3 days ago3 min read

Lou Costello's Italian Sausage Stuffing

Lou's granddaughter Marki Costello joined us to share this family recipe!

Abbott and Costello were a successful comedy team who conquered radio, film and television throughout the 1940s and 50s. Their comedy routine"Who's On First?" is one of the most famous of all time and is in their film "The Naughty Nineties" (1945).

Recipe

This recipe is not from a fan magazine or cookbook, but rather straight from Lou Costello's granddaughter Marki Costello. It doesn't get more authentic than that! Even though Lou wasn't a cook, she said this was his favorite thing to eat at Thanksgiving, so it seemed a perfect time to make it.

Ingredients

4-5 sticks of butter (for sautéing)

2 large white onions, chopped

4-5 celery stalks, chopped

1 cup white wine

Salt and pepper (to taste)

1 pound uncased Italian sausage

4-5 cups chopped Italian bread (or breadcrumbs)

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Sauté the Vegetables:

In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat.

Add the chopped onions and celery. Sauté until softened and lightly golden, about 10-12 minutes.

Pour in the white wine, and season with salt and pepper. Let it simmer for a few minutes, then remove from heat.

Brown the Sausage:

In a separate pan, brown the uncased Italian sausage over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Cook until fully browned, about 8-10 minutes. Drain any excess fat.

Prepare the Dry Ingredients:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped Italian bread and breadcrumbs.

Sprinkle in the grated Parmesan cheese and toss to mix.

Combine Everything:

Pour the sautéed vegetables (with the butter and wine) and browned sausage into the bowl with the bread mixture.

Gently toss everything together until the bread absorbs the liquid and everything is well incorporated.

Baking (Optional):

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

Transfer the mixture to a baking dish.

Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and slightly crispy.

Marki says, "This will create a flavorful, rich stuffing perfect for a holiday meal or special gathering! I also add my own spin with sliced mushrooms and whole cranberries

It’s so delicious."

Special Guests

Marki Costello, the self-proclaimed and widely acknowledged "Queen of Hosting," is a highly respected and well-established name in Hollywood. Owner and president of Creative Management Entertainment Group, Marki has single-handedly built the most respected host management company in the industry. CMEG has flourished since its creation more than a decade ago. Originally the only host management firm in town, the company has expanded to encompass a casting division, a production arm, a huge hosting school and a website devoted to hosting, www.becomeahost.com.

A strong gene pool may have been a defining influence insofar as her career direction. Marki's grandfather was comedy legend Lou Costello of Abbott & Costello, and her father - Gregg Jacobson, was a record producer for The Beach Boys. Growing up as Hollywood royalty, Marki appropriately became a multi-hyphenate in today's television industry.

Rick Greene is a film history collector and also co-authored the book "Harry Brandon: King of the Boogeymen" with Bill Cassara. You can find Rick on Facebook and he runs the group Greene's Pop Culture Sugar Blast! Coolness From The 20th Century. His book "Marketing Mayhem!: Selling Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis to Post-War America" was released from Bear Manor Media. His latest book is "Advertising Anarchy: Selling Bud Abbott & Lou Costello to War Torn America".

Video

Final Result

This stuffing is FANTASTIC! I ate so much of it that I went into a food coma! I would encourage everyone to add this to their Thanksgiving day menu for sure.