Cornbread-and-Sausage Stuffing
Photo Credit : Keller + KellerThis cornbread and sausage dressing is baked outside the turkey, not inside the cavity. Although a stuffed bird is a popular holiday tradition, it isn’t the healthiest practice, since the center of the stuffing doesn’t heat up well.
4 sausages (4-inch links; turkey, sweet, or hot), casings removed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or unsalted butter
1 small onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
6 cups day-old cornbread, cut into 1-inch cubes (one 9×9-inch pan recipe)
1 cup turkey or chicken stock
In a medium-size sauté pan over medium heat, cook sausages, breaking them apart into 1/2-inch pieces as they cook. Drain and discard rendered oil, and remove sausages to a plate.
Wipe pan clean and heat oil or butter over medium setting. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook about 10 minutes or until softened.
Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add herbs, cornbread, and chicken stock, and stir. Cool to room temperature.
Butter a 9×13-inch pan and fill it with stuffing. Cover the top with foil, and bake with the turkey 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes, until lightly browned on top.