Corn Bread Stuffing

You can purchase a smoked or cooked turkey from your favorite store. While you can also buy the gravy and some of the sides, it is hard to find a really good stuffing. Here is a cornbread stuffing you can bake alone, that has a moist texture with a crispy topping. Fortunately, many stores offer cooked cornbread during the holiday season.

Serves 8

10 cups crumbled cornbread
1/2 cup melted butter
8 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 pound bulk pork sausage (mild or spicy)
1/2 teaspoon minced thyme
1/2 teaspoon minced oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup diced pecans
3-4 tablespoons whipping cream

Crumble the cornbread and place in a large bowl. Heat the butter in a large skillet to a sizzle. Add the celery, onion and bell pepper and saute until translucent. Add to the cornbread.

In the same skillet, saute the pork sausage until lightly browned. Transfer to the cornbread mixture along with the herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place the stuffing in a large pyrex dish and add enough chicken broth to moisten, but not enough to make the stuffing "soggy". Stir in pecans and refrigerate until ready to re heat. To re heat the Cornbread Stuffing, pre heat the oven to 350. Drizzle the cornbread mixture with enough cream to moisten, then re heat for 25 minutes or until hot. The small amount of cream makes a crispy topping.