole Wheat Stuffing with Sage, Italian Sausage, and Pear

1 T extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for oiling dish
4 cups 100% whole wheat bread, cut into cubes
1 pkg. sweet Turkey Italian Sausage (recipe called for one pound, but I used all 5 links, slightly over a pound)
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth (can be canned, recipe called for 1/2 cup)
4 stalks celery, chopped small
1 medium onion, chopped small
(use more or less onion and celery as you prefer)
1 Bosc pear, chopped small (I left the skin on)
1 T chopped fresh sage (I used more, for dried rubbed sage I would still use 1 T)
1 T poultry seasoning, or less
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (do not use dried parsley)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut bread into cubes, place on large cookie sheet, and toast about 25 minutes, or until barely starting to crisp. (This step is optional if you like a softer stuffing.)

While bread toasts, sauté turkey sausage in 1 tsp. of olive oil, until well browned. Don't rush this step. Chop onions, celery, pears, sage, and parsley while turkey sausage browns.

Remove sausage from pan and place in large bowl. Add 2 T of chicken broth to frying pan and scrape up browned sausage bits. Then add remaining 2 tsp. olive oil , celery, and onion, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add pear, sage, and poultry seasoning and cook a few minutes more.

Put toasted bread into bowl with sausage and combine. Then add sautéed vegetable-pear-sage mixture and remaining chicken broth, egg, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, and mix well. Spread stuffing evenly in lightly oiled 9" by 13" baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake about 20 minutes more, or until top is starting to crisp. Serve hot, with turkey and gravy of course! Makes 10-12 cups.