Toasted Cornbread and Apple Stuffing
Serves: 8 to 10
I come from a long line of southern women, and was myself raised in the South. This is the recipe my mother and grandmother used each year for our Thanksgiving turkey. However, its versatility doesn't end on your holiday table. This is a great stuffing for pork chops or roasted chicken. It's also wonderful as a side dish with roasted winter root vegetables or for stuffed peppers.
Ingredients
Preparation
NotesIngredients
- 1 9x13-inch pan of cornbread (make your own or buy premade in the PCC Deli) Add to list
- 1 pound ground seasoned sausage meat (we used PCC Chicken Italian on the show) Add to list
- 1 stick of butter Add to list
- 2 cups chopped onions Add to list
- 2 cup chopped celery Add to list
- 2 cups chopped Pink Lady or Granny Smith apples Add to list
- 1 tablespoon each: chopped fresh sage, thyme and rosemary Add to list
- 1/4 cup fresh cranberries Add to list
- 1/2 cup apple cider Add to list
- 1 1/2 cups chicken or turkey stock (see note) Add to list
- Salt and pepper to taste Add to list
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325° F.
Cut the cornbread into 3/4-inch cubes and spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast the cubes in the oven for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a large skillet or sauté pan, remove and drain half the fat from the pan. Place the pan back over the heat and add the butter. Sauté the onions, celery, apples and herbs in the butter until the vegetables are tender.
Stir in the sausage and cranberries. Pour in the cider and the stock, bring to a simmer and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Place the cornbread cubes in a large bowl and pour in the sautéed mixture. Toss very gently to allow the cornbread to absorb the stock. If the stuffing is a little dry for your taste, add a little more stock.
You may stuff the turkey with this mixture, or bake it in a casserole dish for 35 minutes at 350° F. If you like your stuffing a little more like a bread pudding, fold in 3 well-beaten eggs and bake in a buttered casserole dish for 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbling and golden.
Notes
I often make a big batch of turkey stock well before Thanksgiving and freeze it. Simply buy a bunch of turkey legs and/or parts; chop them up and simmer them in water seasoned with onions, celery, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Strain the liquid and freeze it in mason jars until you need it for your stuffing and gravy.
Recipe by , PCC Chef
Source: Demonstrated on KING 5's "Gardening with Ciscoe" show, which aired on November 21, 2009.
ABOUT OUR CHEF: Lynne Vea
Lynne Vea is a graduate of the Executive Chef Program at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris and has been cooking with PCC Natural Markets since 2001. Featured on King-5’s "Gardening with Ciscoe," she demonstrates easy and delicious recipes using seasonal ingredients.
Lynne is an admired PCC Cooks instructor, teaching a variety of popular PCC Cooks classes throughout the year.
She loves to collect old cookbooks, hunt for wild berries, and cook seven-course dinners where the guests are encouraged to dance and cavort between courses.
Find more recipes from Lynne.
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