036 / 75 · Chicken, Turkey and Fish Suppers

Pork Sausage and Apple Bread Hotdish

One 9×13 in (23×33 cm) dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L;6 main-dish portions · Active 40 min · Total 2 hr 5 min

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Bread cubes absorb a measured savory custard around browned sausage, soft apple and celery. It is a supper bake rather than sweet bread pudding: sage, mustard and black pepper keep the flavor savory. The sausage is cooked before the eggs are mixed, and the bread gets a short drying stage so it holds a little shape.

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Hand-drawn savory sausage and apple bread hotdish with golden bread corners.

Make a bread cube that can absorb without disappearing

Choose a plain firm white loaf and weigh the cubes before drying. Very soft fresh bread can collapse in the custard, while hard packaged croutons may contain seasoning and need a different soak. Spread the cubes on a tray and dry briefly at low heat, turning once. They should feel drier at the surface without becoming deeply toasted. The measured milk and stock provide the liquid; do not keep pouring until the bowl looks like soup. A fifteen-minute rest lets that custard reach the center of the cubes before the oven stage.

Cool the cooked filling before adding raw egg

Brown the sausage in a wide skillet, check 160°F in several pieces and drain excessive fat safely. Onion, celery and small apple dice cook afterward so their moisture and firmness are controlled. Let the mixture become warm rather than piping hot before folding it into eggs and milk. This prevents streaks of scrambled egg forming before the pan is assembled. The bake should have browned bread corners on top and a set, moist interior, never liquid egg in the middle. Several checks at 165°F are still necessary even though the pork was already cooked. Rest ten minutes before spooning portions, and keep the meal savory rather than adding sugar or a dessert sauce. A sharp cold cabbage side is a useful companion if wanted, but it is outside the measured recipe.

Ingredients

  • About 8 cups plain firm white bread in 3/4-in/2-cm cubes (250 g before drying)
  • 1 lb fresh raw pork sausage, skins removed (450 g)
  • 1 tablespoon butter (15 g)
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped (150 g)
  • 2 celery stalks, finely diced (100 g)
  • 2 firm eating apples, peeled, cored and cut in 1/2-in/1-cm dice (250 g prepared)
  • 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups milk (480 ml)
  • 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock (180 ml)
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (10 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Set out

Oven, 9×13 in (23×33 cm) baking dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L, Large rimmed tray for bread, 12-in/30-cm skillet, Large bowl, Whisk, Rimmed sheet under dish, Food thermometer, Suitable foil for loose shielding if needed

Allergens

Wheat, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery; check sausage, stock and bread labels. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat oven to 300°F (150°C). Spread bread on its tray and dry 12–15 minutes, turning once, until surfaces are dry but not hard. Put in the large bowl. Raise oven to 375°F (190°C) and put the dish on its rimmed sheet.
  2. Meanwhile cook sausage in the skillet over medium-high heat 8–10 minutes, breaking it up, until several pieces reach 160°F (71°C). Transfer to a clean plate and safely drain excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon.
  3. Melt butter in the skillet, add onion and celery and cook 8–10 minutes over medium heat until soft. Add apple and sage and cook 5–6 minutes until apple is nearly tender. Return sausage, take off the heat and cool 10 minutes until warm, not hot.
  4. Whisk eggs, milk, stock, mustard and pepper. Fold into bread with the warm sausage mixture. Stand 15 minutes, turning once gently, then spread evenly in the dish without compressing the cubes.
  5. Bake 35–45 minutes until bread corners are golden, the center is set with no liquid egg and several points reach 165°F (74°C). Shield loosely with foil if the top colors early. Rest 10 minutes and divide into six portions.

A short soak belongs in the timetable

Mixing and baking immediately leaves a different center. Use the fifteen minutes to clear raw-egg utensils and prepare the serving space rather than shortening the absorption stage.

A useful detail

The 125-minute total includes drying bread, sequential sausage/vegetable stages, cooling before eggs,15-minute absorption, the full bake and rest. These waiting stages are part of the method.

Another way

  • Replace apples with 250 g peeled, cored firm-ripe pear dice and cook gently until nearly tender. Keep the savory sage-and-mustard custard unchanged.

Keep it well

Refrigerate shallow portions within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3 days or an earlier sausage or dairy deadline. Reheat to 165°F (74°C). Freeze promptly cooled portions for up to 1 month for quality; thaw in the refrigerator. Bread softens further after freezing.