Ingredients

The following ingredients have 14 Servings
  • 1 16 oz. pkg. cornbread mix (prepared according to directions*)
  • 4 cups cubed (1/2-inch) day old white bread ( (I like Italian))
  • 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed ( (26 crackers))
  • 1 pound fresh sage pork sausage ((I use Jimmy Dean)**)
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, (chopped into 1/2" pieces)
  • 4 celery ribs, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp EACH dried basil, salt
  • 1/4 tsp EACH dried oregano, dried thyme , pepper
  • 1 cup roughly chopped pecans, toasted
  • 1 cup dried cranberries ((crasins))
  • 3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 eggs

Instruction

  • Prepare cornbread according to directions. Allow baked cornbread to sit out overnight in order to dry out.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice cornbread and white bread into 1/2 inch cubes. Add to 2 baking sheets and bake for 35-45 minutes or until completely dried out (they should resemble croutons).
  • Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large skillet until nicely browned, breaking up any clumps. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a very large bowl.
  • Melt butter in remaining fat in skillet. Add onions and cook 5 minutes. Add celery, apples, garlic, chicken bouillon and all seasoning/spices and cook for 2 minutes, while stirring. Transfer to bowl with sausage and stir in toasted bread, crushed Ritz, pecans, and cranberries.
  • Stir in 2 1/2 cups chicken broth until evenly coated. Whisk eggs in small bowl until frothy then whisk in 1 cup chicken broth. Pour over stuffing and gently mix until evenly combined. Optional - If you like a super moist stuffing add an additional 1/2-1 cup broth to stuffing.
  • Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. For a less moist stuffing, simply bake longer.