Recipe: Cornbread-Sausage Stuffing With Apples

Makes 12 to 14 servings

12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) sweet butter, divided

2 ½ cups finely chopped yellow onions

3 tart apples (Jonathan, Winesap, Granny Smith), cored and cut into chunks

1 pound lightly seasoned bulk sausage

3 cups cornbread stuffing mix

3 cups toasted and coarsely crumbled rye bread

3 cups toasted and coarsely crumbled white bread (such as French)

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried sage

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

½ cup chopped Italian parsley

1 ½ cups pecan halves

1. Melt half of butter in a skillet. Add chopped onions and cook over medium heat, partially covered, until tender and lightly colored, about 25 minutes. Transfer onions and butter to a large mixing bowl.

2. Melt remaining butter in the same skillet. Add apple chunks and cook over high heat until lightly colored but not mushy. Transfer apples and butter to mixing bowl.

3. Crumble sausage into the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until lightly browned and cooked through. With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to mixing bowl and reserve rendered fat. (Refrigerate fat.) Add remaining ingredients to the sausage mixture and combine gently. Spoon stuffing into a casserole dish.

4. Put covered casserole into a large pan. Pour hot water around casserole to come halfway up sides. Bake about 30 to 45 minutes at 325 degrees, basting occasionally with cooking juices if roasting a turkey, or with reserved sausage fat.

Adapted from "The Silver Palate Cookbook"

by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins