A family sausage stuffing recipe with Medina roots

Stuffing completes Thanksgiving just like gravy completes mashed potatoes. Stuffing recipes have been on my mind for some time, and I have been searching for the best recipes, and then fate happened.

I was fortunate to bump into a young man named Brett Kayser recently. Brett was one of my eldest son’s good friends, who I knew from my soccer coaching days in Medina. I hadn’t seen Brett in years, but I knew he was now director of operations for Steve Evans Country Sausage in southeastern Ohio. Suddenly, there he was in a grocery store aisle doing a sausage patty tasting demo. I tried a few samples, and then a few more. They were really good! After catching up, I asked him to please send me his mom’s famous sausage stuffing recipe and some background on Steve Evans Country Sausage, and here it is, just in time to improve your Thanksgiving dinner.

In Brett’s words: “In 1998, determined to preserve his parents’ original recipe and values, my great-uncle Steve launched his own company, Steve Evans Genuine Country Sausage — small, handmade batches of sausage rooted in tradition but driven by quality. One thing my great-grandfather always said was, ‘Never put anything into your sausage that you would not ask your children to eat,’ and we took that to heart.

“Crafted from just five wholesome ingredients, our Mild and Southern Blend has no preservatives, extracts or oils, and is gluten- and dairy-free, except for our Sausage & Biscuit Sliders, resulting in sausage that cooks quickly from frozen. Fast-forward to the summer of 2023, before I graduated from college, great-uncle Steve approached my brothers and me and asked if any of us would have an interest in carrying on our family legacy — and here we are.

“Steve Evans Country Sausage has been available in grocery stores throughout southeastern Ohio and parts of Kentucky and West Virginia since my great-uncle Steve started the company, and now I’m excited to bring my family’s product from the farm to the kitchens of everyone in my hometown of Medina and Northeast Ohio. We still stand by Steve’s promise: ‘If it’s not the best country sausage you’ve ever tasted, I’ll give you your money back.’

“Today, you can find Steve Evans Genuine Country Sausage in the frozen meat section of many grocery stores, and we are continuing to expand, including soon to the Acme Fresh Market locations.”

Here’s Brett’s mom’s Steve Evans Country Sausage Cornbread Stuffing recipe, a family favorite. We hope you enjoy it and have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

Steve Evans Country Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients 

1 lb. Steve Evans Country Sausage (Mild or Southern Blend) 

3½ cups cornbread stuffing mix 

1 medium onion, finely chopped 

2 stalks celery, chopped 

1 cup mushrooms, chopped 

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced 

½ cup dried cranberries 

½ cup walnuts, chopped 

4 Tbsp. butter 

2½ cups chicken broth 

1 tsp. poultry seasoning 

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: In a large skillet, thaw then cook the Steve Evans Country Sausage over medium heat until browned and crumbly. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside. 

Add the butter to the skillet and sauté onion, celery and mushrooms until softened, about 6–8 minutes. 

Add the diced apple and cook another 2–3 minutes, until just tender. 

In a large mixing bowl, add the stuffing mix, cooked sausage, sautéed mixture, cranberries and walnuts. Sprinkle in poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. 

Pour in chicken broth, about ½ cup at a time, tossing gently until the mixture is evenly moistened. Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Transfer the stuffing mixture back into the skillet or a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. 

Bake uncovered for 30–35 minutes, until hot throughout and lightly golden on top.