Cornbread and Sausage Dressing

Yields: 8 to 10 servings

Time: 30 minutes prep, 1 hour 20 minutes cooking

INGREDIENTS:

For the cornbread: 

• 4 cups buttermilk, room temperature
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten, room temperature
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 cups medium-coarse yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the dressing:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
• 1 pound pork sausage, loose or removed from casings
• 1 large yellow onion, cut into ¼” dice
• 4 celery ribs, cut into ¼” dice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 6 to 8 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped, about 2 tablespoons
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¾ to 1 recipe of cornbread, from above
• 1½ cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 cup heavy cream

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:

1. To make the cornbread preheat the GreenPan Premiere Countertop Oven to 400 F on the Bake setting. In a large mixing bowl whisk the buttermilk, eggs and butter until evenly combined. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda , and salt until evenly combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a silicone spatula or whisk to mix until just incorporated.

2. Pour the batter into a GreenPan Premiere Ovenware 13x9 Baking Pan. Transfer to the oven and bake until the center is set, with a nicely golden-brown top and the sides pull away from the pan slightly, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Lower the oven temperature to 350 F.

3. Heat a GreenPan 10” GP5 frypan on the stovetop over medium heat and pour in the oil. Add the sausage and use a silicone spatula or spoon to break it into very small pieces.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely golden brown and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.  Transfer the cooked sausage to a large mixing bowl. 

4. Add the onion and celery to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, oregano, fennel seeds, salt and pepper and cook another minute or two more until very aromatic. Transfer to the bowl with the sausage and stir to combine. Taste and adjust as desired.  Stir in the stock and heavy cream until evenly distributed. 

5. Flip the cooled cornbread out onto a cutting board (reserving the baker as that will be used to bake the dressing) and cut the cornbread into 1” cubes. Transfer the cornbread to the mixing bowl and stir very gently to combine – use ¾ or the cornbread for a looser dressing, or all of it for a firmer one.

6. Pour the dressing mixture into the reserved baker and gently spread to the edges, ensuring all the ingredients are equally distributed. Cover with foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, then remove the foil, increase the heat to 400 F and continue baking for another 12 to 15 minutes or until the top is well browned and crisp in places. Remove from the oven and serve warm immediately. 

TIPS:

If not all the cornbread is used, the remaining will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container.  Leftover cornbread is also great broken into bite sized pieces and quickly fried in oil to make cornbread croutons!

If you prefer a little heat, add a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flake to the vegetables when cooking, or even use spicy Italian sausage instead of plain!