"Sausage" Stuffing

I have taken a stand! No longer shall I suffer through Thanksgivings and Christmases existing on naught but trimmings and dessert! (Which I have done in the past because I really like trimmings and desserts, and because I was too lazy to do anything else...but that is besides the point!)  This year I ventured into unknown territory and made stuffing.  I was armed with only knowledge of my mother's classic (read: meat-filled) and insanely delicious stuffing recipe and a package of vegan sausage.  The results were very encouraging!  Tasty, even ;)

Not quite as delicious as pumpkin cheesecake, but certainly a contender!

I am accustomed from my pre-vegetarian days to meat-heavy stuffings.  I did not want to compromise on richness or flavor in this vegetarian version, so I chose a good vegan sausage as my base. I really like the Field Roast brand of vegan sausages - although I reserve them for special occasions as they are not cheap!  Their apple sage sausage provided a perfect flavour base for an autumn celebration stuffing.  The upside of doing a substitute meat-heavy stuffing is that this can handily serve as the protein part of the meal for any vegetarians present.

Tip: You can do the initial baking of the stuffing (i.e. for 40 minutes at 350F covered in tinfoil) one or two days before the holiday meal. Let the stuffing cool, cover, and refrigerate.  Then, 15 minutes before serving on the day, finish it off uncovered in a 375F oven.

Nom.

"Sausage" Stuffing

Makes 4-5 cups

•  450g vegetarian or vegan sausage (equivalent to 5 Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage sausage links)
• 4 cups cubed crusty Italian-style white bread
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
•  2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
• zest of half a lemon
• 1/4 cup of butter (or vegetable oil to make recipe vegan)

1. In a food processor, blend sausages until they resemble coarsely ground meat.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add remaining ingredients to bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover and let stand for half an hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a loaf tin.
4. Pack stuffing mixture into the greased tin and cover with tinfoil.
5. Bake for 40 minutes then remove tinfoil and bake at 375F for another 15 minutes.
6. Remove stuffing from oven, place in your shiniest holiday serving dish, and serve!

I hope you enjoy :)