Christmas is just days away now, and if you've ever been on dinner duties, you'll know that it's not always plain sailing. Planning the festive feast takes a lot of work and preparation, and even if you're just cooking for a couple of people, there's a lot of pressure to get it right.
Stuffing is a crucial part of any good Christmas dinner, and if you want to stray away from the packet mixes, there are plenty of easy recipes that will definitely impress your guests. You can't go wrong with Mary Berry, and her easy sage and onion stuffing recipe is so simple to make. It can be made in the days running up to Christmas, so all you have to do on the day is put it in the oven.
They take less than half an hour to bake, and it's guaranteed they'll taste better than anything you'd get ready-made from the supermarket.
The recipe notes state: "These traditional sausage meat stuffing balls provide the perfect accompaniment to roast poultry - especially at Christmas. You can cook them ahead and freeze them and reheat as many as you need."
And if you've ended up with any leftovers, you can make them into a delicious sandwich with any stray veggies, pieces of turkey and cranberry sauce. Here's everything you need for this recipe, which makes 16 stuffing balls.
Ingredients
- 40g butter, plus extra for greasing
- One large onion, finely chopped
- 700g pork sausage meat
- 150g fresh white breadcrumbs
- One large unwaxed lemon, juice and finely grated zest
- Three tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- One tbsp chopped fresh sage
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- One tbsp vegetable oil
Method
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry gently for around 10 minutes, or until softened but not browned. Stir in the remaining stuffing ingredients, except for the vegetable oil, then mix until well combined. Season to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Wet your hands and shape the mixture into 16 equally-sized balls. Place on a lightly greased baking tray, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat, then add the stuffing balls and fry for five minutes, turning once, until golden on both sides.
Return the fried stuffing balls to the baking tray. Bake the stuffing balls for 20-25 minutes, and if they brown too quickly during cooking, cover with kitchen foil. Serve with your roast turkey or chicken, and enjoy.
