SAUSAGE AND CORNBREAD STUFFING

Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 3h20m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced
6 ounces (about 2 links) Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced on diagonal
1 bulb fennel, cored, quartered and sliced crosswise, plus 1/4 cup chopped fronds
1 medium Bosc pear, cored and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, sage and thyme
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, sage and thyme
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 recipe Quick and Healthy Cornbread, cooled and coarsely crumbled, recipe follows
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 large egg white
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 (8.5 ounce) box corn muffin mix
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly mist an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add the onion, garlic and sausage. Cook, breaking up the sausage with a spoon, until the onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the celery and fennel; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
Toss the vegetable mixture with the pear, herbs, reserved fennel fronds, walnuts and cornbread; season with salt and pepper. Gently toss the stuffing mixture with 1/2 cup broth to moisten (adding more to moisten if needed); transfer to the prepared baking dish. Lightly mist a piece of foil large enough to cover the dish. Pour 1/2 cup broth over the stuffing and cover with the foil.
Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the stuffing and bake until golden around edges, about 30 minutes more.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly mist an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together the egg white, water and buttermilk; stir in the muffin mix and wheat germ until incorporated. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center tests clean, 25 to 30 minutes.