Savory and Sweet Corn Bread Stuffing

Stuffing or dressing? Inside or out? As a child, I had never had stuffing. My mother always made dressing. Even when she made Stove Top Stuffing she called it dressing. Do you know the difference? As the name implies, stuffing is used to stuff meat, usually a whole bird for roasting. Dressing is synonymous with stuffing but is more often to refer to the method of cooking outside of the bird. Also, depending on the geographic location; stuffing is more often used in the the South and East. I prefer dressing to stuffing mostly because it is what I am used to eating and saying, though my favorite recipe is for a stuffing.

Here is my favorite stuffing recipe. It is sweet due to using sweet corn muffins and it is savory with bits of sausage and mushrooms. My children even like this {as long as I remember to chop up the mushrooms and resist the temptation to leave them in slices}. It could even be a meal on its own. The recipe is based on one from a cookbook my mother gave me many years ago. Using fresh corn muffins makes it especially moist. I have never used it to stuff a turkey, but I am certain it would be just as delicious if it was cooked inside your turkey as it is in a pretty casserole dish.

Savory and Sweet Corn Bread Stuffing

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1 c chopped celery

3/4 c chopped onion

1/2 c butter

1 1/2 c hot broth {chicken is best}

1 lb pork sausage, browned and drained

1 8x8 pan sweet corn bread, crumbled

Melt butter in large skillet; add mushrooms, celery and onion and cook until onions are tender. Place sausage in large bowl; add cooked mushroom mixture and crumbled corn muffins. Add hot broth {if using bouillon cubes, boil water and add the cubes and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before adding to sausage and corn muffins}. Stir to combine all ingredients. Place stuffing in 2 qt. baking dish. Bake uncovered in 350F oven for 30 minutes or until hot.

A Note~

I often use sweet corn muffins from Costco {which are much larger than regular muffins}; I'll use 4 of those which may be equal to about 6-8 regular.