Sausage Stuffing and Home-made Cranberry Sauce

Thanksgiving Kids Meal

I love Thanksgiving because nobody serves kid food at this meal.  There is simply no time or room in the oven for chicken nuggets.  The kids actually eat the simply prepared foods such as the turkey, corn and sweet potatoes.  You can have one meal for everyone (at least one day of the year)!!!

Two of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes are 1) Sausage Stuffing and 2) Cranberry-Pear Relish.  I have wonderful memories of my mom teaching me how to clean and prepare the turkey and make the stuffing.  Now, I enjoy cooking and teaching my younger cousin how to prepare these special dishes.  Thanksgiving is not just about the food but the traditions and memories associated with the meal.  What Thanksgiving traditions will your children cherish?  I hope you enjoy these recipes and that you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Sausage Stuffing

I always make a double batch for 12-15 people.

1)  Take 1/2 lb of Organic Italian turkey sausage out of casing and fry in a large pot, chopping into small bits until cooked through.  Move sausage to plate and set aside.

2)  In the same pot, heat 1 stick of butter and add the following veggies, cook until softened:

• 1 ½ cups of chopped onions
• 2 cups of peeled and chopped celery
• 1 Tsp of Salt and ½ Tsp of pepper
• 2 Tsp of Poultry Seasoning (or fresh sage, rosemary and thyme)
• Optional:  1/2 cup of mushrooms and/or 1/4 cup of fennel (use top of fennel called “fronds” for added flavor)

3)  Once veggies are softened, remove from heat and add:

• 1 bag of gluten-free bread cubes (12 ozs)
• ¼ cup of fresh chopped parsley
• Cooked Sausage

4.  Gradually add about 2 cups of chicken broth and stir until moistened adding more broth as needed. Should be moistened but not soaking wet.

5.  Place in sprayed baking dish.  You can refrigerate for 1-2 days.  Heat on 350 for 30 minutes (add about 1/4 cup of chicken broth before heating if looks dry).

Cranberry Pear Relish

1)  Bring 1 ½ cups of sugar and ½ cup of water to a boil for 5 minutes.

2)  Add the following and cook on Med/High:

*  1 bag of cranberries (12 oz)
*  2 peeled and diced pears (or 1 can)
*   1 small can of mandarin oranges
*   1/2 Tsp of cinnamon
*  1/2 Tsp of Orange or Lemon zest

3)  Stir and continue cooking until thick like jam (about 15 minutes).  If sauce starts to stick to the pan, reduce heat to Medium.  Press and “pop” all the cranberries.  Cook until smooth and much of the water is absorbed.

4)  Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or days.  This will thicken in the fridge.

Don’t forget to prepare a timeline of tasks to be done to ensure that everything is HOT and ready to serve at the same time – the biggest challenge!