Elegant Turkey Stuffing

The distinctiveness of this fancy turkey dressing comes from the orange-flavored liqueur, spicy Italian sausage, apples, and pecans. It's also very easy to prepare. This recipe makes enough to stuff one 18- to 20-pound bird. If you prefer, this dressing can be made with thyme instead of sage.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Calories: 280 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup raisins
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 (16 ounce) package herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing mix
• 1 ½ cups orange liqueur
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
• 4 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place raisins in a small saucepan and cover with 1 cup of liqueur. Bring to a boil; remove from heat and set aside.

Step 2

In a large skillet, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat. Sauté celery and onion in butter for 10 minutes; transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Step 3

In the same skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat until crumbled and evenly brown. Drain.

Step 4

Combine sausage and stuffing mix with celery and onion mixture. Stir in raisins and liqueur, pecans, and apples. Mix in melted butter, chicken broth, 1/2 cup orange liqueur until stuffing is completely moistened. Season with sage, salt, and pepper.