Sausage and Fruit Cornbread Stuffing

Makes 6 to 8 servings


Active time: 25 minutes


Start to finish: 11/4 hours

VARIATIONS

Substitute chopped dried apple for dried apricots and dried cranberries, and add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the skillet with other ingredients.

Substitute 3 fresh peaches, peeled and diced, for Golden Delicious apples.

Add 1/2 pound cooked and diced sweet potatoes along with stuffing cubes.

Here’s a stuffing from the Southern cooking tradition, although the cranberries are a New England addition. Try it with grilled pork chops or chicken.

3/4 pound bulk American Breakfast Sausage, Breakfast Sausage with Dried Fruit, Turkey, Apple, and Sage Sausage, or purchased sausage

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

1 large onion, diced

2 celery ribs, diced

11/4 cups Chicken Stock or purchased low-sodium stock

2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and diced

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme

3 cups cornbread stuffing cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan if not using stuffing inside a turkey or chicken. For safety instructions for stuffed poultry, see page 302.

2. Heat a large, covered skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage into the skillet and cook, breaking up lumps with a fork, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until browned. Remove sausage from the skillet with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

3. Heat butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Return sausage to the skillet, and add stock, apples, dried apricots, dried cranberries, parsley, and thyme, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and simmer mixture for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

4. Stir in stuffing cubes, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer stuffing to the prepared pan. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until slightly crisp.

Note: The stuffing—without the addition of the apples—can be prepared for baking up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Add 15 minutes to the covered baking time if mixture is chilled.