Buttery brioche cubes baked with crumbled pork sausage, sweet pears, and tart cranberries — held together with cream, eggs, and a generous splash of bourbon.
Yield
10 servings
Prep
25 min
Cook
45 min
Oven
350° / 375°F
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the brioche cubes on a sheet pan in a single layer and bake until completely dried out, 20–25 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Grease a shallow 2½ to 3 quart baking dish.
In a large skillet over medium-high, brown the sausage until cooked through, breaking it up as it goes. Lift it out with a slotted spoon to a large mixing bowl.
Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat. Add the onions to the same skillet and cook until softened, around 10 minutes. Add the celery and cook another 3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.
Stir the onion mixture into the bowl with the sausage.
Pull the skillet off the heat and add the bourbon to deglaze. Return to medium heat for about a minute, scraping the pan clean, then turn off the heat.
Crank the oven up to 375°F.
In a large bowl, soak the dried bread cubes in the half-and-half, tossing every minute or so, until all the liquid is absorbed — about 15 minutes. Fold the soaked bread into the sausage mixture.
Whisk the stock and eggs together in a measuring cup, then pour over the stuffing. Add the cranberries, pears, parsley, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir until everything is evenly distributed.
Transfer to the prepared baking dish, cover with foil, and bake on the upper rack for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes, until the top is crisp and golden.