This Sage and Onion Pork Stuffing recipe is delicious and packed full of flavour. I make it every year and it is always a huge crowd pleaser. It is the perfect accompaniment to Christmas or Thanksgiving Turkey or Chicken.
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This is a really easy stuffing recipe, practically just an assembly job and is just incredibly delicious. It is my go to at Christmas and I make it way before and freeze ready for the big day. Pass me a Snowball....
*There is a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post*
Ingredients
It is made with pork sausagemeat, apple sauce, smoked streaky bacon, sage, breadcrumbs and seasoning. I caramelise the onions in butter before adding.
The caramelised onions really take it to another level. Paired with the background sweetness from the apple sauce, sage and small kick from the black pepper this stuffing really delivers. I could not imagine Christmas without it.
- 3 large onions-caramelised
- 30 grams (1oz) fresh sage
- 900 grams (31.7oz) sausagemeat
- 100 grams (3.5oz) breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp fine sea salt or 1 and half tsp table salt
- half a tsp ground black pepper
- 200 grams (7oz) apple sauce from a jar or homemade stewed apples
- 30 grams butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 10 rashers of smoked steaky bacon or lardons 300 grams (10.5oz)
Expert Tips
Being a natural flapper I am always about the make ahead. To that end in order to ease my stress levels I always make my stuffing a month or so ahead and then allow to cool before double wrapping in it's dish with clingfilm and then silver foil and freezing the christmas out of it. See below for exactly how to reheat.
I do strongly recommend that you get the best sausage meat that you can. Otherwise the texture is too soft and the flavour is not as good. You are looking for a sausage meat with a high meat content.
If possible 80 % pork content. It should say on the side of the packet.
Because you get vastly different types of sausagemeat then it is important to try a tsp of the mixture by frying in oil to get your seasoning right.
It's best to have a thickness of stuffing about 4 cm so choose your dish accordingly. Mine is 18 cm x 25 cm
Depending on the sausage meat that you use there may be fat showing at the edges when baked. Carefully drain this off.
Method
Chop the onions into half moons about 3 mm thick and place in a large pan with 1tbsp of olive oil and 30 grams of butter.
Cook until they turn a deep brown and caramelise. This takes at least 20 minutes over a medium heat.
I get all the ingredients ready now that the onions have caramelised and put them in a large mixing bowl.
I put them in my free standing mixer and mix them all together slowly with the paddle beater, I'm all about the easy. Alternatively you can use a wooden spoon or your hands.
Because you get vastly different types of sausagemeat then it is important to try a tsp of the mixture by frying in oil to get your seasoning right. Add more salt if required
All that remains is to put in your roasting dish. The right size dish is important and will affect the cooking time.
A larger dish will take less time than a smaller and therefore deeper stuffing mix.
Mine is 18cm x 26cm
I bake it in a preheated oven at 190 C/375 F/Gas Mark 5 for about 35-45 minutes. You want it golden brown with the crispy bits sticking up from the top of the stuffing a deeper brown.
If your sausage meat has produced a lot of fat then very carefully tip most of it away by tipping the dish gently up. You may need another pair of hands to help here.
Can I Freeze Pork Stuffing?
Yes you can. I do exactly this to get ahead for Christmas Day.
If freezing then allow to fully cool and double wrap in clingfilm and then silver foil before freezing for up to a month.
Allow to defrost in the fridge for 24 hours before reheating until piping hot 71 C. I do that covered in silver foil at 180 C/350 F/Gas Mark 4.
I take off the silver foil for ten minutes or so before it's ready to make sure the top is crispy.
Here are some more fabulous Christmas Dinner recipes
- Slow Cooker Gammon Joint
- Slow Cooker Gammon with Brown Sugar
- Slow Cooker Roast Beef
- Slow Cooker Roast Chicken
- Slow Cooker Red Cabbage
- Slow Cooker Dauphinoise Potatoes
- Roast Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes
- Christmas Pudding
- Christmas Pavlova Wreath
Sage and Onion Pork stuffing
Ingredients
- 3 large brown onions or 4 medium
- 30 grams sage
- 100 grams breadcrumbs
- 2 tsps salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 900 grams pork sausagemeat
- 200 grams apple sauce
- 30 grams butter
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 10 rashers smoked streaky bacon chopped (I use scissors)
Instructions
- Slice the onions into thin half moons and place in a sauce pan with the butter and olive oil. Fry gently for about 20/25 minutes until the onions become caramelised and brown. Preheat your oven to 190 C.
- Strip the leaves from the stems of the sage and slice finely. Put all the ingredients including the sage into a large mixing bowl and mix well. I use my free standing mixer or my hands as it's really the easiest way as it is a heavy mixture. I then fry a little sample pattie of the mix to check for seasoning. Add more seasoning if required.
- Tip into your roasting tray and smooth out evenly. It's best to have a thickness of stuffing about 4 cm so choose your dish accordingly.
- Bake in the oven for about 35-45 minutes. You want it golden brown with deeper brown crispy bits on top that stick up. Keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn't catch. Put a silver foil hat on it if it does so before the cooking time is up. Of course different dishes will result in differing cooking times. If in doubt use a probe, the stuffing should have reached 71 C.
- If you are freezing ahead of the big day then allow to cool completely before covering well in silver foil and putting inside a carrier bag. Place in the freezer before defrosting completely and reheating.
- Apply to Got Ahead Face.
Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is approximate and intended only as a guide.
Do let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love a good old hairy chinwag. Or come on over to my Facebook Page or Instagram Profile. I would love to engage with you.
Monika
Yum! My next recipe is also Christmas stuffing, what a coincidence,eh:)?
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Great minds Monika??????
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
Oh wow - this looks properly awesome. I love stuffing and yours really does look very good indeed. I love the idea of adding apple sauce! My last nativity was last year **sob** My youngest is only 7, but the KS2 children don't do a nativity. They were in a panto, though, so that sort of made up for it. I know what you mean about having kids making Christmas more magical...it really does. You see it all through their eyes and it is wonderful. Super stressful, utterly manic and totally crazy...but magical and wonderful too. I will need a good long lie down afterwards though!! Eb x
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Hope you made it through Eb!Have a fantastic 2018!xx