Cornbread, Sausage and Pecan Dressing

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is just a week away! The month of November has literally flown by! My mom’s corn bread stuffing recipe has been in the family for years. We make it every Thanksgiving, until now???

My mom and I received the latest Bon Appetit magazine in the mail. Inside the issue, quite a few stuffing recipes were boldly featured. We couldn’t wait for Thanksgiving and decided to give this Cornbread, Sausage and Pecan Stuffing recipe a try!

What did we think? It was great! The sausage was a great addition as it turns up the volume in this side dish and adds quite a bit of protein. Unfortunately the sausage also adds quite a bit of fat. I recommend buying turkey sausage, the leaner version of pork sausage. It will cut the fat in half, at least!

So, what’s the verdict? Will we make our traditional cornbread stuffing or this new one from Bon Appetit? Drumroll please……………….

While we really liked this new recipe, we’re going to have to stick with the classic that has been in our family for that past 30 years. Hey, I’m always up for trying new recipes. We will just have to make this stuffing during the off-season. 🙂

Cornbread, Sausage and Pecan Dressing
Ingredients
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter plus more for baking
1 pound day-old cornbread, broken into 1 1/2-inch-2-inch pieces (9 cups)
1 pound breakfast sausage links, casings removed
2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 1/2 cups 1/4-inch slices celery
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 1/4 cups chopped toasted pecans (optional)
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs

Directions
1. Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 250 degrees F. Butter a 13x9x2-inch baking dish; set aside.
2. Scatter cornbread in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake, stirring often and rotating sheets halfway through, until dried out, about 1 hour. Let cool. Transfer to a very large mixing bowl.
3. Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up into 1/2-inch – 1-inch pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with cornbread but do not stir.
4. Heat 3/4 cup butter in same skillet; add onions and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened and just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add to cornbread in bowl.
5. Return skillet to heat. Add vinegar, cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan, for 1 minute. Pour into bowl with cornbread. Gently fold in 1 1/2 cups broth, pecans, if using, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Add salt and pepper. Let cool.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk 1 1/2 cups broth and eggs in a small bowl. Fold gently into cornbread until thoroughly combined, taking care not to mash cornbread (mixture will look wet). Transfer to prepared dish, cover with foil, and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of dressing registers 160 degrees F, about 40 minutes.

Yield: 8-10 servings
Recipe from: Bon Appetit

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: 530 Calories | 41g Fat | 15g Saturated Fat | 120mg Cholesterol | 30g Carbohydrates | 4g Fiber | 12g Protein | 1380mg Sodium

Corn Bread Stuffing

Here is one more holiday recipe that I’m just now adding: Corn Bread Stuffing.  I know the holiday season is over, but if you are like my husband who thinks you can eat turkey and dressing any time of the year, then you might want to try this now!
This Corn Bread Stuffing recipe comes from the “Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 1976”.  My mom has made this stuffing every Thanksgiving since I’ve been alive.  My husband fell in love with the recipe and requested that she make it for Christmas this year!  The recipe is pretty easy to make, and is moist, flavorful, and will be your “go-to” recipe for dressing.   Enjoy!
Combine bacon, reserved drippings, vegetable mixture, coarse corn bread crumbs, toasted bread cubes, sage, and broth; toss well.

Bake covered in a 1 1/2 qt baking dish at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Serve with turkey or ham for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.  Or, for those who really love this (my husband), serve it all-year round!
Corn Bread Stuffing
Ingredients
1/2 lb bacon (8-10 slices)
1/4 cup bacon drippings
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup water
3 cups coarse corn bread crumbs, (Perfect Corn Bread is a great recipe to use)
6 slices toasted bread, cubed
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1 cup chicken or turkey broth
Directions
1.  In skillet, cook bacon till crisp; drain, reserving 1/4 cup drippings.  Crumble bacon; set aside.
2.  To skillet, add celery, onion, and water.  Cover; cook till barely tender, about 7 minutes.
3. Combine bacon, reserved drippings, vegetable mixture, coarse corn bread crumbs, toasted bread cubes, sage, and broth; toss well.
4.  Bake covered in a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Yield:  8 servings, or enough stuffing for an 8-pound turkey.
Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 1976