Southern Sausage Corn Bread Thanksgiving Stuffing

1 stick unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the baking dish and dotting on top of the stuffing
3 celery ribs, finely chopped about 1 cup
2 large carrots, finely chopped about 1 cup
1 small sweet onion, finely chopped about 1 cup
1 pound Italian sweet sausage, removed from the casings
3 cups Chicken Broth
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
1 (14oz) bag of corn bread stuffing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°

In a large, deep frying pan, melt the 1 stick of butter.  Add the celery, carrots and onion to the pan season well with salt and pepper. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage to the pan and break it up as it cooks. Continue cooking until sausage is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock, poultry seasoning, and parsley, and cook, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Add the apple cider, and then stir in the cornbread stuffing making sure it all gets coated well with the broth and the vegetables. Spread the stuffing into a buttered baking dish and dot the top of the stuffing with about 2-3 tablespoons of butter.

Cover with foil and bake the stuffing in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes then uncovered for about 15 minutes, until it is heated through and the top is lightly browned. Let the stuffing stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips:

Add in’s like a cup of dried cranberries, a chopped green apple, cooked chopped chestnuts or sliced mushrooms go extremely well with this stuffing so be creative and make it your own.
Stuffing can also be stuffed into the bird before roasting but let it cool for about 15-20 minutes before stuffing it into the bird. Then simply fill the cavity loosely with the stuffing and spread any extra around the outside of the cavity.
The stuffing can be made a day ahead but not baked. Simply refrigerate it overnight but be sure to bring it to room temperature before stuffing the turkey or baking it in a baking dish.
If you want a denser stuffing you can fold in 2 beaten eggs after you remove the mixture from the stove.
IMPORTANT: If your stuffing is too dry, you can add a little more liquid. If your stuffing seems too wet, you can add more cornbread stuffing.

recipe source here

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