Next to the turkey, stuffing is one of the most important side dishes at Thanksgiving. But, for those of us with gluten allergies, this usually is eliminated from the menu. Using cornbread in place of traditional sourdough or white bread is a great alternative. I use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free cornbread and bake the loaf one to two days before Thanksgiving. That gives the bread some time to get a little stale, which you need so the bread doesn’t get mushy when stuffed inside the turkey.

You will most likely have extra stuffing once the bird is stuffed. I bake the remaining stuffing in a casserole dish or other bakeware. If you have a lot of people coming to dinner, you will need this because there won’t be enough with just the stuffing inside the turkey. The extra stuffing is also great for leftovers!

Cornbread Sausage Stuffing

Author: Originally printed in the November 20, 1980, edition of the Contra Costa Times; modified to remove gluten, dairy, and eggs; added sausage and cornbread
Prep Time:  30-45 minutes to prepare the cornbread; 30-45 minutes to prepare the stuffing
Serves: 4-6 people

Ingredients:

1 package of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Cornbread Mix, divided in half once baked
1 ½ cups of whole fat coconut milk
3 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer+ 4 tablespoons warm water (equivalent of two eggs)
1 cup of melted butter (use Earth Balance soy-free butterbaking sticks), divided
¼ lb. of ground hot sausage
¾ lb. of ground mild sausage
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium to large onion, chopped
½ cup of mushrooms, finely chopped
½ teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1 cup of fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
2 oz. of chopped pine nuts (or other nut of your choice)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried parsley or ¼ cup of fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Prepare the cornbread according to the package instructions. It is best to bake the bread 1-2 days before making the stuffing so the bread can get a little stale.
2. Heat a skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 5-10 minutes. Drain and discard any sausage grease. Set the sausage aside.
3. In a separate skillet or frying pan, melt ½ cup of butter. Add the chopped celery, onion, and mushrooms. Sauté until cooked.
4. Mix in the pine nuts and ½ teaspoon of salt.
5. Transfer the celery mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked sausage, coarsely chopped cranberries, dried thyme, sage, and parsley.
6. Cut the loaf of cornbread in half. Crumble half of the loaf and add to the celery mixture.
7. Add the cooked sausage and mix thoroughly.
8. Stuff the neck and body cavity with the stuffing.
9. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
10. Bake the remaining stuffing in a baking dish such as a casserole dish or disposable aluminum baking dish. Make sure to grease the sides of the baking dish with butter to prevent the stuffing from sticking to the pan.
11. After the turkey is cooked, remove the stuffing prior to carving and put in a serving dish.