Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients

• 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

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare cornbread according to directions. Allow baked cornbread to sit out overnight in order to dry out.

2. 2

   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).

3. 3

   Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large skillet until nicely browned, breaking up any clumps. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a very large bowl.

4. 4

   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.

5. 5

   Stir in 2 1/2 cups chicken broth until evenly coated. Whisk eggs in a 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 the stuffing.

6. 6

   Transfer the stuffing to a 9x13 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. For a less moist stuffing, simply bake longer.