Brown Bread–Cornbread Dressing
Give your dressing a New England upgrade! Spicy sausage balances out the sweetness in this brown bread-cornbread dressing, as do the standard aromatics: carrots, celery, onions, and parsley.
By Yankee Magazine|Oct 05 2020|
Coffee By Design | Portland, Maine
Photo Credit : Katherine KeenanCornbread dressings can’t be beat, but that got us thinking of New England brown bread (see “The 2020 Yankee Food Awards”), which is made with cornmeal, rye, and wheat. Why not try it in a dressing? It may be too sweet and intense as a solo ingredient, but you can dilute it with—what else?—cornbread. We’ve tested this dish with sweet cornbread from the supermarket, a less-sweet box-mix variety, and a savory homemade cornbread recipe. All worked well, so choose based on your preferred sweetness level (and time constraints). The spicy sausage, a nod to New England’s Portuguese heritage, balances out the sweetness, as do the standard aromatics: carrots, celery, onions, and parsley.
From “A New New England Thanksgiving,” November/December 2020
Yield:
8 to 10 servingsIngredients
4 cups (10 ounces) cubed cornbread (1-inch pieces)
2 cups (7 ounces) cubed brown bread (1-inch pieces)
4 tablespoons salted butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 medium celery stalks, diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces chouriço, linguiça, chorizo, or other cooked spicy sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup packed fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
2 large eggs
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325°. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter and set aside. Arrange the cornbread and brown bread cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and cook until toasted, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
Increase oven temperature to 375°. Melt the butter in a large skillet, then add the onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, 6 minutes, then add the sausage and cook 5 minutes more. Add parsley, stir, then remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and chicken stock until blended.
Put the bread cubes into a large bowl, then add the sausage mixture and toss to combine. Pour the chicken stock and eggs over all and gently toss together. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for at least 45 minutes and up to 1 day. Bake until cooked through and crispy on top, 40 to 45 minutes.
Throwing Brown Bread into a cornbread stuffing does NOT make it New England. The combo sounds gross actually.
It sounds good to me. Can this be used to stuff a turkey or as a side dish?
@sarahr39 That’s probably why they included it in a feature called A *NEW* New England Thanksgiving,” because it’s not traditional. I suppose one would have to enjoy brown bread to like the idea of this.
I think it sounds really interesting! I like the juxtaposition of the sweetness of the brown bread with the spiciness of the sausage. I think I may try this as a “one pot” supper some evening, paired with a salad.
Made this tonight and the whole family enjoyed it (even the kids!!!). The only thing I would change is I would reduce the cornbread and increase the brownbread for an even ratio. Will definitely save this one.
I have it ready to go in the oven. Looking forward to trying it.