For years I have tried to duplicate the flavors of my Mom’s Thanksgiving stuffing. I would get close each year but something was missing…not sure what it was but it just wasn’t the same. But I never gave up trying. Don’t get me wrong, my stuffing was delicious but there was just something about her recipe that made it 10 times better. Was the yellow onion instead of the sweet onion I used? Was it the Turkey stock instead of the chicken stock I used every year? Maybe it was the fresh sage leaves and not the dried. Not sure what I did differently this year but FINALLY! This is my Mom’s stuffing. I might never know what exactly I did this year, but I know one thing… I’m holding on to this recipe!
Mom’s Apple Walnut Stuffing
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
5 to 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped
4 cloves garlic, grated finely on a rasp
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 roll of Bob Evans Sage breakfast sausage
1 (12-ounce) bag Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Cubed Stuffing
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped into small pieces
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cups Swanson turkey broth
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set aside.
In a large skillet, on medium heat, add the butter, onions, celery, thyme, and sage. Season with a pinch of salt and some pepper. Cook until the onions and celery are tender (about 8 minutes). Add in the grated garlic and stir for another 2-3 minutes until the garlic is fragrant but not browned. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
In the same skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking it up with a spoon as you cook it.
Next, add in the apples and heat for another 5 minutes until apples start to soften. Remove from heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the stuffing cubes and the beaten egg and stir to moisten.
Add in the walnuts, cranberries, and parsley. Again stir to moisten. Add in the onion mixture to the bowl of stuffing mix and give it a stir to combine. Finally, pour the turkey stock over the mixture and give it a final stir to combine and moisten everything.
Transfer the stuffing to the baking dish and press down to compact it. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. 
Remove the foil and continue to bake until golden brown on top, about 10-15 more minutes.
Remove from oven and fluff up with a fork.
Serve warm and enjoy!
So Good! 
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