A Holiday Recipe

Stuffing or dressing? Cornbread or bread? Everybody has their favorite, right? My fave is bread dressing like my mom used to make, but my hubby likes cornbread. After moving to NC and experiencing more cornbread dressings, I finally decided to give cornbread dressing a try last year. Here's a recipe that made it back on this year's Thanksgiving menu.

Corn Bread Sausage Dressing

10 cups corn bread cubes (about 18 corn muffins)

1 pound sweet italian ground sausage

Chopped onion (as much or as little as you like)

1 can corn, drained

3 – 3½ cups chicken stock

1½ teaspoons dried thyme

1½ teaspoons ground sage

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Fresh parsley

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Step 1: Spread the corn bread cubes on a baking sheet to partially dry at room temperature for 4 hours or up to overnight. Then transfer them to a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Brown the sausage in a large, heated skillet or sauté pan, breaking it up, until it is fully cooked. With a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked sausage to a platter lined with paper towels. Drain all but about 1½ tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Step 3: Add the onion to the pan and sauté over moderate heat for 7 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the corn, 2 cups of the chicken stock, and the herbs, salt and pepper. Continue stirring until it comes to a simmer, then ladle it over the corn bread and toss well. Add the reserved sausage and parsley and toss again. (Don’t be afraid to use your hands, but only if the sausage is cooled!)

Step 4: Whisk together the eggs and 1 more cup of chicken stock. Drizzle the liquid over the dressing and toss well (the dressing should be quite moist; if not, add more chicken broth). Bake the dressing in a large, tightly covered casserole dish for about 30 minutes, until steaming hot throughout. Makes 8-10 servings.

The original recipe can be found at http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/corn-bread-sausage-dressing-683593/. This recipe is a modified version based on my family’s likes/dislikes.

If you try this recipe, stop back by and let me know how your family liked it. Enjoy your holiday season!