With sweet Italian sausage baked into rosy, golden apples, these Sausage Dressing Stuffed Baked Apples add an elegantly delicious touch to your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving dinner.
The Friendsgiving Spread
This recipe is part of the Friendsgiving Spread, filled with charming details and inventive and delicious twists on your favorite holiday dishes. From appetizers to the main dish, sides and dessert, everything on the menu is planned carefully so all you have to do it put it together. Or, better yet, make it a potluck affair with your friends, for a meal and a memory you will cherish making together.
How ‘Bout Them Apples?
Gorgeous, right? Stuffing (or dressing) has always been an integral part of our Thanksgiving feast. But these Sausage Dressing Stuffed Baked Apples are next level! Breading that bakes up golden brown, sweet sausage, and perfectly roasted apples make this side dish a stunning addition to your holiday feast. Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, or even Christmas dinner–they’re so beautiful and so tasty. Everyone will love them!
I love using Fuji apples for this recipe. Their rosy, golden color only gets more burnished and beautiful with roasting. And that unmistakable bite of a crusty baguette! I can almost taste it now! Fresh herbs are an absolute must, too. The fragrance they bring to this dish completes the sensory experience.
What Do I Need to Make Sausage Dressing Stuffed Baked Apples?
- Small Fuji apples
- Unsalted butter
- White onion
- Celery stalks
- Garlic
- Bulk sweet Italian sausage
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh sage
- Fresh rosemary
- Fresh thyme leaves
- Crusty baguette
- Chicken brot
- Salt and black pepper
How to Make Sausage Dressing Stuffed Baked Apples
- First, preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter. Next, slice the very top off of each apple. Using a spoon or melon baller, carefully scoop out the entire core of the apple. Repeat with each apple. Then place the apples, cut side up, in the prepared baking dish.
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, and stir together for about a minute, until fragrant. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook thoroughly until browned, making sure to break it up into crumbles.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in the parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and bread cubes until well combined.
- Add the chicken broth and stir until moistened.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon stuffing into the apples, filling each one full.
- Once all the apples are stuffed, dot the top of each apple with a little butter.
- Finally, bake for about 30 minutes or until the apples are softened but not falling apart. If the stuffing starts to brown too much, cover the dish loosely with foil and continue to bake.
More Thanksgiving Recipes You’ll Love
Let’s get you ready for the big feast with these festive, delicious and easy Thanksgiving recipes everyone is sure to be thankful for!
If you make these Sausage Dressing Stuffed Baked Apples for your Friendsgiving or Thanksgiving feast, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me or tag me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see. 
I love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the recipes I share. Have fun and enjoy!
xoxo,
Sausage Dressing Stuffed Baked Apples
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8
Description
With sweet Italian sausage baked into rosy, golden apples, these Sausage Dressing Stuffed Baked Apples add an elegantly delicious touch to your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving dinner.
Ingredients
- 8 small Fuji apples
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup finely chopped white onion
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 4 cups small cubed crusty baguette
- ½ cup chicken broth, for moistening
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, for dotting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Slice the very top off of each apple. Use a spoon or melon baller to carefully scoop out the entire core of the apple. Repeat with each apple. Place the apples, cut side up, in the prepared baking dish.
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, and stir together for about a minute, until fragrant. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook thoroughly until browned, making sure to break it up into crumbles.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and bread cubes until well combined. Add the chicken broth and stir until moistened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Spoon stuffing into the apples, filling each one full.
- Once all the apples are stuffed, dot the top of each apple with a little butter.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until the apples are softened but not falling apart. If the stuffing starts to brown too much, cover the dish loosely with foil and continue to bake.
