From Emeril to Chef Ben: A Holiday Stuffing Journey

I began taking over the cooking responsibilities at San Vicente Resort for Thanksgiving in the early 2000s, inspired by an Emeril Lagasse Holiday cookbook. This was during the height of his cooking show when Emeril was all the rage. Since then, my holiday cooking journey has grown tenfold, but this recipe has stayed with me through the years. It's what I continue to make for friends and family every Thanksgiving. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Chef Ben’s Holiday Stuffing

1 pound French Bread (not crusty)–diced or torn into 1-inch pieces

1 White Onion–diced small

3 Stalks Celery–split lengthwise, then diced

½ pound Ground Breakfast Sausage

½ cup Turkish Dried Apricot

¼ cup Craisins

¼ cup Pecans

1 cup Unsalted Butter (2 sticks)–divided

3 or 4 Fresh Sage Leaves–about ¼ cup rough chopped

¼ cup Fresh Italian Parsley–chopped

1 tablespoon Dried Thyme

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 teaspoon Black Pepper (fresh cracked)

2 1/2 cups Chicken Stock–divided (room temperature or chilled)

2 Large Eggs

1. Preheat Oven to 250^oF and toast French Bread on a baking sheet, stirring occasionally to dry bread. Note: You can skip this step by leaving the bread on a baking sheet by a window or warm part of the kitchen overnight, allowing the bread to stale.
2. Add bread to a large bowl once cooled.
3. Sauté Breakfast Sausage in a sauté pan until browned; reserve pan drippings with sausage.
4. Add Apricot, Craisins, and Pecans to a food processor and pulse until all ingredients are about the same size. (If you do not have a food processor, then give ingredients a rough chop with your knife).
5. In a large skillet, add ¾ cup butter (1 ½ sticks) and heat on medium until melted.
6. Add the onions and celery to butter and cook until translucent and slightly browned.
7. Add browned sausage, parsley, chopped sage, thyme, salt and pepper, and about 1 ¼ cup chicken stock to the vegetables. Note: make sure you taste your chicken stock and gauge the salt level; salt may need to be adjusted based on the brand or quality of stock used.
8. Add all warmed ingredients, chopped fruit, and nuts to the bread bowl.
9. In a smaller bowl, add the remaining chicken stock and 2 eggs and whisk to combine. Pour mixture into the bread bowl and toss well with a spatula or spoon.
10. Pour the stuffing mixture into a prepared baking dish and press it down a bit firmly with the back of the spatula or spoon.
11. Dice the remaining ¼ cup butter (about ½ stick) into 8 or 10 pieces and place evenly over the top of the stuffing.
12. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Serve immediately for the best results.

Enjoy!