Ingredients
1lbground Italian sausage,or preferred kind of sausage
2tbspolive oil,divided
2medium sweet potatoes,peeled, diced
2medium leeks,halved, thinly sliced, white and pale green parts only
2celery stalks,thinly sliced
1apple,cored, diced
5garlic cloves,minced
6cupscrusty bread,stale, roughly-diced
½cuppecans,chopped
⅓cupdried cranberries
3tbspfresh herbs,chopped, *
2½cupschicken stock,or vegetable stock
2eggs
Preparation
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large non-stick sauté pan, brown the sausage over medium-high heat, crumbling it with a spoon or spatula as it cooks.
Once the sausage is browned and cooked through, transfer it with a slotted spoon to a separate plate, and set aside.
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil or leftover grease from the sausage to the same sauté pan, and stir in the sweet potatoes.
Season with salt and pepper, then sauté for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a separate plate, and set aside.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the sauté pan, and add the leeks, celery, apple, and garlic.
Season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the leeks have softened a bit. Remove the pan from heat and set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the chicken stock and eggs until smooth.
In a separate large mixing bowl, add the sausage, sweet potatoes, leek mixture, bread, pecans, cranberries. and herbs.
Pour the egg mixture over the stuffing mixture, and toss until evenly combined.
Spread the stuffing out evenly in the prepared baking dish, and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Bake covered for 40 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 10 to 15 more minutes until the top is lightly toasted and golden. Keep an eye on the stuffing as it bakes, so that the top does not burn.
Serve warm, garnished with extra fresh herbs and black pepper, and enjoy!
