Sage, Sausage and Butternut Squash Stuffing

Sausage and Butternut Squash Stuffing ~ This is my standard issued holiday stuffing. Whether I’m traveling or hosting a holiday, the expectation is this stuffing will be on the table.

As I previously mentioned, I don’t ever prepare the main course for the holidays. The stuffing is about as main course as I get. Call me lazy, but I don’t want to be saddled to an oven on a holiday. The trade-off is I usually do the majority of the sides and desserts and my mother-in-law does the turkey, which works out great because her turkey is terrific.

That said, I like to make my stuffing the evening before and then let the flavors absorb and develop over night. This year my Le Creuset 5 ¾ qt Oval Casserole with Lid made things even easier. I love how it can withstand extreme temperature changes that allows it to go from oven to fridge the day of baking and for overnight storing; from fridge to oven for reheating; and finally from oven to table where its elegance can easily be placed alongside all the other dressy serving platters.

. . . . Uh, yeah, if you haven’t guessed by now, I’m launching into to review and holiday giveaway from Le Creuset. The recipe will be at the end of the post.

If you keep up with my blog you know I love Le Creuset and have previously worked with them to bring their products to you. Well, lucky for us Le Creuset offered to do it again with this elegant oven to table 5 ¾ qt Oval Casserole with Lid. They have generously provided me with the one to review and another one to giveaway to one lucky reader.

Included with the casserole will also be Le Creuset’s signature silicon spatulas. I have been using their spatulas for years now and have some of the previous designs prior to this latest redesign. I am excited to say the new spatula design rocks. The handles have been designed for a more comfortable grip and the spatula portion is even stronger making it so stirring or folding heavy doughs can be done with less elbow grease.

HERE’S HOW TO ENTER THE LE CREUSET HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY:
Each item you do will net you ONE chance to win (for a total of SIX chances); if you ALREADY do any of these things, they DO count! So make sure to comment for each item! You MUST leave each entry as a separate comment or only one comment will count.

• Tweet this giveaway: Tweet
• Leave me a comment here letting me know your favorite holiday side dish.
• Follow Le Creuset on Twitter
• Become a fan of Le Crueset on Facebook
• Follow Bakers Royale on Twitter
• Become a fan of Bakers Royale on Facebook

Important Details:

• This giveaway is open to USA residents only and will end on Thursday 12/11/10 at 11:59 pm PST.
• Winner will randomly be drawn and will be contacted via the email provided on the comment contact form. Winner will have until Sunday 12/14/10 by 11:59 pm PST to claim their Le Creuset 5 ¾ qt. Oval Casserole with Lid, or another winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: This giveaway is provided to you by Le Creuset. The views and opinions expressed on Bakers Royale are purely my own and based upon my personal experiences with Le Creuset.

Sausage and Butternut Squash Stuffing

Preparation:

Heat oven to 375° F. Lightly butter casserole pan.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups butternut squashed, cubed
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1 large loaf Italian bread (about 1 pound), cut into 3⁄4-inch pieces (about 16 cups)
• 4 tablespoon butter
• 8 sage leaves
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• ½ cup fennel, diced
• 1 cup onions, diced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup marsala
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons sage, chiffonade

Directions:

1. Place ½ -1 inch cubed butternut squash on a bakesheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Roast at 400 degrees for about 30minutes or until tender. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet add sausage making sure to break it up with a spoon and cook until browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
3. Divide the bread between 2 rimmed baking sheets and bake until dry and crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Wipe out pan and add butter over medium-high heat. Add sage, thyme, fennel, onions, salt and pepper cook until the butter becomes brown and fragrant. Add marsala and cook until evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes, transfer to a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
5. Combine cream and broth, add the bread, fresh sage and sausage, toss to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until browned, 20 to 30 minutes more.

A few notes:

• Use Italian bread or any crusty bread for best results.
• You can buy pre-cut and cubed butternut squash to cut down on the prep time.
• Use scissors to quickly chiffonade sage or any herb by folding it several times and cutting it into strips.
• The stuffing can be prepared two days in advance and reheated at 325 degrees F for 45-50 minutes the day of.