Mushroom Stuffing with Sausage, Apple, and Walnuts

I hate being "good" over the holidays, but this lower-carb mushroom stuffing makes it so much better! This portobello mushroom-based stuffing has all the amazing flavors of a hearty stuffing without the bread. It is so easy, rich, and delicious, my family eats it as a side dish for any type of meat, any time of year.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 466 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
• ½ medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 3 large portobello mushrooms, diced
• 4 (3.5 ounce) links sweet Italian sausages
• 2 tablespoons red wine, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided, or more to taste
• 2 large red apples, diced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step 2

Sprinkle each eggplant slice generously with salt and sandwich between paper towels. Place a heavy pan on top of the eggplant slices and set aside for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Combine onion, walnuts, celery, and garlic in a bowl. Mix all mushrooms in a second bowl.

Step 4

Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat. Squeeze sausage meat without the skin into meatball-sized segments and add to the skillet. Cook in its own juices until browned, breaking up sausage into bite-sized pieces while cooking, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion mixture to the skillet and saute until soft, about 10 minutes.

Step 5

Meanwhile, rinse off salt and any accumulated liquid from eggplant slices. Don't be afraid to twist and squeeze the slices. Dice eggplant and add with mushrooms to the skillet. Continue to cook stuffing over low heat until mushrooms have softened, about 10 minutes. Add chicken stock, red wine, and 1 tablespoon butter. Season with oregano, rosemary, sage, salt, and pepper. Mix in diced apples. Place remaining butter in thin pats on top of the stuffing and transfer skillet to the preheated oven.

Step 6

Cook stuffing until browned on the top, about 15 minutes.