½Lbsausage(I like Jimmy Dean's regular or sage varieties)
2tspfresh garlic cloves(finely chopped)
1heaping Tbspfresh sage leaves(finely chopped)
1heaping tspfresh rosemary(pulled from tough stem and finely chopped)
½cupunsalted pecans(roughly chopped)
2-3cupschicken stock or broth
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prep the cornbread:
Make 1 recipe of cornbread muffins (or bake it in a 9 x 9 baking pan). Once cooled, cut into 1 inch cubes. Lay the cubes out on baking sheets. Let sit overnight to dry out or place in a 275 degree oven for 20 minutes.
In a pan, over medium heat, break up the sausage into small pieces as it cooks. It is done when it is no longer pink. Remove from pan and set aside in a small dish.
In the same pan you cooked the sausage in, add a little olive oil if there weren’t a lot of drippings from the sausage. Over medium heat, add the onion and celery. Cook until softened slightly. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant. Turn the heat off and add the fresh herbs. Stir to combine.
Put your cornbread cubes in a very large bowl and pour the onion mixture and pecans on top. Season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine everything.
Slowly add a little stock at a time and continue mixing. You may want to use your hands to get the bottom (where the liquid will settle) all over the bread cubes. It will be pretty wet, but not dripping. You may not need all of the stock.
Put the cornbread mixture into the greased 9 x 13 pan.
Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and it is heated through. You may need to cover it part way through baking if it starts to brown too quickly. It will be ready to eat as soon as it comes out of the oven.