Thanksgiving is just around the corner so, I thought that I’d share a couple of recipes with you now just in case anyone wants to give it a try. But first, a little story about Thanksgiving:
The first Thanksgiving dinner I cooked was 29 years ago this year. Since then, I’ve tried to cook it each year or to cook at least a portion of this celebratory feast. The reason is simple, it’s my way to celebrate my daughter’s birth.
Susan was born on the Sunday before Thanksgiving in 1983. The funny part is that my wife went into labor on Saturday and we spent the entire evening timing contractions while I peeled 50 pounds of potatoes for a holiday lunch the next day at church (I was too stubborn to rely on “fake” instant potatoes and insisted on “real” mashed potatoes).
Anyway, Susan was born on Sunday morning and came home from the hospital Wednesday afternoon in the middle of an Iowa snowstorm. Our house was heated by fuel oil and as fate would have it, we ran out and the house was without heat. I called the oil company and was promised a quick delivery. In the meantime, I started a fire in the fireplace and put Susan’s bassinette in front of it.
She snoozed the afternoon away, snug and warm oblivious to the weather or to the lack of heat. A couple hours later, I called the fuel oil company back and inquired when they might be arriving. I also told them that we were out of oil and had just brought Susan home from the hospital. The response was, “Well why didn’t you say so, I’ll make sure that you’re next.” We had a full tank within the hour. That’s the blessing of living in a town of 6,000.
We were planning on not doing a Thanksgiving dinner that year but I got to thinking. “If there were ever a time to truly give thanks wouldn’t it be in celebration of the birth of a child?”
So I called my Mom for advice and she gave me a couple of tips for putting together a makeshift Thanksgiving dinner. The turkey was a boned and pressed one which didn’t take much effort to slap into the oven. Stuffing was packaged as were the sweet potatoes and cranberry relish. The gravy was jarred but the potatoes were real, peeled and boiled. Lastly, the pie was frozen.
Over the years, my cooking of this feast has gotten a lot more involved and sophisticated. But, each year, I take time to not only be thankful for all that life has provided but also for that special little girl in my life who, even at age 29, is still “Dad’s girl”.
Recipe: Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing
Summary: Thanksgiving is all about good food. Here’s a dish for homemade stuffing that has flavor from sausage and cornbread along with vegetables and fruit. The flavor is fantastic.
Ingredients
- 2 boxes Jiffy corn bread mix
- 1 lb breakfast sausage (regular or spicy—I like spicy)
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced bell pepper–green or red
- 1 cup chopped dried apricots
- 1 large chopped granny smith apple
- 2/3 cup diced green onion or white onion
- 2 cans (or 1 box) reduced sodium turkey/chicken broth
Instructions
- The night before–make the corn bread according to directions in a 9 x 9 pan and let sit out overnight uncovered so it dries out.
- Brown the sausage in a medium skillet. Drain and set aside.
- Get out your cutting board and chop all the vegetables, the apple and the apricots. Now, dump everything but the corn bread in a big bowl and stir it up.
- Add some black pepper (plus I like some chipotle too).
- Crumble up the corn bread and add to
the bowl and mix in. Then slowly add one can of the broth and stir everything together. (You’re looking for the right consistency here—not too dry and not too moist). - If you pick up a handful, it should clump and feel damp but not feel wet. If it’s not moist enough, add about 1/3 of the 2nd can then test again. You shouldn’t have to add all of the 2nd can—maybe half at the most.
- When you’ve got it the right consistency, test for flavor. You should get some spice, some meatiness, some sweet and just a little kick on your tongue. Adjust your seasoning if needed.
- Put into a baking/casserole dish and either use a glass cover or a foil cover.
- Put into the oven at 350 for an hour covered. Then uncover it and let it go
another half hour. Check it then and remove if done or give it a bit more time. Enjoy it with your Thanksgiving bird!!
Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 30 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 8
My rating 5 stars: ★★★★★ 1 review(s)
This smells fantastic baking and the combination of peppery sausage and cornbread along with the vegetables and hints from the fruit are fantastic. It’s like you got out of your grandma’s kitchen—or what you envision a grandma’s kitchen should produce. You’ll love it.
Like most of my recipes, this is country/southern inspired. It’s the result of trial and error over the years of developing it until I’ve got it down. Many of my recipes I know by heart and just throw a little of this and a little of that into it from memory. But I only cook this a couple of times a year and so I use the recipe.
Click here for links to Cheap Bastid’s Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes :
For Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing recipe: http://www.cheap-bastid-cooks.com/cornbread-and-sausage-stuffing/
For “Mushroom Soupless Green Bean Casserole”: http://www.cheap-bastid-cooks.com/holiday-green-bean-casserole/
ForHolidayBaked Sweet Potatoes: http://www.cheap-bastid-cooks.com/holiday-baked-sweet-potatoes/
For the Turkey: http://www.cheap-bastid-cooks.com/the-bird-is-the-word/
Mama Stella’s Stuffing Bread: http://www.cheap-bastid-cooks.com/mama-stellas-stuffing-bread/
For the full Menu: http://www.cheap-bastid-cooks.com/a-cheap-bastid-thanksgiving/
The Cheap Bastid Test: 2 boxes of Jiffy Cornbread mix are $1 to $1.40 if you get them on special. The eggs and milk for the cornbread will cost about $.50. The sausage runs about $1.50, the broth about $1.50, apple $.30, onion $.50, celery $.65 and apricots $1.00. Total for this traditional dish is $6.95. Not real cheap, but definitely worth it.
That’s the Cheap Bastid Way: Eat Good. Eat Cheap. Be Grateful!
Good idea and original. I read this aloud to my husband, the recipe that is. I would not have thought to put the apricot in there, but might be a yummy addition. Also thought the story was great. You could do a cook book story book with some of these!
Thanks Sheila. “Stay tuned” on Tuesday for “Mushroom Soupless Green Bean Casserole”.