Thanksgiving sides are possibly more popular than the actual turkey. Stuffing may be one of the most beloved of these side dishes. Heaps of bread and spices, whats not to love? This pretzel bread and sausage stuffing is a game changer as they say.

I used store bought pretzel buns from the bakery section of the grocery store. If you can’t find them, try the freezer section. The frozen pretzels bake up and you can then cut them down to bite size pieces. This would take about 6 of those pretzels. Make sure to toss them on the baking sheet halfway through when you are baking so all sides get crispy.

To avoid dry stuffing, make sure you have a little extra chicken stock on hand. Also, do not skip placing the little pieces of butter on top of the finished mixture before baking it off. It just helps make everything golden brown.

An added bonus is if you can find the pretzel salt to sprinkle on top once it comes out of the oven!

Pretzel Bread and Sausage Stuffing

ingredients

• 5 cups pretzel bread, cubed (4 store bought pretzel rolls)

• 2 sweet Italian sausages, removed from casing

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup carrots, diced

• ½ cup yellow onion, diced

• ¼ cup white wine

• 1 cup chicken broth (low sodium)

• ½ tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard

• ½ tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• salt

• pepper

• 1 egg, beaten

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (divided)

• ¾ cup cheddar cheese, grated

instructions

1.   Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Arrange pretzel bread cubes in one even layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes until the bread is dry, like a large crouton.

2.      Pull from the oven and place pretzel bread in large mixing bowl, set aside.

3.   In a large skillet add some olive oil over medium heat. Saute the sausage, breaking up the meat, until it browns. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

   4.  Add the diced carrots and onion to the pan and sauté until the carrots become soft.

   5.     After about 5 minutes, add in the white wine, scraping up any brown bits from the pan.

   6.     Let the white winner simmer for about 2-3 minutes, until reduced a bit. Then add in your chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

   7.     Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce, whole grain mustard, maple syrup, thyme, salt and pepper. Let it simmer together for another minute. Turn off heat.

   8.     In the large mixing bowl with the pretzel bread, add the beaten egg and gently toss. Then add ¾ cup of your carrot and onion mixture to the bowl a little at a time. Gently tossing the bread cubes until absorbed.

   9.     Add in the sausage and toss gently again. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, if the mixture seems dry add another ¼ cup of the carrot and onion mixture over top, mix again.

   10.  Butter a 9x12 baking pan or a ceramic baking pan. Place the stuffing mixture in the pan. Top with grated cheddar cheese if desired. Distribute over the top of the pan 2 the tablespoons worth of unsalted butter (divided)

   11.  Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes at 375°F. Remove the foil, rotate the dish, and reduce oven temp to 350°F. Bake for another 20 minutes until deeply golden brown and crisp on top.

   12.  If it seems dry, pour ¼ cup chicken stock over top and bake for another 5-8 minutes.

   13.  Let rest for 10 mins before serving.

RECIPE NOTES: If you cannot find pretzel bread, you could bake frozen pretzels from the freezer section, then cut them down to use as well!