Cornbread Stuffing
It isn't Thanksgiving without homemade cornbread stuffing! Made with sausage, smoked turkey wings, and fresh herbs this dish is a classic.
Ingredients
Cornbread
- 2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 Cups Yellow Corn Meal
- 2 TBSP Baking Powder
- 1 TSP Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Cup Granulated White Sugar
- 2 1/2 Cups Buttermilk
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1 1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter 12 Tablespoons
Cornbread Stuffing
- 2 LBS Smoked Turkey Wings
- 16 OZ Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage
- 1 Large Yellow Onion Chopped
- 4 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 4-6 Stalks Celery Chopped
- 1/4 Cup Flat Leaf Parsley Chopped
- 1 1/2 TSP Dried Thyme
- 1 TSP Dried Oregano
- 1 TSP Dried Basil
- 1 TSP Garlic Powder
- 1/2 TSP Celery Salt
- 1 TSP Black Pepper
- 1 TSP Cajun Seasoning
- 2 TSP Avocado Oil
- 48 OZ Chicken Stock
- 16 OZ Water
Instructions
- In a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add two teaspoons of avocado oil and your smoked meat. Sear meat on both sides for 4-5 minutes. This sear adds more flavor to your dish. Next, add your chopped celery and yellow onion. Stir around and allow the veggies to start to pick up some of that fond from the bottom of the pot. After about 2-3 minutes, reduce the heat to medium, and add in your chicken broth. Be sure it's enough broth to completely cover your veggies and smoked meat.
- Season with thyme, basil, oregano, garlic powder, celery salt, and cajun seasoning. Toss in your fresh parsley, mix well, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat, and cook for 1 1/2-2 hours or until smoked meat is nice and tender. Meat should be tender to the touch and the bone exposed.
- While that meat is simmering, start on your cornbread. In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients for the cornbread (flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt, and sugar). Mix well to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk your 4 large eggs and add your whole milk to it, whisking in slowly. Now, add your wet mix to your dry, slowly stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula. Once all the wet is incorporated into the dry, stop mixing. A few lumps are okay, you just don't want to over mix.
- Place your stick and a half of butter into a large baking dish or cast iron skillet and place in the oven at 400 degrees F to melt. Once melted, remove from the oven and pour your cornbread mix straight into the baking dish or cast iron skillet. Place back in the oven and back for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown and center is completely baked through. Touch the middle and make sure it's firm and doesn't sink. Once baked, remove and set aside to cool. Once cooled, slice into 1 in cubes.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook down your sage sausage until brown and chop into small crumbles. Remove from the skillet using a serrated spoon and set aside.
- By now, your stock should be ready and the turkey meat should be nice and tender. Remove the smoked turkey and place in a separate bowl. Allow to cool, and shred or chop your smoked meat. You want to remove the skin and only keep the meat.
- In a large bowl, add your cornbread cubes, sage sausage crumbles, and smoked turkey. You can add about 1 cup of meat at a time to ensure you only add as much as you like. Take a serrated spoon and scoop out your celery and onion from the broth. Next, ladle your broth in ½ cup at a time into the mixture. Mix after each ladle to see how much broth you need to add. Keep adding broth and mixing until you reach your desired texture. The mixture should be well combined and not dry. When you grab a scoopful it should stick together and not break up. Once desired texture is reached, check for proper seasoning, place into a baking dish, and cover with foil. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes covered and an additional 15-20 minutes uncovered.
- To make a quick gravy, take about a cup or so of your remaining broth and add 1 tablespoon or so to it. Mix well to get all the lumps out and place over low heat. Bring to a simmer and allow to thicken, stirring constantly. If too thick after about 4-5 minutes of stirring, add more broth. If too loose, add more flour and stir to cook out the flout. Once the desired thickness is reached, run through a strainer and place into a gravy bowl. Serve and ENJOY!
Notes
TIP: MAKE THE CORNBREAD A DAY AHEAD TO DRY IT OUT MORE SO THAT IT SOAKS UP THE MOISTURE OF THE BROTH.
TIP 2: PEPPERIDGE FARMS "HERB SEASONED" CUBE STUFFING IS A GOOD ADD-ON FOR THIS FLAVOR AND TEXTURE IF YOU CAN FIND IT.