On this week’s edition of The Daily Chew, Kevin Fonzo, chef and owner of K restaurant in College Park, makes his family recipe for stuffing. Then, instead of putting it inside a whole bird, he debones just the leg and ties the stuffing inside. It’s a great alternative for small Thanksgiving dinners.

See the recipe on the jump:

 What You’ll Need (yields 8 servings)
8 chicken legs
4 tablespoons oil
Apple, sausage, chestnut stuffing (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Debone chicken legs. Remove silver skin and tendons.
Lay skin side down on cutting board. Cover with plastic. Pound to flatten.
Season with salt and pepper. Add appoximately ¾ cup stuffing.
Spread stuffing out and roll meat into a cylinder. Tie with butcher’s twine. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil.
Working in batches, sear legs until golden brown on all sides.
Place legs in a roasting pan and bake approximately one hour or until internal temperature is 150F.

Sausage, Apple and Chestnut Stuffing
2 tablespoons oil
1 pound pork sausage, crumbled
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup green apple, chopped
1 each bay leaf
1 cup chestnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon sage, chopped
8 cups stale bread with crust, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup butter
3 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large sauté pan, heat oil. Add sausage and cook until done, about 5 minutes. Add celery, onions and sauté until tender, approximately 3-5 minutes. Add apples, bay leaf, chestnuts, parsley and sage. Sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Place bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl. Add sausage mixture, milk, stock and eggs. Mix well. Grease a large baking pan with butter. Add sausage and bread mixture. Bake for approximately 50 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean.