Our family loves this dish all year round. It is so hearty and easy to put together

Cooktop Cove: Our family loves this dish all year round. It is so hearty and easy to put together

By Emily Monaco

Stuffing might seem like a dish one can only serve once a year, but it doesn't need to accompany a roasted turkey with all the trimmings. The recipe below combines cubes of slightly dried bread with aromatics and crumbled sausage for a dish that can be served as a delicious main or side any time of year.

The sausage will lend a lot of flavor to this dish, so choose it carefully. A fennel-infused sweet Italian sausage is a great option, but for a spicier kick, a chorizo-style sausage will also do the job nicely. Whatever you choose, be sure to reserve the fat to cook the aromatics: This will infuse the rest of the stuffing with tons of flavor.

Sausage and stuffing casserole

20 minutes

1 hour

1 hour 20 minutes

1/2 pound sausage, removed from casing

One onion, finely diced

Two ribs celery, finely diced

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup half and half

3 cups dry bread, cubed

1 cup dry cornbread, cubed (or sub dry bread)

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Heat the sausage in a skillet over high heat. Break it up with a wooden spoon, and cook it until it's browned on all sides. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the onion and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and slightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Deglaze with the chicken stock, and bring it to a simmer.

Add the half and half, and remove from the heat.

Arrange the dry bread cubes in a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Pour the hot stock mixture over the top and toss well to moisten. Allow to sit out for about five minutes so that the bread can absorb the liquid, then add the sausage and toss once more.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until browned on top.