Stuffing is quite possible my favorite dish at Thanksgiving.  There’s just something about the combination of sausage, apple, bread, and spices that I find absolutely irresistible!  Last year I volunteered to make this classic side dish for my family’s Thanksgiving dinner but there was one problem… we had no oven space! Between the very large turkey, candied yams, green bean casserole, and cornbread there was not an inch of oven space to spare.  Therefore, I decided to make my stuffing in a slow cooker and it turned out great!

Before I get to the stuffing recipe I want to share a link to another recipe from last year’s Thanksgiving feast that’s been getting a lot of Pinterest love lately… my Candied Yams.  Although these sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows will take up space in your oven for about 25 minutes they are super easy to make and those soft browned marshmallows are so delicious!!  Here’s the recipe.

Slow-Cooker Apple and Sausage Stuffing (recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking)

You will need…
12 cups of crusty bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
8-12 oz. Italian Sausage, crumbled and browned
3 tablespoons Butter, melted
2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and chopped
2 Yellow Onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups Celery, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons Dried Sage
1 bunch Parsley, leaves finely chopped
1 teaspoon Salt plus more, to taste
1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
3/4 cup Chicken Broth, divided

Some of the stuffing ingredients (there was a lot more bread than pictured!)

Directions:
Spread the cubed bread onto a few large cookie sheets and bake in a preheated 350° oven for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.  If desired, do this a day in advance and store the bread cubes in an airtight container overnight.

3-4 hours before you are going to eat, stir the bread cubes, sausage, and melted butter together in a large slow cooker.  My slow cooker was too small so I borrowed my mom’s and split the ingredients into two batches.  Add in the apples, vegetables and seasonings and stir until well mixed.  Pour in 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and stir again.  Cover and cook on high for approx. 3 hours or until the bread is browned and the vegetables are tender.  If the stuffing is too dry, stir in the remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth before serving.  Enjoy!

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!!  🙂