Italian Sausage & Rapini Stuffing

 By: The Food Hunter

This is my all-time favorite stuffing. It's a dish that is on on our table every Thanksgiving and is enjoyed by all. This particular recipe includes sausage, onion, celery, mushrooms, lots of fresh herbs and the star ingredient: rapini.  

If you aren't familiar rapini is a green vegetable that resembles broccoli but is more closely related to the turnip. It has a peppery, slightly bitter taste that you either love or hate.

This stuffing is truly delicious and really easy to make! I hope you give it a try.

Italian Sausage & Rapini Stuffing
1 loaf of Italian bread chopped into 1-inch cubes (8 cups)
1-2 bunches broccoli rabe
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Lb. sweet Italian sausage, crumbled
1 cup onion, diced small
2 celery stalks, diced small
1 package cremini mushrooms, chopped
10 fresh sage leaves, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, minced
1/2-1 cup grated pecorino cheese
1-2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Spread the bread onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until the bread is crispy.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the broccoli rabe and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the water and submerge into an ice water bath for 2 minutes. Drain, and chop into small pieces.

Melt the butter on medium high heat in a large fry pan. Add the sausage, onions, celery, mushrooms, sage, and thyme, breaking up the meat into small pieces as you cook. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and the sausage is cooked through. Add the cooked chopped broccoli rabe to the mixture and stir to mix.

Remove from heat. Add the bread and pecorino, stir to combine. Add chicken broth and stir until all the bread is coated and wet. Season to taste with salt and pepper and pecorino.

Spoon into a baking pan. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the tin foil and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes. Serve warm.