Sausage and Cornbread Dressing

For years I wondered about the difference between dressing and stuffing - after all, they seemed to be pretty close. I just wasn't quite sure where the difference was.

Turns out it was right about on the Mason-Dixon line. Dressing and stuffing are the same thing. The only reason they have different names is because they are 'finished' in different ways. If you bake the dish off in a casserole - it's dressing. It 'dresses' the bird on the side. If you stuff the bird with it it's stuffing. Why I had issues with this I'll never know, and this is one of my embarrassing culinary admissions - but there you have it.

This little version is a very traditional Southern dressing - sausage, cornbread, and veggies sauteed off and baked with butter and broth. Delish. Period. However, I also like this version to use when stuffing my Turducken - so it's both! It's dressing, it's stuffing. Best of both worlds - and I have to say, the Yankees have something on the whole stuffing thing. Something glorious happens to this stuff when the juices from the roasting birds saturate it - it's gorgeous. Even if you don't stuff a Turducken, fine - use it as stuffing for a regular turkey. You'll be glad you did.

For the stuffing, you'll need:

• one pan of Southern Cornbread
• 8 slices bread, cubed and dried (you can do this in a warm oven)
• one sleeve saltine crackers
• 1 pound bulk sausage
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 stick butter
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• freshly cracked black pepper
• skip the salt, remember you'll be getting it from the birds

1. In a very large bowl, crumble together bread, corn bread and crackers. Mix well and set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, crumble and brown sausage.
3. Add butter, onions and celery to sausage, and saute the vegetables for about 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant, and the onions are becoming translucent.
4. Add sausage and vegetables to the bread mixture. Pour stock over bread, and add sage, thyme and pepper.
5. Add the eggs, mix well. It's ready for either stuffing a bird, several if you're making Turducken, or putting in a buttered 9x13 casserole, and baking for just about 45 minutes.