Country Cornbread Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Classic Cornbread
• 1 pound country-style sausage or bulk Italian sausage
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks, divided use )
• 1 medium celery bunch (chopped)
• 2 medium white or yellow onions (chopped)
• 3 small leeks (cleaned and sliced)
• 2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 cups chicken stock

Instructions

1. 1

   The night before making this dressing, prepare the cornbread. Cut it into 1-inch cubes, place on a sheet pan, and let sit uncovered overnight to dry out.

2. 2

   Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until fully cooked and crumbled. Drain off the fat and add 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter. Add the chopped celery, onions, and leeks. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Do not brown the vegetables too much.

3. 3

   Place the cubed cornbread into a large bowl and add the sausage mixture (do not drain the butter), eggs, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Add enough chicken stock to moisten well, but do not make it too mushy. (How much to use will depend on the dryness of the cornbread cubes.) Stuff the turkey and put the rest into a buttered casserole dish. (If roasting the turkey unstuffed, put the dressing in two buttered casserole dishes.) Pour a little stock over the top of the dressing and dot the top with the remaining butter cut into small pieces. Cook the dressing that is in the casserole dish at 350ºF for about 30 minutes while the turkey rests.