Thanksgiving with the Cellone’s

Cellone’s Italian American Thanksgiving dinner always had two traditions, the American meal and the Italian. Growing up there was always a big dish of lasagna alongside Italian sausage served on Cellone’s Sub Cluster Rolls. Of course we had all of the fixings for the turkey dinner, including bread stuffing made with Cellone croutons. One year we decided to combine the Italian sausage and the stuffing and a new tradition was born. The blending of traditions and cultures is what makes this country great and that is what we are thankful for this year. From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving from the Cellone’s!

Cellone’s Italian Sausage Stuffing

INGREDIENTS

17oz (1 ½ bags) Cellone’s croutons
19oz sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
½ cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon fresh basil, minced
1 teaspoon sage
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 325°F

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink and drain. Then remove sausage and set aside. Melt the butter in the same skillet. Add celery, onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes
In a large bowl, combine the sausage, celery mixture, croutons, cheese, and seasonings. Add chicken broth and eggs; toss to combine.

Spoon into a buttered 3-qt baking dish. Cover and bake for 1 hour.
Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer until lightly browned and a meat thermometer inserted into the center reads 160°F.
10 servings Total time about 1 hour 45 minutes