Sausage, Apple & Cornbread Stuffing

sausage, apple & cornbread stuffing

1½ loaves cornbread, cut into ½-inch cubes - when I'm preparing the cornbread, I add an extra egg and 1/3 cup oil to make the bread a bit more firm for stuffing

2 cups pecans, toasted

1 leeks (about 1 pound; white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise then cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 celery ribs, chopped

Salt and ground black pepper

½ pound Sweet Italian Sausage, casings removed

2 cups fresh sliced apples½ cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 cups chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 325°F.Cornbread:  bake the cornbread in 2 large shallow baking pans until just dry, about 20 minutes. Transfer half of the cornbread to a large bowl.In a bowl of cold water, wash the leeks well and lift from the water into a sieve to drain.Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and celery and cook until the leeks are tender, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Break the sausage into small pieces and add to the leek mixture. Raise the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is cooked through, about 5 minutes.In a bowl add the cornbread cubes, the pecans, sausage mixture, apples, parsley and broth. Season with salt and pepper, then toss together. Cool the stuffing completely then transfer to a shallow baking dish.The stuffing may be made up to this point one day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring the stuffing to room temperature before proceeding.Before serving, bake the stuffing until heated through, about 1 hour.*For moist stuffing, bake covered the entire time; for less moist stuffing with a slightly crisp top, uncover halfway through baking time.