Inspired by last week's Thanksgiving feast and the prospect of another in just a few weeks, I thought I would share a favorite recipe for the cornbread stuffing I usually prepare to go with the bird. This recipe is a modest adaptation of the Basic Cornbread Stuffing recipe and its Sausage and Bell Pepper variant from the third edition of the Joy of Cooking. For those cornbread aficionados out there, the cornbread used is a Northern, Yankee version, though I'm sure that traditional Southern versions would work just fine as well. My flavor variant here is sausage, specifically Southwestern/Mexican Chorizo. The texture of Mexican Chorizo is different from the Spanish version, so I'm not sure that the Spanish version will work here. Anyway, enough caveats.....on with the recipe:
Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing
1 lb. Mexican Chorizo (bulk or removed from casing)
2 cups chopped Yellow Onions
1 cup finely chopped Celery
2 cloves Garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup finely chopped Parsley
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh Sage (1 tsp. dried can be used in a pinch)
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh Thyme (1 tsp. dried can be used in a pinch)
1 tsp. kosher Salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp. ground black Pepper, or to taste
1/2 to 1 cup Chicken Broth (less for a drier stuffing, more for a more moist stuffing....I opt for the larger amount)
1 large Egg, beaten
1 recipe Cornbread of your choosing, cubed to the size of your choosing (typically 12 inch cast iron skillet or 8x8 baking pan; in a pinch ~ 1 lb. store bought cornbread can be used)
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, Fahrenheit.
2. Cook Chorizo in skillet on medium heat until fat has rendered and sausage is fully cooked.
3. Remove Chorizo from pan and set aside.
4. Add Onions, Celery and Garlic to pan and cook on medium heat in rendered fat from Chorizo until tender, ~5 mins.
5. Remove pan from heat and add Parsley, Sage, Thyme, Salt and Pepper.
6. Mix well.
7. By now you will have transferred your cubed Cornbread to a separate, large bowl.
8. Mix Cornbread with sauteed vegetables and combine well.
9. Add reserved, cooked Chorizo and combine.
10. Add beaten Egg and Chicken Broth, mixing to combine. Add the Broth in small amounts until the stuffing is as moist as desired.
11. Transfer stuffing to a large, shallow baking dish, and bake for 25-40 minutes, depending on how browned you like your stuffing. I tend to bake for about 35 mins.
12. Remove, serve and prepare to loosen your belt.
Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing
1 lb. Mexican Chorizo (bulk or removed from casing)
2 cups chopped Yellow Onions
1 cup finely chopped Celery
2 cloves Garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup finely chopped Parsley
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh Sage (1 tsp. dried can be used in a pinch)
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh Thyme (1 tsp. dried can be used in a pinch)
1 tsp. kosher Salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp. ground black Pepper, or to taste
1/2 to 1 cup Chicken Broth (less for a drier stuffing, more for a more moist stuffing....I opt for the larger amount)
1 large Egg, beaten
1 recipe Cornbread of your choosing, cubed to the size of your choosing (typically 12 inch cast iron skillet or 8x8 baking pan; in a pinch ~ 1 lb. store bought cornbread can be used)
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, Fahrenheit.
2. Cook Chorizo in skillet on medium heat until fat has rendered and sausage is fully cooked.
3. Remove Chorizo from pan and set aside.
4. Add Onions, Celery and Garlic to pan and cook on medium heat in rendered fat from Chorizo until tender, ~5 mins.
5. Remove pan from heat and add Parsley, Sage, Thyme, Salt and Pepper.
6. Mix well.
7. By now you will have transferred your cubed Cornbread to a separate, large bowl.
8. Mix Cornbread with sauteed vegetables and combine well.
9. Add reserved, cooked Chorizo and combine.
10. Add beaten Egg and Chicken Broth, mixing to combine. Add the Broth in small amounts until the stuffing is as moist as desired.
11. Transfer stuffing to a large, shallow baking dish, and bake for 25-40 minutes, depending on how browned you like your stuffing. I tend to bake for about 35 mins.
12. Remove, serve and prepare to loosen your belt.
