Thanksgiving is always a feast at my house, even if it is only Walt and I. I like to do the entire meal, turkey, stuffing, potatoes, gravy, two vegetables, cranberry sauce, and pie. Walt is the gravy cook in our family, and I am doing the last minute things like mashing potatoes and putting everything in serving dishes while he makes it.

Image shows a woman in a multi colored knit hat and a black apron with colorful peppers on it. She is holding a handful of sage leaves.
My early Thanksgiving morning run to the garden for fresh sage. This one is a few years old.

This is the recipe for stuffing that I have used for many years. It was adapted from a cooking show so long ago that I don’t even remember the show’s name. The addition of Morel mushrooms gives it an earthy flavor.

Cornbread stuffing

  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups chicken or turkey stock or broth
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 pound sausage, browned, drained, and crumbled
  • 2 medium onions, chopped and sautéed
  • 5 cups of cubed cornbread
  • 4 cups of cubed bread
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 3/4 cup of celery, chopped
  • 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 ounce dried morel mushrooms, rehydrated, and chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together eggs, stock, sage, and salt and pepper.

Mix together all other ingredients. Pour egg mixture over the top and gently stir to combine.

Grease a large casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The top will be crusty and brown, the stuffing will be firm but not dry.

Notes

Stuffing the turkey

I stuff the turkey lightly with some of the stuffing. You need to adjust your cooking times for a stuffed bird.

Breads

For breads, I like to use a good variety of kinds. I save crusts and leftover bits of rye, sourdough, wheat, and whatever else I have. I like the added layers of flavor that this provides. If I don’t have enough, I have used croutons, but you will need to add extra stock.

Stock

I make my own stock from turkey or chicken. I add onion, celery, carrot, bay, salt and pepper. Cover with water and let simmer for a couple of hours. Strain the liquid, and put in containers and freeze. It keeps very well in the freezer. You can also use a pressure cooker to can broth.

Leftovers

Since I make a large batch of stuffing, I like to put some of it aside for later use. I use a loaf pan, grease it, and put the stuffing in. I bake it for 20 minutes and remove it from the oven. Once it has cooled, I cover it with waxed paper and wrap the whole pan in heavy duty foil. The stuffing will keep for a couple of months in the freezer. You can also freeze gravy and some of the left over turkey. Then you can have Thanksgiving reprise in early January.