Thanksgiving Recipe: Mary Beth Evans

Where does this recipe come from? “I found it maybe 20 years ago in Martha Stewart magazine, and I make it every Christmas and Thanksgiving. If someone else is hosting, and they ask for a stuffing recipe, I always give them this one. It is just delicious. This is my favorite stuffing recipe ever.”

What do you like about this dish? “It’s different. The toasted pine nuts just really make it stand out.”

How would you describe its flavor? “Toasty and delicious. I always get complimented of how delicious it is.”

How can it be tweaked to be vegan? “You can use Beyond sausage or zucchini as a substitute for meat.”

Can it be made ahead? “It can absolutely be made ahead. Recommend doing so. Tastes better that way

Can it be reheated? “Yes! It’s great for leftovers.”

Any tips for making sure you get this recipe right on the first try? “Make sure you use enough chicken broth, so it’s moist! Use a 9×13 rectangle pan.”

Ingredients

Prepared cornbread. “A small box of cornbread mix (like Jiffy corn muffin mix, 8.5 oz) that you make.”

⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes

1 lb. Italian sausage (half hot, half sweet)

2-½ cups chopped celery

2 small onions finely chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

½ cup pine nuts, toasted

1 Tbsp. freshly chopped sage

1 cup chicken stock

4 Tbsp. unsalted melted butter

Directions

1. Cut the prepared cornbread into cubes and spread on a baking sheet. Toast at 350 degrees, until golden brown. (About 20 minutes.)

2. Heat a large skillet and brown sausage. Remove sausage from pan and drain.

3. Return pan to medium heat. Add onions and cook about one minute. Add celery and garlic and cook until celery loses some of its crunch.

4. Combine cornbread, tomatoes, sage, sausage, onions, celery, garlic and pinenuts in a casserole dish. Add chicken stock and butter and combine.

5. Bake at 350 degrees until heated through and crusty on top.