Ingredients
1 loaf sliced cibatta bread with crust, cubed
24 large buttermilk biscuits, cut into quarters
1 lb pork sausage
1 lb thick cut bacon, cut into cubes
1/2 cup butter
2 cups chopped white onion
2 cups chopped celery
2 tbs minced garlic
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored & diced
1/4 cup Apple brandy
2 bosch pears, peeled, cored & diced
1/4 cup Pear brandy
2 tbs finely chopped fresh sage
2 tsp dried thyme
3-4 cups low salt chicken or turkey broth/stock
3 large eggs
Sea Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake bread cubes & biscuts on 2 large rimmed baking sheets until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.
Sauté sausage until cooked through - crumble. Using slotted spoon, transfer to bowl. Cook bacon until crisp, drain & transfer to bowl with sausage; add bread.
Leave bacon fat in pan, add 1/4 butter.
Add onions, celery & garlic to same skillet and sauté until brown; transfer to bowl with bread.
Melt 1/8 cup butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples, sauté 5 minutes, add apple brandy & continue cooking until tender & liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes total; mix into stuffing.
Melt 1/8 cup butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add pears, sauté 5 minutes, add pear brandy & continue cooking until tender & liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes total; mix into stuffing.
Beat eggs with 3 cups chicken/turkey stock, add to bread mixture. Bread mixture should be very moist, add more stock if needed.
Add sage & thyme & season with salt and pepper.
Butter 2 13x10x2-inch glass baking dishs. Transfer stuffing to prepared dishes; Cover with foil.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake stuffing covered until heated through, about 1 hour & stuffing is no longer ‘wet’ (knife inserted in center comes out clean.) Uncover and dot with remaining 1/4 cup butter. Bake until top begins to brown, about 15 minutes.
