Aaron Hutcherson’s Sausage, Green Apple, and Caramelized Onion Stuffing for #CelebrateWithAPlate

By Natasha Bunzl, Communications Associate

We asked some of our favorite chef friends around NYC to share a recipe that our followers might cook for their Thanksgiving Meal. The result is a 5-dish simple but delicious Thanksgiving menu. We’ll be releasing one recipe from a different borough each Sunday for the next 5 weeks here on our blog. We think you can enjoy these any day of the year.

This week, we’re in Queens where we serve 1,082 clients. This beautiful stuffing comes from Aaron Hutcherson, chef, writer and lover of all things food. You can find more of his fantastic recipes on his blog, The Hungry Hutch.

Of this recipe, he says “For many, but particularly those within the queer community, the concept of friends as family isn’t anything new. But as we endure the current pandemic as best we can, connecting with our chosen family is now more important than ever. Because most of us are unable to travel to visit our relatives this Thanksgiving, I look forward to celebrating a day of thanks with those nearby that are my home within the Big Apple—and I encourage you to do the same. Though this holiday might look a little different than Thanksgivings past, it can still be filled with just as much joy, gratitude, and love.”

Ingredients:

1 lb. sweet/mild Italian sausage

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 medium yellow onions, sliced

1 tablespoons dried sage

salt

black pepper

2 granny smith apples, diced

10 cups bread cut into cubes

(about a 1 lb. loaf)

2 eggs

2 cups + 1 cup unsalted chicken stock

Nonstick cooking spray

Method:

1. Place the sausage and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, rendering the fat and cooking until brown. Transfer cooked meat to a large bowl, leaving any rendered fat in the pan.

2. Add butter and sliced onions. Cook for about 15 minutes until translucent and they begin to brown. Season with salt, 1 tablespoon sage, and 1 teaspoon black pepper.

3. If your bread isn’t already stale, at this point you can lay the cubes on a sheet tray and place in a 300 ̊F oven until dry and hard to the touch.

4. Add apples and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes until the onions are nice and caramelized. Add the onion/apple mixture to the bowl with the sausage (be sure to scrape up any brown bits too).

5. Beat the eggs with 2 cups of stock. Add to the rest of the ingredients in the bowl along with the dried bread. If needed, add reserved chicken stock until all of the bread is moistened—I used about another 1/2 cup.

6. At this point I tasted the mixture for seasoning and added approximately 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon sage, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. (Yes, I realize there is raw egg in the mixture, but you won’t die. Plus, I’m sure that has never stopped you when it came to eating cookie dough.)

7. Pour the stuffing into a greased baking dish and cover with foil. Bake in a 350 ̊F oven for 30 minutes.

8. Remove the foil, increase the temperature to 450 ̊F, and bake for another 20 minutes until it browns and crisps slightly. Let cool slightly before serving.

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All 5 of the dishes we’ll be sharing celebrate the immense diversity of flavors, experiences, clients, and supporters that we are lucky to be surrounded by in our beloved home-city.
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Please enjoy these dishes and share your results online by tagging @godslovenyc and #CelebrateWithAPlate

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