Sausage & Apple Stuffin' Muffins

We're counting down to Turkey Day! A traditional Thanksgiving table wouldn't be complete without some stuffing or dressing. Some folks prepare it as part of the turkey where it's stuffed in the cavity to cook [hence, the name 'stuffing'] while other folks like it prepared separately as a stand alone side dish to compliment the meal  [also known as 'dressing']. Is it me or are both these terms used interchangeably? I for one am a stuffing/dressing type of gal where I prefer it served as a stand alone side dish. Although I'm not sure how I'll do this year since I need to make some gluten free adjustments. If you're like me and prefer stuffing/dressing separately, forget the usual way of serving it up in a casserole dish. Instead, try them in muffin form like these Sausage & Apple Stuffin' Muffins! Great for portion control and much more fun to serve, these stuffing muffins are full of savory sausage, chopped sweet apple, tender celery and a whole lot of flavor that will be a memorable dish on your holiday table...

I simply cannot take any credit for this dish with the exception of the photo above. My friend Jessica came over last week to the Thanksgiving Potluck Party & Playdate I hosted. Jessica has a great blog, The Jey of Cooking, and I knew that whatever she brought would be darn good. She made these stuffin' muffins and they were a hit! I loved the small portions, making it easy to serve. The kids loved how portable they were and of course, they have the perfect balance of sweet and savory, as well as a nice mix of soft and crunchy textures. Yes... these are gluten laden. No... I didn't care that I probably shouldn't have had one (or two). But these were great and I think I'm going to find a way to make them with gluten free bread or croutons for next week!

Sausage & Apple Stuffin' Muffins
prepared by Jessica of The Jey of Cooking
recipe adapted from Buttery Books

1 pound ground Italian turkey sausage
2 tablespoons butter
1 apple, cut into 1/4 inch pieces (Golden Delicious)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of celery soup
1 (14 ounce) bag Sage & Onion Pepperidge Farms stuffing
2 eggs
1 cup of chicken broth
Bunch of parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 12 cup standard muffin tin.

In a medium skillet, crumble in the sausage and brown thoroughly. Remove sausage from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels.

In the same skillet, melt the butter.  Add the apples, celery and sage; saute for about 4 minutes. 

Add the cream soup, stirring to combine and cook for 2 more minutes.

Place the stuffing in a large bowl.  Add the browned sausage and apple cream soup mixture. 

Add 2 eggs to the bowl and using your hands, combine well until fully incorporated.

Add broth until the bread is moistened and you are able to form a ball with the stuffing.

Firmly press the stuffing into the prepared muffin tin.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until set.

To serve, remove from muffin pan and garnish with a parsley leaf.