Preheat the oven
to 350°F.
Cut the cornbread into 1-inch cubes. You should have about 12 cups.
Place the cubes in a large bowl with
2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the thyme, and salt
and pepper; toss well. Spread the
cubes out on two baking sheets. Bake until slightly toasted, 15 minutes.
Let cool at room temperature,
30 minutes. Return the cubes to the bowl.
Meanwhile, cook the sausage in a non-stick skillet over medium-high
heat, breaking the meat up with a
spatula, until cooked through and lightly browned, 15 or 20 minutes.
(Pour off the fat if too much of it
accumulates
during cooking.) Using a slotted spoon, add the meat to the bowl with
the cornbread
(breaking the meat up more if necessary).
Heat the remaining
2 tablespoons olive oil and the butter in a heavy saucepan. Cook the
onions and
celery over medium-low heat, stirring, until wilted, 10 minutes. Then
stir in the cherries and prunes, and
cook another 5 minutes. Fold the mixture into the cornbread.
Using a rubber spatula, toss the remaining 2 tablespoons thyme, the
sage and parsley with the cornbread.
Slowly drizzle in the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until the stuffing is
moist to your liking. Adjust the seasonings to
taste. Cool completely to room temperature before stuffing the turkey.
Note: Cook the stuffing in the turkey; any extra can be cooked
in an ovenproof dish, covered, at 350°F for
20 to 25 minutes.
Country Cornbread
Yield: 6 servings
1 1/2 cups yellow
cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons
sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon
salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs,
lightly beaten
1 cup creamed
corn
Preheat the oven
to 400°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
Combine the cornmeal,
flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir well.
In another bowl, combine the milk, yogurt, melted butter, oil and eggs.
Add this to the cornmeal mixture
and stir until
just combined. Then stir in the creamed corn.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake in the center of the
oven until the top is golden
brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out just clean, 45
minutes.
Cool in the pan
on a rack for 15 to 20 minutes. Then remove the cornbread from the pan
and let it cool
completely on a wire rack. Cut it into squares to serve.
Wine suggestion
Russian River Valley (CA) Gewürztraminer or Willamette Valley (OR) Pinot
Noir
"best
of" turkey tips home | sheila
lukins' tips |
my
thanksgiving turkey
