Paleo Butternut Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries

It's Thanksgiving week!! This stuffing was amazing and could easily be a Thanksgiving side dish or breakfast. I added 1 lb of lean ground beef to this recipe to make it more into a meal for the week. I also did not add the dried cranberries, but I think that would only make this meal taste even more yummy and fall-like. I did add the egg to try and make everything stick together, but I think adding an extra pound of beef means I should have used two eggs. Other then those alterations, I made the recipe as is and will definitely be making this again for family and friends to try too. This was absolutely delicious!

Paleo Butternut Sausage Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries
Ingredients:

• 5 cups butternut squash cubes (1/2 inch)
• 2 tbsp fat of choice for roasting
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp cooking fat such as ghee, coconut oil, or lard
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 lb mild sweet ground sausage, casings removed
• 1 large apple (or 2 small) cored and chopped
• ¼-1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp poultry seasoning
• ¾ cup dried cranberries
• 1 egg, whisked (optional)
• Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. First prepare to roast the butternut squash cubes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cubes with your fat of choice and ¼ tsp salt, and spread out in a single layer on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring or turning once for even browning. Squash should be soft and toasty brown before removing.
4. While the squash is roasting get your other ingredients chopped and ready.
5. Heat a large skillet (cast iron/ovenproof is ideal) over med to med-hi heat and add the cooking fat of choice. Once the fat is heated, add the chopped onion and celery and cook for about 3-5 minutes, until softened.
6. Add the ground sausage to the skillet and use a wooden spoon to break up lumps and stir as it cooks. Cook the sausage with the onions and celery until browned.
7. Add the chopped apples and cook for a couple of minutes until just softened. Now add the salt and poultry seasoning. Lower the heat and stir to combine all flavors. Simmer for 2 more minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
8. Once the butternut squash is roasted (it should be light brown and crisp on the outside) add it to the sausage mixture along with the dried cranberries and toss to combine. Now add the whisked egg* to the mixture and toss/mix to incorporate.
9. Lower the oven heat to 375 degrees. If you used an ovenproof skillet, you can bake right in the skillet. If your skillet is not ovenproof, transfer the entire mixture to a 2-3 qt baking dish and spread out evenly.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until toasty and set. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Enjoy!!

Notes:
*Adding the egg will make the stuffing stick together as it sets in the oven. It's an optional step depending on your preference.

Original recipe found here