Jeff’s King’s Hawaiian Thanksgiving Stuffing

Cut and dry the bread

Slice the rolls into 1-inch cubes while they’re fresh. If you let the rolls dry first and then try to cut them, they’ll shatter into breadcrumbs. Spread the cubes out on cookie or baking sheets, cover with paper towels, and let them sit in a cool, dry spot for 1–2 days, or as long as it takes. If they aren’t dried out after 2 days, remove the paper towels and put the sheets in a 200–250°F oven until fully dried. Check regularly. You don’t want to cook them, just dry them.

Start the chutney

In a large skillet, heat 1 TBS oil over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and cook until it starts to caramelize, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds to a minute, just until aromatic. Don’t let it burn. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the apples, cranberries, and raisins, and cook until the apples soften.

Cook it down to a paste

Increase heat to medium-high, give the skillet a minute or so to heat up, then deglaze with the vinegar, scraping any bits off the bottom. Add 1 cup of stock, bring to a simmer, and stir in the nutmeg, cinnamon, sage, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and cook at a low simmer until the liquid reduces and the result is a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool.

Make the herbed liquid

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add 4 cups of stock and the stick of butter. Bring to a simmer, and once the butter is fully melted, stir in the basil and sage and add salt and pepper to taste. Underseason; the fruit mix is already seasoned. Reduce heat to low and keep at a low simmer while you cook the veggies.

Brown the andouille

Remove the casing from the sausage and chop it into small pieces. In the same skillet you used for the chutney, heat 1 TBS oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and crisp at the edges, about 5 minutes. Scoop it into a medium bowl.

Sauté the veggies

In the same skillet over medium heat, add the celery, onion, and garlic. Sauté until tender. If there are stuck bits on the bottom of the pan, deglaze with another splash of vinegar and scrape them up. Remove from heat and add the veggies to the bowl with the sausage.

Combine by hand

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Set aside 1–2 cups of bread cubes as a reserve and put the rest in a large bowl. Add the veggies, sausage, and chutney on top and mix well by hand. A spoon at this stage turns bread cubes into breadcrumbs.

Add the stock in stages

Pour in half the hot stock. With a spoon, stir slowly and continuously until the bread cubes absorb it. Keep adding stock a little at a time until the stuffing has the consistency you like, using the reserved bread cubes if it gets too wet. If you run out of heated stock, heat fresh stock to a simmer first so it absorbs more readily.

Bake

Spoon into a 5-quart or larger baking dish, or better yet a large Dutch oven (I use a 6½-quart Le Creuset). Leave room for the stuffing to bubble up as it bakes, otherwise you’ll end up with a mess. Cover and bake at 325°F for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 5–10 minutes more, until a lightly browned crust forms on top.

Adjust and serve

Stir in more stock or bread cubes after baking if needed, a little at a time so you don’t overshoot the runway. Serve hot out of the oven.