Holiday Pecan Stuffing

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• olive oil flavored cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely minced (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups onions, chopped
• 12 ounces sweet italian turkey sausage, casing removed
• 3 egg whites
• 1 egg
• 1 -2 cup nonfat milk
• 2 (15 3/4 ounce) cans nonfat chicken broth
• 1 lb dried breadcrumbs (whole what preferred)
• 8 ounces cornbread stuffing mix
• 1 (14 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1/2 cup toasted pecan pieces, finely chopped
• 3 fresh sage leaves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

Recipe

• 1 coat a large skillet with cooking spray.
• 2 cook celery, pepper, and onion over medium heat.
• 3 cover skillet to prevent sticking, stir occasionally.
• 4 when vegetables are soft, remove from skillet and reserve.
• 5 in the same skillet, crumble the sausage and slowly cook until no pink remains.
• 6 (may be done in advance and refrigerated.) beat the eggs, 1 cup of milk, and 1 can of broth together in a medium mixing bowl.
• 7 in a very large bowl, layer the bread crumbs, the cooked vegetables, sausage, mushrooms, and pecans.
• 8 pour in the egg mixture and mix gently.
• 9 continue to add milk and chicken broth until mixture is quite moist, but not mushy.
• 10 add sage, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.
• 11 (this can be done several hours in advance or overnight and refrigerate.) coat a 11 x 17 baking dish with cooking spray and fill with the stuffing.
• 12 spray the top of stuffing with cooking spray before baking.
• 13 bake in 350 degree oven 30 to 40 minutes, until top is brown and center is firm.