Chicken Apple Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing
For the cornbread…
1 1/4 cups coarse yellow cornmeal, such as Goya
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup honey
For the stuffing…
1/2 pound fresh chicken apple sausage, casings removed, crumbled
½ pound smoked chicken apple sausage, diced
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
Kosher salt and ground pepper
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 ½ cups turkey or chicken stock
First, prepare the cornbread. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in oven until hot, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, sage, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Melt 1 stick butter, add the honey while warm to melt it. Whisk butter together with milk, buttermilk, and eggs,.Whisk milk mixture into cornmeal mixture until just combined.
Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Remove skillet from oven, add remaining tablespoon butter, and swirl to coat. Pour in batter, and bake until cornbread is golden, 20 to 23 minutes. Let cool at least 30 minutes before cutting into 1 inch cubes. Place cubed cornbread on a baking sheet back into the 375 oven for 20 minutes. Let cool and leave out, uncovered overnight to dry.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, stirring often, until browned and cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl, reserving all the fat. Add onion, celery, and 1/4 cup water, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium, until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add to sausage.
Add cornbread and eggs to sausage and vegetables. Bring stock to a simmer in a small saucepan; pour over stuffing, and mix well. Pour into a generously buttered 13×9 inch casserole dish. Bake, uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Serves 10.
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