Thursday Recipe - Sausage Apple & Sweet Potato Stuffing Casserole

I can't wait to eat this one tonight. It smells so good putting it together. So if you're looking for a way to eat stuffing as the main dish and get away with it, try this version.

Sausage, Apple, & Sweet Potato Stuffing Casserole

1/2 lb pork sausage
1/3 c. chopped onion
1 c. raw sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 apple, chopped into small pieces
1 6-8 serving size packet of cornbread stuffing mix (or your favorite flavor)
Optional: 1/4 c. chopped mushrooms, 1/4 c. chopped celery, or your favorite add-in

Brown sausage and onions in frying pan until cooked. Toss with sweet potato and apple. Stir in stuffing mix and any other add-ins you want. Add just enough water to moisten the stuffing. Toss together then spoon into a covered casserole dish. Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes, until sweet potatoes and apples are cooked.

Serve as the main dish.

Thursday Recipe - Apple Corn Bread Stuffing

It's that time of year again. You guessed it -- Stuffing season!! Wait, that's not a real season? It's Thanksgiving and holiday season and I'm early? Too bad. Thanksgiving exists so you can eat stuffing. And pie.

I love stuffing, if you can't tell. So when I realized I had several packages of stuffing mix in my basement, I was ecstatic. Not like this:

More like this:

Yep. That's me, jumping for joy over getting to eat stuffing again. I couldn't wait until November. Or even October. So here's a fun version of stuffing for you to try.

Apple Corn Bread Stuffing

1 pouch Mrs. Cubbison's Corn Bread Stuffing Mix (or use your favorite corn bread mix - a 6-8 serving pouch is about the right size)

1 T. butter

1 apple, cored and chopped

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1/3 c. onion, chopped

1 c. applesauce

1 t. dried marjoram

water as needed

Put dry stuffing mix into a 2-quart crockpot.

Heat butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Add onion and celery. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes until it's sizzling and starting to wilt. Add the apple. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add applesauce. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until everything is hot.

Add hot fruit mixture to stuffing mix in crockpot. Add marjoram. Stir gently until stuffing mix is moistened. Add more water if it's too dry. You want it nicely moist without being soggy or gummy.

Cover and cook on high for 45-90 minutes. Turn to low or warm and let it sit until the rest of the meal is ready to serve. Great with mashed potatoes and chicken gravy. Or on its own. Totally on its own.

Excuse me while I wipe drool now...