Combining traditional Thanksgiving flavors, this stuffing is savory and delicious. The cornbread is a nice substitute for bread with it’s slightly sweeter taste and dense texture. The mushrooms are seasoned with a little fennel seed, giving the idea of sausage; and the broth keeps everything from getting too dry. Fresh sage is always a nice herb in Thanksgiving dishes, and I have been growing some in my garden that I’ve been enjoying using this Fall.
Directions
Preheat oven to 400F. In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then add the milk and oil, and mix together until well combined. Grease an 8″ x 8″ or 9″ x 9″ baking dish and pour the batter into the dish. Bake in the oven 15-20 minutes. When done and cooled, cut into 3/4″ cubes and set aside.
Lower the oven to 350F. For the mushrooms, add the butter and olive oil to a pan on medium to high heat. Add in the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes to soften. Add in the garlic and continue to saute. For the fennel seeds, if you have a mortar and pestle, you can crush them. Otherwise, you can smash them up a bit between a folded piece of wax paper, or try to cut them up a little. You just want to break them up a bit to release the flavor; but whole seeds are fine too. Add the fennel seeds to the pan and then pour in about a quarter cup of the broth. Remove from heat and place in a large bowl, adding in the cornbread cubes and sage. Slowly add in the broth, enough to coat but not completely soak, and reserving about 1/2 cup of broth to add in later. Mix together with a spatula and pour into a greased baking dish. Bake uncovered for about a 1/2 hour. Remove from oven and pour over the remaining broth and cover with foil. Bake for another 15 minutes. You may or may not use all the broth. Season with salt and pepper.
