Savory Holiday Bread Pudding

After hearing reports for rain all week, I was so excited to settle in and make a homey, fall dinner. And after last year's many failed efforts at making the perfect Thanksgiving stuffing (or "dressing" as some people call it, as it is only "stuffed" into a baking dish), I decided this was the weekend to start my quest anew.

The hubby and I realized, after many a dry, tasteless, stuffing, that what I was looking for was really a savory sausage-y version of my Mama's bread pudding - moist and creamy, in need of no gravy (as much as I love gravy!). And last night, I hit the jackpot - the perfect stuffing - or maybe more appropriately named, "Savory Holiday Bread Pudding."

Savory Holiday Bread Pudding
Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites, who adapted it from Allrecipes

Ingredients:

8x8″ pan of Cornbread, minus one taster square for the chef (I used the incredibly delicious gluten-free version from Pamela's)
3/4 pound Mild Italian sausage
1 medium Onion, chopped
3 stalks Celery, chopped
1 Quart Chicken Broth
2 Eggs
3 tablespoons Salted Butter
Sage (6-8 fresh leaves, chopped fine)
Rosemary (I used a tablespoon or so dried rosemary)
Fennel seeds (I used about 1-2 tablespoons dried fennel seeds)
1/4 c. chopped fresh flat-leaf Parsley
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375. Crumble the pan of cornbread and leave in the preheating oven to dry it out a little. No need to go crazy drying it out for days. A little bit of crispy edge is plenty. Once dried, put in a large bowl.

Crumble the Italian sausage into a hot skillet and brown it over medium heat. Transfer the crumbled sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

If there are 2 tablespoons of rendered sausage drippings in the pan, add the chopped celery, onions, and dried herbs and seeds. If not, add enough olive oil to have around 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan and add the chopped ingredients when the oil is hot. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Remove from heat and add to the crumbled cornbread. Add the sausage and chopped herbs and toss until combined. Put cornbread mixture into 9x13" baking dish.

In your now-empty, still dirty, bowl, combine the eggs and about half the chicken broth. Season with pepper, and salt, if you like. Pour mixture over the cornbread mix and press into pan so the dry ingredients are all moist. Put pats of butter around the top of the stuffing.

Bake for about 30 minutes, and then add more chicken broth over the top, if the stuffing appears at all dry. Bake another 20 minutes or so, until the top of the stuffing starts to brown and the liquid appears to have mostly cooked off. Just before serving, put the whole shebang under the broiler for a few minutes to get the top nice and crusty.

Those who know me well know that I don't mind tooting my own horn, and this recipe is no exception. It is hands down, and without a doubt, the best stuffing I have EVER had!!