Some people (read CA) are very particular about their stuffing. It must be made from bread cubes. It must be flavored primarily with sage. It must not have nuts in it. It must not have fruit in it. It must have sausage in it. Basically it must be the stuffing that you grew up with it. I get it - food is definitely nostalgic and I actually really like CA's family stuffing recipe. But, sometimes I need a little variety... It happen think there are other bread options available. I happen to think there are great flavors other than sage. I happen to like pecans or chestnuts in my stuffing. I happen to believe that adding apples, pears or cranberries won't kill you. I happen to agree that you should put sausage in there.
This stuffing is a great alternative to the traditional bread stuffing. It still has very traditional flavors in it - sausage, onions, celery, butter - but it gets kicked up with sweet wine, rosemary and cornbread.
In addition, this recipe is super easy to make gluten free. All you have to do is make the cornbread with a gluten free all purpose flour blend. Done - and you absolutely canNOT tell that it's GF. Believe me, I ate it like it was my job. My GFF (Gluten Free Friend) was attending our Thanksgiving feast and the idea of someone not being able to eat stuffing made me want to cry on their behalf. She made me promise not to go crazy with the GF stuff and I tried my very best. But I draw the line at someone not being able to eat stuffing... or pie.
The cornbread and the port add a great layer of sweetness which is a nice change from traditional bread stuffing (I know this is no surprise to y'all Southerners who will only eat cornbread stuffing... or dressing). Rosemary is a great herb to add to stuffing - except, if you're using dried rosemary, be careful to chop it up and cook it with the onions and celery to soften it up. My brother in law was once poked in the gums by some rogue rosemary which prompted him to ask why there were sticks in the stuffing.
I highly recommend having as many varieties of stuffing at your holiday table as possible. That way you can sample new flavors, compare them and go back for a third helping if you can't decide which one you like best.
Cornbread Stuffing (Gluten Free optional)
Ingredients
For the Corn Bread
1 2/3 cups Cornmeal
1 2/3 cups Gluten Free All Purpose Flour or Regular All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Xantham Gum (if using gluten free flour)
1/2 cup Sugar
2 T Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 2/3 cups Whole Milk
4 Eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup Butter, melted
For the Stuffing
6 cups Crumbled Corn Bread (use recipe above, use a mix or buy it at the store)
1 lb Pork Sausage (I like 1/2 hot and 1/2 regular)
1/2 cup Butter
1 T Rosemary, chopped
2 Onions, finely chopped
1/2 head Celery, finely chopped
Salt & Pepper
1/2 bunch Parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup Sweet Madeira or Port
1/2 cup Turkey or Chicken Stock
Instructions
To make the Corn Bread
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch dish with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well and pour in the milk, eggs and melted butter. Stir together the wet and dry ingredients until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown on the edges and top. Break into large chunks and leave uncovered overnight to help dry it out.
To make the Stuffing
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick spray.
In a large non-stick skillet, brown the sausage until cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions, rosemary and celery and cook until very soft, without browning, about 15 minutes.
Combine the crumbled cornbread, sausage, onion mixture, salt, pepper and parsley in a large bowl. Add the wine and stock and stir gently until moist and uniformly combined (stirring to roughly will break up all the cornbread - you want to keep a few chunks).
Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Take off the foil and bake for another 15 minutes until hot and golden on top.
Enjoy!
Julie
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