by Joan Mccord

Created on: November 05, 2011   Last Updated: December 20, 2011

Traditional cornbread-sausage stuffing for turkey

After experimentation, innovation, and perfecting (maybe even enjoying) the latest "new" idea, many expert Thanksgiving dinner cooks have found their way back to basics with a giant nod to traditional favorite flavors and expectations.

Possibly this recipe began in my family with my grandmother, but it has evolved to please more modern households until it is no longer a recipe with exact measurements but a tried and true roadmap to the perfect accompaniment for the Thanksgiving turkey.

Just as an aside, we never put the stuffing inside the turkey simply because everybody likes the crispy browned tips on top of the moist casserole-baked stuffing when combined with morsels of roast turkey and the luscious accompanying gravy. Additionally, the stuffing will cook more evenly and you only need to quickly insert a thermometer to double check that it cooked through.

A few handfuls of aromatic onions, celery and carrots placed inside the turkey cavity add to the flavor of the bird.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

1 bag turkey giblets, plus the neck - you will find this tucked inside a cavity somewhere near the neck of the turkey, either front or back. Sometimes you need to look around for it but chances are that it is there.

4 stalks celery, including leaves

½ cup flat leaf parsley

½ cup yellow onion

1 bay leaf

3 Tbsp butter, plus additional butter to complete the dish.

1 pound breakfast sausage, casing removed. A pound of bulk Jimmy Dean sausage with sage seasoning is your best choice. A pound of walnuts are a delicious substitute for the fatty sausage.

1, 12-ounce bag Pepperidge Farm Herb-Seasoned Stuffing

Additional rubbed sage and thyme to taste might be needed to achieve the traditional flavor.

3 large eggs - these are optional but stuffing made in country households is traditionally "overly-rich" with eggs.

Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Method

* Discard liver or reserve for another use and combine giblets, neck, ½ cup chopped celery, and bay leaf in a large sauce pan. Add 6 cups water; bring to a boil; then, reduce to simmer and cook until broth is reduced to 4 cups, about 30 minutes. Strain broth and reserve.

* Remove flesh from neck, chop coarsely, and reserve.

* Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

* Have ready a buttered, 2-quart baking dish

* In a 2-quart skillet, cook crumpled sausage until it is browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

* In a food processor, chop parsley and celery into a coarse chop. Add eggs, meat from the neck, giblets, and sausage; pulse just to combine.

* Transfer everything into a large bowl; add stuffing mix and combine. Add turkey broth by ½ cupfuls and stir until stuffing is quite moist but not wet. Season with salt and pepper.

* Transfer to prepared baking dish.

* Cover dish with foil. Bake until heated through, about 40 minutes. Uncover, dot top of stuffing with butter, and continue cooking until lightly browned and bubbling, about 20 minutes more.

Conclusion

This is an excellent stuffing for roast pork, almost any poultry, and countless vegetarian stuffers; simply adjust the seasonings to complement your main ingredient.

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