Cornbread/Sausage Dressing With Dried Cranberries

Name: Cornbread/Sausage Dressing With Dried Cranberries
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 16-24 serving(s)
Ingredients: 12 cups of day-old cornbread (I make 3 packages of cornbread mix and allow to cool overnight); 4 tablespoons olive oil; 4 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 tablespoon dried thyme; 2 lbs bulk pork sausage; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 cups chopped onions; 6 stalks celery, chopped; 1 -2 cup dried cranberries or 1 -2 cup dried cherries; 4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves or 2 teaspoons dried sage; 1/4 cup chopped parsley; 2 cups chicken broth; salt and pepper

Submitted by Mark H.

"An easy-to-make cornbread dressing that has become a tradition at our holiday table. Great with turkey, ham, goose, or duck."

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photo by Dawn G.

Ready In:: 1hr 30mins
Ingredients:: 12
Serves:: 16-24

ingredients

12 cups of day-old cornbread (I make 3 packages of cornbread mix and allow to cool overnight)
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 lbs bulk pork sausage
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups chopped onions
6 stalks celery, chopped
1 -2 cup dried cranberries or 1 -2 cup dried cherries
4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves or 2 teaspoons dried sage
¹⁄₄ cup chopped parsley
2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper

directions

Preheat oven to 350.
Cut cornbread into 1-inch cubes and place in large mixing bowl with 2 tblsp of olive oil.
Add 2 tblsp of fresh thyme (1/2 tblsp dried) to mixing bowl and toss cornbread to coat.
Spread the cornbread out on baking sheets and bake at 350 until slightly toasted (about 15 minutes).
Allow toasted cornbread to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then return to bowl.
While cornbread is cooling, brown bulk sausage over medium heat until cooked through/lightly browned.
Use a slotted spoon to remove sausage from frying pan (or drain grease) and add sausage to mixing bowl.
Heat remaining 2 tblsp of olive oil and butter over medium heat and add onion and celery.
Saute onions and celery for about 10 minutes.
Add dried cranberries or cherries to onion/celery and saute for about 5 minutes.
Fold the mixture into the bowl with cornbread and sausage.
Add the remaining thyme, sage, parsley to the mixing bowl and toss well with spatula.
Drizzle the mixture with chicken broth to moisten and add salt and pepper to taste.
Place into baking pan (s), cover with foil and cook for 25-30 minutes.

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Reviews

This is not only the best dressing I have ever made, it is absolutely the best dressing I have ever EATEN! While the flavor was perfection, next time, I might add eggs to help bind it, as it was pretty loose. The only tweaks I made were: 1) I added 2 Granny Smith apples, chopped 2) I lightly roasted the cranberries (maybe 10 min) while toasting the cornbread, so I didn't cook them with the onions and celery.
Dawn G.
Just delicious. I halved the recipe, added an 8oz. pkg. of chopped baby portabellas to the pan with the sauteed onions and celery. Saute for another 5-10 min. Sauteed the chopped gizard, etc. and added to the sausage. I used "50% less fat" sausage and it worked very well. Used 1 1/2 cups of broth, then stuffed the cavity. To the remaining stuffing I added another cup of broth, then put the mixture into silver paper baking cups. Put them into a muffin pan to keep their shape. Baked covered for 15 min.,then uncovered for another 10-12 min. They make a great snack or quick breakfast. Wasn't sure if DH would like the cranberries in his stuffing, but he loved it. In fact, this is the stuffing and dressing recipe that he wants from now on. Thank you.

PugGrannie