cranberry sausage croissant stuffing
Meatless sausage stars in this tart, rich, buttery croissant-based stuffing that’ll wow your meat eating friends straight to Christmas.
Let’s refrain from discussing Christmas right now. It’s November for heaven’s sake, though I’ll admit I bought some holly jolly props from Target’s Wondershop since I figure all the early birds might snatch up the things I need before I drag my lazy ass over to Santa’s factory. Each year, the rush from Halloween to Christmas arrives earlier and the prime shopping periods become more condensed. If you don’t pounce on what you want as soon as you see it on shelves, you can kiss it bye bye until next year.
Instead of dwelling on your gift list, let’s dwell on your Thanksgiving table, and this Cranberry Sausage Stuffing should strike a pose somewhere near your centerpiece. Vegetarian sausage, plenty of autumnal aromatics, buttery soft croissants, and a sprinkle of festive cranberries for a tart pop your guests will adore.
Cwa-sohnt
Why croissants? Why not? In reality, I chose croissants for the stuffing because I wanted to create something a touch more elevated than day-old loaves of Wonder Bread. The croissants are a nice surprise for guests expecting the traditional stuffing formula. This is fairly true to my mom’s usual combination, adding veggie sausage, cranberries, and the croissants for a fun and fresh twist.
To start, toast up those torn-up buttery beauties just for a few minutes to stabilize them a touch for the future bath in filling. Add them to a very large bowl or, in my case, Dutch oven, because my bowls are too puny for the task.
Fill Me Up, Buttercup
…Baby, just to broth me down, and toss me around…
Ok, I’m done.
The filling is simple and infuses your house in every scent one loves from Thanksgiving. Honestly, testing this recipe boosted my excitement for all the smells and tastes synonymous with the day.
Brown some crumbled vegetarian (or regular, if you do lean the meat-eating way) sausage links for about 5 minutes in some olive oil. Move the sausage to a plate or bowl, then add a touch more oil and saute onion, celery, and carrot until softened.
Next, toss in fresh sage, thyme, rosemary, and minced garlic, then melt a whole whopping stick of butter overtop all the goodies. Swirl around the butter until fully melted, then toss in the cranberries and heat until they begin to pop. Throw the sausage back in and remove from the heat.
Add the filling to the croissants. Whisk a couple eggs and pour into the bowl or pan or whatever vessel holds your goodies, then drizzle in about a cup of vegetable broth and toss everything together very lightly until evenly coated. If the mixture is dry, add a bit more broth. I used probably 1 1/2 cups total between this step and after removing the foil during the baking process.
Speaking of baking…Time to bake! Pour the mixture into the trusty casserole dish, spread everything around a bit to distribute evenly. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes covered, then unleash the beast (i.e., the herbaceous aromas) and check for moisture level. Add a bit more broth if necessary, then bake 10-15 minutes longer until the tops of the croissants turn a rich golden brown.
I’m glad stuffing is only allowed, by social conventions, during the holidays. If it were a mainstay during all parts of the year, I’d be bloated with bread and rolling around the foyer searching for my running shoes to burn off the insane amount of carbs and butter. Same goes for au gratin potatoes – though people do eat that year-round, I’m not so enthused about it except during this period.
Fall and winter are riddled with danger, I tell you.
Need more inspiration? Check out the FMG 2021 Thanksgiving Menu and Guide! New and fresh Thanksgiving fare and tips for a seamless, glorious holiday. And if you tried this recipe out, leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Ingredients
- 10 cups croissants, roughly torn (about 9-10 large)
- 4 links vegetarian sausage (or regular)
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 1/2 cup carrots, diced
- 2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick)
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1-2 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large casserole dish with butter or oil. Add the croissants and toast for 5 minutes until lightly golden. Place croissants in a very large bowl. I actually had to use my Dutch oven because so many croissants.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium. Brown the sausage for 5 minutes. Remove to a plate. Drizzle another tablespoon of olive oil and stir in the onion, celery, and carrot for 4-5 minutes until softened. Toss in the sage, thyme, rosemary, and garlic, then add the butter and swirl in the seasonings until melted. Slide in the cranberries and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Pour the filling in with the croissants. Lightly whisk the eggs and add to the bowl with the filling, then slowly stream in 1 cup of vegetable broth. Lightly toss everything. Add broth 1/4 cup at a time if the mixture seems to dry.
- Spread the stuffing into the prepared casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes, then remove the foil and add more broth if needed. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the croissants appear toasty.
