Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Cranberries

 
Makes 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pork sausage, crumbled
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped (approximately 2 cups)
  • 3 stalks celery, finely chopped (approximately 1 ½ cups)
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 pounds prepared cornbread, cut in ¾ inch cubes (approximately 12 cups)
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 3 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped
  • 3 large eggs, beaten
  • 1-2 cup chicken broth (reduced sodium works well)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, stirring often, until browned and cooked completely through, 5 to 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a large bowl.

In a nonstick skillet, add onion, celery and ¼ cup water. Reduce heat to medium; cook, scraping up browned bits with a spoon, until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add to sausage.

Add cornbread, dried cranberries, sage and eggs to sausage and vegetables. Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan; pour ½ cup over stuffing, and toss gently (cornbread will break down into smaller pieces). If needed, add up to ½ cup more broth, until stuffing feels moist, but not wet. Stuff into turkey, using about 4 cups. Spoon remaining stuffing into a baking pan; it should reach the top. Refrigerate stuffing in pan and remaining broth separately, covered, until ready to bake.

An hour or so before serving, moisten stuffing in pan with reheated broth, up to 1 cup. Bake covered, 30 minutes; then uncover and bake until browned on top, 15 to 30 additional minutes.

Suggested Tags: