Sourdough Stuffing with Pears and Sausage

Ingredients

• 8 cups (1/2-inch) cubed sourdough bread (about 12 ounces)
• 1 pound turkey Italian sausage
• Cooking spray
• 5 cups chopped onion (about 2 pounds)
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
• 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled Bartlett pear (about 2 medium)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 9 minutes or until golden. Place in a large bowl.
3. Remove casings from sausage. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage, and cook for 8 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add sausage to bread cubes, tossing to combine. Set aside.
4. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot; sauté 10 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Stir in mushrooms; cook 4 minutes. Stir in pear, basil, tarragon, and salt; cook 4 minutes or until pear begins to soften, stirring occasionally. Add pear mixture to bread mixture, tossing gently to combine. Stir in broth and pepper.
5. Place bread mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; cover with foil. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake stuffing an additional 15 minutes or until top of stuffing is crisp.