Cornbread Apple Stuffing
As with most families, the holidays mean a lot of travel and a lot food. It’s no different for me. Every year we spend Thanksgiving up in Northern California and then for Christmas we’re always here in So. Cal. I love Thanksgiving and all the delicious food that comes with it. There is one downside though. I never have any leftovers, and if there’s one thing I love about Thanksgiving, it’s a turkey sandwich on rye with all the trimmings the day after. It’s for this reason that I always make my own turkey for Christmas dinner.
I know it may seem weird to have Thanksgiving twice, but why would you give up any of that delicious food? Besides, just because you’re having turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas doesn’t mean you have to have the same sides or dessert or even the same stuffing for that matter.
See, my mother always makes her Artichoke Parmesan Stuffing she discovered years ago. I love it. While I think it’s absolutely delectable, I don’t need to have it twice. I like to change things up for Christmas. Sure, I’ll still make sweet potatoes, a vegetable of some sort, gravy and cranberry sauce, but they won’t be the same recipes we used at Thanksgiving. As a matter of fact the only thing that stays the same is how we brine our turkey. My mom and I have been using the same brining recipe for years (thank you Alton Brown) and I’m never, ever giving that up.
But back to all the other differences. One thing that changes between holidays is the stuffing. As I said: I love the artichoke one mom makes, but I’ve also made a stuffing with fennel as well as cornbread, and this year I’m making one with day-old bagels. I love trying new things and last year’s cornbread stuffing was amazing. While a lot of cornbread stuffings use sausage or some type of meat, I’m not a fan of meat in my stuffing. I mean, the stuffing is surrounded by a large turkey, so why would you need more meat? I just think it’s too rich when there’s already plenty of rich, heavy food on that table. So, I prefer to make my stuffing without meat.
But just because there’s no meat, doesn’t mean the stuffing lacks flavor. The cornbread, apples, chicken stock, herbs and spices all make for one delicious side. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a savory stuffing, but those apples add the perfect pop of sweetness, making it one delicious dish. A dish that not only reminds you it’s the holidays but is a wonderful addition to any Christmas (or Thanksgiving) table.
Notes
The cornbread was adapted from Simply Recipes.
The stuffing was adapted from Chowhound.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups cornmeal
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 3 eggs, divided
- 1-1/4 cups buttermilk
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 medium apples, cored and diced
- 4 celery stalks, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
Make the cornbread:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven while it heats up.
- Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt and sugar in a large bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl, beat one egg and buttermilk until combined.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the buttermilk mixture and stir until just combined.
- Melt 6 tablespoons of butter and stir it into the batter.
- Carefully pour the batter into the hot skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean. Cool to room temperature. (The cornbread can be made a day or two ahead of time. Just wrap it up tightly and keep in the refrigerator.)
Make the stuffing
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.
- Take the cornbread, break it up with your hands, place it in a bowl and set aside.
- Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples, celery, onion, sage, remaining salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and apples are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the wine and cook until almost evaporated, about 2 minutes.
- Stir the apple mixture into the cornbread. Add the broth and remaining eggs, and stir until combined and moist.
- Stuff 1/3 of the mixture into your prepared turkey and roast your turkey according to the recipe you're using, adding at least 30 minutes for the extra weight. (This is optional if you don't like to stuff your turkey.)
- Place the rest of the stuffing into the prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered until the top is golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes. Serve.
