Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  Full of food, wine, friends and no pressure to give gifts, it is the perfect holiday.  I love to spend the morning cooking and the afternoon indulging in all of my favorite once-a-year treats, like this delicious stuffing recipe.  This recipe is my most requested dish, by far; it’s full of juicy pears, savory sausage, fresh herbs, butter and wine.  Oh, and carbs.  Lots of carbs.

This post is the first of a monthly bloggers recipe exchange, where we each post a recipe with a central theme and link to each other.  Join us on the first of each month as this diverse group of food lovers share their favorite recipes, tips and tricks inspired by the seasons.

Ingredients

• 2 tb olive oil
• 1 lb italian sausage (substitute turkey sausage, if desired), casings removed
• 8 cups dry stuffing mix (I prefer Mrs Cubbisons)
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup shallots, finely diced
• 2 cups ripe pears, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh italian parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add celery and shallots and saute for 5-7 minutes, or until celery is translucent.  Add sausage and brown until cooked through.
2. Add white wine* to pan, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
3. In a large bowl, combine stuffing, herbs, sausage mix, pears, butter, and chicken broth.  Stir until combined and stuffing is completely moistened (add additional broth, if necessary.)
4. At this point, you can store in the refrigerator to be cooked at a later time (make up to one day in advance), stuff your turkey with it or bake in a greased casserole at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

*A little tip: I buy those cheap little 4-packs of white wine to keep on hand for cooking (see below).  This way, you don’t have to use a good bottle of wine to cook with or open a whole bottle of bad wine, only to throw out most of it.

And the finished product…

For another delicious Thanksgiving recipe, visit Amy Boring’s lovely blog here – Cranberry Apple Sauce.