I am a Honey Bee

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dried cranberries

Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

On Wednesday I shared with you some awesome cornbread muffins that I saw featured just last week on Baked By Rachel and just had to make. Let’s call it a craving. They make for a great breakfast, snack, or side for dinner. I just love how cornbread is so versatile like that.

Well, now I’m back with another awesome recipe from Rachel that uses those cornbread muffins as a great base for a side that will grace your Thanksgiving table. You start with the cornbread muffins, or some store brought cornbread, and add some more great flavors to make kick ass Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing. Really, it kicks ass.

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But I guess it’s obvious for it to be a great stuffing recipe when you start with cornbread and then add in sausage, sauteed veggies, dried cranberries, and other great aromatics.

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I used a plain breakfast sausage for this recipe as I don’t love Italian sausage… shhh don’t tell my Italian relatives! I just don’t like fennel that much!! But if you enjoy Italian sausage then I say feel free to use that just like in Rachel’s recipe. Just be sure to use a sausage that has been removed from its casing.

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But now I have a question…

Do you call it stuffing even if you don’t put it in the bird?

I do. I guess it will always be stuffing to me just because that it what I’ve always called it so I associate the food itself more with the name than if it’s actually being stuffed into something.

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I hope that you’ll give this Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing (or dressing… depending on what you call it!) a try since it is sure to be a big hit at your Thanksgiving table!

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Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

  • 5-6 cups cornbread broken into chunks (or 9 muffins)
  • 1/2 lb plain breakfast sausage, like Jimmy Dean’s regular sausage
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 3/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 fresh sage leaves
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Process

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Create a single layer of the crumbled cornbread on a large baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until nearly crisp. (drying the cornbread out helps it hold it’s shape/texture)
  3. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook  the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces while cooking. Transfer sausage to a large bowl reserving some fat in the skillet.
  4. In same skillet, cook onion and celery with seasonings until the vegetables are tender and nearly translucent. Add the sausage back in. Add the dried cranberries and cornbread, toss to blend the ingredients together. Pour broth over mixture, toss again to combine well.
  5. Transfer the mixture to a greased 2-quart baking dish.
  6. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until heated through and the top is crisp. Serve immediately.

Slightly adapted from Baked by Rachel

Trail Mix Cookies

These really are my favorite cookies. Not just because I make them but because they are oatmeal, chocolate chip, and coconut macaroons rolled into one. I call them trail mix cookies because they remind me of good trail mix from trader joes. So with oatmeal, chocolate chips, coconut, cranberries, and walnuts you can take on what ever is ahead of you, a long trail or the sofa and a movie.

 

These were originally cinnamon chip oatmeal cookies off of a package of cinnamon chips but as time went on I started to mess around and bake them differently every time until reaching this. So cinnamon chips became chocolate chips, then I added in nuts, then coconut, then cranberries. Everything worked together to become a chewy oatmeal cookie packed with goodies.

 

Typically, I make cake for our monthly staff meetings as a way of celebrating the birthdays that month. Things have ranged from Tres Leche Cake to Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting. I kinda felt bad for not making a cake this month but I was not in the mood to make cake. Just plain and simple, I wanted to make cookies. So on Thursday morning I got up when Price was getting up for work @ 5.20 and started to make cookies. Having 1 for breakfast was a great way to start the day.

 

I don’t think people minded having cookies instead of cake, esp when I saw some people stack up a few on a napkin as they went into the staff meeting and then grab some on the way out. After work I brought over the extras to Price’s class. True story- I got on the wrong train. I could have taken the B,C, or the D there but I got on the E line. 6+ years in Boston and I get on the wrong train! What makes it even worse is that I could have gotten off and waited for another or walked but I w as not paying attention for my last chance to fix the situation so I had to walk through the mall to get back on course. What the hell?

Trail Mix Cookies

makes 6 dozen 2 in dia cookies

3 sticks of unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar (I use dark brown)
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1  1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
3 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
2 1/4 cups of chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups of shredded coconut
1 cup of chopped walnuts
3/4 cup of dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350.

Prepare baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl, set side. Cream together the butter and sugars on high until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Add the flour mixture to the batter in batches. On low-speed, add the oatmeal, chocolate chips, coconut, nuts, and cranberries until combined.

Form cookies and place on cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Recipe produces 6 dozen 2 in diameter cookies, larger cookies will result in a lesser number and will take longer to bake.