Holiday Sausage Dressing

For many Houstonians, the holidays wouldn’t be the same without a Brazos Bottom Pecan Pie from Goode Co. The Houston restaurant dynasty has long set the table for festive occasions with its abundant take-away offerings. Same this season: Goode is smoking turkeys for Thanksgiving dinners with side dishes including sausage dressing.

Levi Goode, the company CEO, said this dressing, with its flavorful aromatics, including fennel within the sausage, makes a perfect accompaniment to any Thanksgiving turkey. ½ cup unsalted butter

1 pound sweet mild Italian

sausage

1 cup green bell pepper,

¼-inch dice

1 cup celery, ¼-inch dice

2 cups yellowonion, ¼-inch

dice

1 tablespoon chopped garlic 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning ¼ cup green onions, ¼-inch

sliced

½ cup Italian parsley, rough

chop

1 tablespoon fresh thyme,

chopped

½ teaspoon dried sage

½ cup toasted pecan pieces 4 eggs

2 cups roasted chicken stock

or chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream 1 gallon lightly toasted day-old baguette (large dice), about 2 loaves French bread

½ cup garlic butter (recipe

follows)

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13inch (3-quart) casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

Melt butter in a Dutch oven overmediumheat. Add sausage, breaking it into smaller pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook until light brown.

Add bell pepper, celery, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and Creole seasoning. Stirring occasionally, cook until the vegetables are translucent and softened but not browned. Remove from heat.

Once the sausagemixture has cooled, about 15 minutes, add green onions, parsley, thyme, sage and pecans. Fold to combine.

In a mixing bowl, blend eggs, chicken broth and heavy cream. Add thismixture to the sausage/herb mixture. Fold in diced bread, being careful not to overmix. Let the mixture sit for at least 15 minutes to allow the liquid to saturate the bread. (Depending on the amount of bread youmay not need all the liquid; saturate to desired moisture.)

Place mixture in prepared baking dish, spreading evenly. Place baking dish on a cookie sheet and spread melted garlic butter evenly over the top. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the center reaches 175 degrees and the top is golden. Serve hot. (May be prepared in advance and refrigerated; reheat just before serving.)

GARLIC BUTTER

½ cup unsalted butter 2 teaspoons chopped garlic

Instructions: Over medium heat, melt butter in a small saucepan; add garlic. Turn off heat and let the mixture steep for 5 minutes. Keep warm until ready to use.

Makes 6-8 servings