You’ve got ONE WEEK left to prep for the annual big Thanksgiving meal, so how about some input from a nationally-known chef? Born on a wildlife ranch in Seguin, Texas, Andrew grew up with a great passion and love for the food arts, and over the years, his career has sky-rocketed.
- 2003 – Sous Chef at The Mansion on Turtle Creek, Dallas
- 2006 – Banquet Chef / Sous Chef at the Rosewood Hotels in St. John Virgin Islands, Caneel Bay
- 2008 – Executive Chef at Trece Restaurant, Dallas
- 2011 – Executive Sous Chef at Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Park Cities, Utah
- 2011 – Executive Chef at Sorrel River Ranch, Moab, Utah, where he implemented a “farm-to-table” program at the ranch utilizing 60% of all produce from their on-site garden.
- 2012 – Executive Chef at the Magnolia Hotel, Dallas
- 2013 – Executive Chef at both Dee Lincoln’s Bubble Bar and her Steak & Burger Bar, Dallas
Starting in 2015, Chef Andrew began working with Jim Lammon and Jeff Frankel to create a Northern Italian restaurant called Tavolo Italia in Frisco Square. Our readers loved Tavolo, but sadly, it has since closed.
Chef Andrew, however, is now the Executive Chef at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington DC. With a creative mind and an adoration for food, Chef Andrew says,
This is my grandmother on my mom’s side recipe. I would literally eat bowls of this goodness that is super easy to make, but exceptionally awesome. I still have the handwritten card catalog paper that she wrote it on in the 80’s! Enjoy!!”
ITALIAN SAUSAGE-CHALLAH STUFFING
Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lb spicy Italian sausage (removed from casing)
- 1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage (removed from casing)
- 3 lb diced challah bread
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 5 ribs celery (small diced)
- 1 yellow onion (small diced)
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 4 tbsp chopped thyme
- 4 tbsp chopped sage
- 5 tbsp cold butter cubed
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large sauté pan, add the Italian sausage and olive oil and brown the sausage until it’s cooked through. Once fully cooked, strain sausage through a fine mesh strainer and SAVE THE OIL!
Place the cooked sausage in a stainless steel mixing bowl and set aside. Return the sauté pan to a medium high heat, add the saved oil and the butter.
Sauté the garlic, celery, and yellow onion until translucent and soft. Remove the vegetables from the sauté pan and add them to the sausage.
Add the chopped pecans, sage, thyme, and cooked vegetables to sausage in bowl. Mix thoroughly.
Add the diced challah bread and continue to mix. Slowly add in the cooled chicken stock until the stuffing is wet/dry to your preference. YOU MAY NOT NEED ALL THE STOCK, so add it in slowly and mix everything well.
Once the stuffing is to desired wetness, place the stuffing to a 9×13 casserole dish. Dot the stuffing with the diced cold butter, cover it with aluminum foil, and bake in your oven for 45 minutes. Enjoy!
Happy Thanksgiving, Frisco!
