Gluten-Free Apple Sausage Stuffing

Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks, hanging out with family, and eating a ridiculous amount of food. Most people focus {mostly} on the latter. I’m one of those people. Why? Because Thanksgiving food is delicious, usually requires a labor of love and tends to entail foods we don’t always have on the table. Not to mention, good drinks usually come right along with it.

While,Thanksgiving foods usually last 1 week (because of recipes). I’ve been lucky to be eating Thanksgiving foods for the past two weeks and couldn’t be happier. Why don’t we make this stuff more regularly? Honestly, pear crisp? Butternut squash soup? Brussels sprouts with bacon? All rock stars any day of the week. I wish my refrigerator always looked this plump.

Tis the Season

So, now that does bring me to the question. Why don’t we eat Thanksgiving food year round if we all love it so much?

Well, first off, most of these foods are in season this time of year, that is why we see more of them. And second, most people don’t spend more than an hour cooking dinner for themselves or their family on the regular. So, Thanksgiving is a perfect mash up of those two beautiful things, seasonal foods and time to cook. Now, if only we could do more of that year round, huh?

Stuffed Yet?

One of the most infamous side dishes on Thanksgiving, is stuffing. Why? Because it’s delicious, comforting and it pairs so nicely with all the other items on the table. Turkey? Add stuffing. Stuffing? Add gravy. Leftovers? Please let there be stuffing to stuff my face with.

Now, this stuffing is not from inside the turkey, it is made as a side. I personally prefer to stuff my turkey with oranges, lemons & onions as it seems to keep it more moist. And then the stuffing gets a little more crispy on top. No need for turkey flavoring when you know your way around the spice cabinet. Thyme, rosemary and parsley are a delicious trio in this dish and will keep your house smelling like Thanksgiving for days.

Bread Seriously?

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know my love affair with the San Francisco based Sourdough bread company, Bread Srsly. I found these guys by probably scrolling through my Instagram a few years back, ordered them on a whim, and now I’m hooked. It is the moistest and most delicious gluten-free bread product I have ever tried. Not to mention their facility is 100% certified gluten-free and their bread is free of most allergens, pretty neat for my food allergy friends!

I haven’t had a bread-filled stuffing in years. My mom makes a mean sausage stuffing sans bread that I also love. So, this year I decided to try my stab at a sourdough based stuffing. Man, this stuff is gooooooooood. It smells just like it has been taken out of a turkey and the bread could easily be mistaken for it’s gluten-filled counterpart. Now, certainly, if you are not Celiac or gluten-free you can sub in regular bread (I’d recommend a sourdough if you have it) so don’t feel like you need to use gluten-free bread on my account!

Pro tip: cut all your veggies and bread (not the apple!) the night before to save prep time in the morning! You can even mix the spice blend, place it in a small bowl (covered) and leave on the counter ready to use in the morning.