Chef Gina Makes Pretzel Bread Sausage Stuffing

Many of us have family holiday traditions. Growing up, I didn’t love stuffing. In hindsight, I probably had one mediocre serving and swore it off forever. So, when I took over cooking the Thanksgiving feast 10 years ago, I decided to improve our standard stuffing – a bit dry and underwhelming – and replace it with an almost bread-pudding-like version, soaked in eggs and cream and laced with melted cheese.

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You can see the recipe that kicked off my love affair with stuffing here. This year, I have added a twist – still, bread soaked in a flavorful liquid and sprinkled with cheese – but this time, I am using pretzel rolls, gruyere cheese, and beer! This recipe is unique and is packed with flavor that your family and friends will love. Enjoy!

Pretzel Bread Sausage Stuffing

Prep Time: 60 min

Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 LARGE ONION, CHOPPED
2 LB. SAUSAGE OF CHOICE, LOOSE OR REMOVED FROM CASING
2 TBS GARLIC, MINCED
3 TBS FRESH HERBS (SUCH AS SAGE, THYME, ROSEMARY), MINCED
10 HEAPING CUPS CUBED PRETZEL ROLLS
1 LARGE APPLE, CHUNKED
1 ½ CUPS GRUYERE CHEESE, SHREDDED
2 CUPS CHICKEN BROTH
1 CUP BEER
1 TBS DIJON MUSTARD
4 EGGS
SALT & PEPPER, TO TASTE

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large, high-edged pan or Dutch oven, sauté onions in a bit of oil until tender, approx. 3-5 minutes.
Add sausage to pan and brown while breaking into pieces.
Add garlic and herbs cook for a few more minutes, stirring to mix ingredients. Once the sausage is browned, remove it from heat, let cool slightly.
Fold the bread and apples into the sausage herb mixture, allowing the bread to soak up any liquid in the pan. Then transfer the mixture into a 9×13 oven-safe baking dish.
Sprinkle bread with the gruyere cheese.
In a separate bowl, whisk together chicken broth, beer, mustard, eggs, salt, and pepper. Then pour evenly over the bread mixture, let soak for at least 15 minutes (or overnight if possible).
Bake for 40-50 minutes, covered.

Notes

I was inspired by a German bratwurst sandwich for this stuffing. You could use Bratwurst sausage or any kind of sausage you prefer.
I used what’s traditionally known as the “Poultry Blend” for the herbs since this is the same combination of herbs I’ll be using on the turkey.
If freezing ahead (like I do), stop after step 5. Put mixture into a large zip lock bag, label, and freeze for up to two months. When You want to bake the stuffing, transfer from the zip lock bag into a baking dish, and proceed with the remaining steps, cooking for approx. 10-20 minutes. Longer