This sweet and savory stuffing can be made two weeks ahead and frozen. Defrost it in the refrigerator the night before Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
10 cups cubed (1 inch) day-old French sourdough bread
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups peeled and chopped (1/4 inch) onions
2 fennel bulbs, cored, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 cups dried cranberries
2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
2 teaspoons dried sage leaves
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup defatted chicken broth
Directions
1. Toss the bread cubes in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Lay out on 2 baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let cool, then return bread cubes to the bowl.
2. Cook the sausage in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for 20 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula. (Pour off and discard excess fat.) With a slotted spoon, remove sausage meat to bread cubes.
3. Place the remaining olive oil and the butter in a heavy saucepan. Cook onions and fennel over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Add the cranberries; cook 5 minutes more. Fold into the bread cubes with the walnuts, orange zest, sage and parsley. Drizzle in the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, to moisten the stuffing. Adjust seasonings. Let cool completely before stuffing the turkey. Cook stuffing inside the turkey or heat, covered, in an ovenproof dish at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes before serving.
