1stickbutter,salted, (3/4 stick for onion/celery; remainder for buttering baking dish)
2largeeggs, lightly beaten
6cupschicken broth(see notes if using low-sodium)
1tablespoonPoultry Seasoningmake sure it's fresh
½teaspoonsalt(see notes about salt)
½tablespoonground black pepper
1tablespoonground sage(see notes if not using sausage with sage)
Instructions
Make the Cornbread
Use 2 packages of cornbread mix and follow package instructions or, make a double batch of my homemade cornbread; whichever you use, you'll need 8 cups of crumbled cornbread
2 pans cornbread
Once cornbread is cool, crumble into a large bowl, cover and allow to sit at room temperature for a day or two
Cook the Sausage, Celery and Onions
Place the sage seasoned sausage in a skillet and cook it until it is browned; use a wooden spoon to break the sausage up into tiny pieces; when sausage is thoroughly browned; set aside; drain it if it's super oily;
1 lb. Pork sausage with sage
In a big saucepan on medium heat, melt ¾ stick of salted butter; add chopped celery and onions; cook 10 minutes, or until onions are transluscent; turn off heat and set aside
4 stalks celery, 2 medium yellow onions, 1 stick butter
Cornbread Dressing Assembly
Preheat oven to 350ºF
Butter the inside of a 9 x 13 baking dish; go all the way up on the sides of the dish because the dressing completely fill this size of pan
1 stick butter
Beat two eggs in a bowl; set aside
2 large eggs
Add the crumbled cornbread and Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing mix to the buttered baking dish (See Notes)
2 cups Herb Seasoned Pepperidge Farm Classic Stuffing Mix
Add the cooked sausage, onions, celery and the melted butter to the bread mixture; combine well
Add eggs; combine well; (the best way to do this is to use your hands)
2 large eggs
Add 3 cups of chicken broth to mixture; mix together then add the other 3 cups of broth and combine it well.
6 cups chicken broth
Add 1/2 of the poultry seasoning and 1/2 of the pepper to the mixture; combine well, then add the remaining halves of poultry seasoning and pepper; add salt and combine again NOTE: if you're not using sausage with sage, add the sage now in 1/2 tablespoon increments)NOTE: taste now for salt
1 tablespoon Poultry Seasoning, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ tablespoon ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon ground sage
Place mixture in buttered baking dish; bake on the middle rack, uncovered for 25 minutes then check the center of the dish with a fork to see if it's almost done; if the center is still a bit jiggly, cook the dressing another 10 minutes; recheck center for doneness
Dressing is done when the center is no longer jiggly and the top is brown
Video
Notes
A Note about using Jiffy Cornbread Mix: it contains a little sugar, which I don't care for. You can substitute the milk for buttermilk in the cornbread recipe. Use 1/3 cup PLUS 3 tablespoons of buttermilk instead of milk per package of cornbread. This will get rid of any sweetness.
If you are not using sausage with sage, add 1 tablespoon of ground sage to this recipe. The poultry seasoning, black pepper and sage (optional) are added in increments because the mixture is so big. Add 1/2 the amount of sage, combine, then add the other 1/2. This ensures the seasonings are mixed well throughout .
Poultry seasoning already contains sage, so it's not necessary to add more sage unless you love it! Be aware that too much ground sage turns the dressing a little bit green...
This recipe uses salted butter, normal (not low-sodium) chicken broth and sausage-all of which are pretty salty. If you use unsalted butter or low-sodium broth, you may want to add a little more salt.
Two cups of herb seasoned Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix means; pour the stuffing mix into a two-cup measuring cup, then add it to the cornbread
Make in advance:
Make this traditional side dish from scratch a day or two before Thanksgiving or Christmas! Simply assemble all the ingredients, cover and refrigerate the uncooked (or cooked) for up to two days.
When ready to serve, remove the turkey dressing from the fridge, uncover and allow to come to room temperature prior to baking (it takes about 30 minutes for it to get to room temperature.)
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Cover cooked dressing with foil and reheat; bake uncooked dressing with no cover.
Freeze it:
You can freeze cooked and uncooked dressing for up to 3 months. Make sure it's packaged and sealed well to minimize freezer burn.
When you're ready to cook or reheat, allow it to get to room temperature first, then bake or reheat.
Cover cooked dressing with foil and reheat; bake uncooked dressing with no cover.
Use your hands:The best way to combine a big batch of dressing is to just use your hands.