Cornbread Sausage Stuffing

 
 
 
 

This week on Dak and Ju, we're walking through Dak's favorite cornbread stuffing recipe. She's been making this dish at Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving and Fakesgiving (don't ask) for nearly 10 years. While we believe it should never replace "real" stuffing, there is room on the table for two. This version is lightly sweet from the cornbread itself, which is both surprising and welcome. With plenty of fresh sage, thyme and rosemary, plus the addition of sausage, it still eats like a savory dish worthy of a gravy poncho. While you can certainly make your own cornbread, Dak prefers to just buy the pre-made rounds at the grocery store. It's definitely easier, but if she's being honest with herself—and America—it's mostly because store-bought versions often resemble yellow cake with cornmeal rather than cornbread. It's a lewk, and it's perfect. The recipe calls for either ground breakfast sausage or ground chicken sausage. There will be some added flavor in the sausage either way (which is what helps differentiate it from just ground chicken or pork meat), but just make sure you're not choosing a maple breakfast sausage if you buy the pre-made cornbread. It's all about balance here. Though Thanksgiving is upon us, you have plenty of time to whip this up for your family or cat. —Dak and Ju

 

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more to grease the pan

  • 2 lbs. day-old cornbread (just buy premade from store), cut into big cubes (about 9 cups)

  • 1 lb. ground breakfast sausage

  • 1 yellow onion, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups) 

  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 2.5 cups chicken broth

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 cup lightly chopped, toasted pecans 

  • 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

  • 1 tsp chopped fresh sage

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

Instructions

  1. Arrange racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat to 250 degrees. Butter a 13x9x2″ baking dish; set aside. Arrange the cornbread in a single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake until it is dried out. This takes about 1 hour. Let cool. 

  2. Meanwhile, cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

  3. Heat 1/4 cup butter in the same skillet; add onions and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent, about ten minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add to the sausage bowl.

  4. Return the skillet to heat. Add vinegar; cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan, for 1 minute. Pour into a bowl with the sausage. Stir in pecans, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Let it cool.

  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk 2.5 cups broth, eggs, sprinkle of salt and pepper and add it to the sausage mixture. Gently fold in the cornbread cubes.  Be careful not to mash the cornbread.

  6. Transfer to the prepared dish and bake until the temperature reads 160 with a thermometer or when the top is golden brown and hot (about 40 minutes). If you notice the top to be getting too golden, cover with foil.

Makes 1 9x13 pan; serves 8-10