Oyster and Sausage Stuffing

Ingredients

1 pound mild Italian sausage
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh thyme, chopped
½ cup fresh sage, chopped
¼ cup fresh rosemary, chopped
2-3 stalks celery, diced
½ lemon, juiced and zested
1 medium yellow onion, chopped OR 3 scallions, diced
4 - 5 cups of bread cubes (about 1/4 inch cubes)
½ pint of shucked oysters, roughly chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
1 cup chicken stock
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350. Chop herbs and vegetables.
In a large skillet brown the sausage, crumbling as it cooks.
Put chopped herbs and vegetables in a large bowl and add in the lemon juice and zest.
Add bread and oysters. Fold in the sausage to the bread mixture.
Mix in the beaten egg and butter then the chicken stock. Add salt and pepper.
Transfer the stuffing mixture to a 9x9 square baking dish or larger dish if you double the recipe.
Bake for 1 hour or until the top is golden brown.

Nutrition Information

Yield 10
Amount Per Serving Calories 390Total Fat 25.3gSaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 120mgSodium 682mgCarbohydrates 22.3gFiber 3gSugar 2.3gProtein 19g

Traditions are a way to honor family, culture, community, or any other meaningful part of your life. Just about everyone has some type of tradition in their life. Traditions are passed down through generations to be carried on for as long as possible. One of the many traditions in my family is Oyster and Sausage Stuffing. If you’re not from the south or a coastal town then it may sound like the last thing you’d want to eat. But, as the saying goes, don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it!

Yes, there are plenty of people who don’t like oysters in their stuffing, and for those people, I make a shellfish-free version. The recipe I’m sharing today is halved from the usual oyster & sausage stuffing I make. It can easily be doubled, so if you know it’ll be loved then, by all means, make a full batch! Just be sure to use a larger baking dish if you double the recipe.

I did make some changes to the traditional recipe that’s been passed down. One thing I’ve changed, due to personal taste, is cut out the celery and replace it with celery seed; I hate the crunch of celery. You can use celery if you prefer, just chop 2 – 3 stalks into 1/4 inch bits or smaller. Another change was using scallions in place of the yellow onions. If you prefer yellow onions, use yellow onions! Just dice a medium yellow onion into 1/4 inch bits.

Fresh herbs are important to the integrity of this recipe. Besides having a better, earthy flavor, they add some much appreciated aromatic bliss to the entire home while this stuffing is in the oven. It doesn’t have to be a holiday to smell like one! Sometimes you want the scent of Thanksgiving or Christmas without the effort. That’s when I pop this stuffing in and voila – instant holiday aroma.

Oyster and Sausage Stuffing Recipe