Cornbread and Dried Fruit Dressing
(makes 8 1/2-cup servings)
Stuffing that's prepared separately from the meat of a dish is actually called "dressing." Since it's not cooked inside the cavity of the bird, it can become dry if you don't add enough moisture - but this dressing is luscious and moist - and it doesn't contain all of the cholesterol and fat of stuffing baked inside a turkey.
Ingredients
4 cups cornbread cubes, dried
4 ounces lean Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
1 cup chopped yellow or white onion
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced carrot
1 small garlic clove, crushed through a press
4 dried apricots, coarsely chopped
4 pitted prunes, coarsely chopped
3/4 teaspoons dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the cornbread in a large heatproof bowl and set aside. In a small nonstick skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat, crumbling and stirring, until browned and cooked through. Drain well and set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the onion, celery and carrot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer; do not let the garlic brown. Stir in the sausage, apricots, prunes, sage, thyme, marjoram and 1/4 cup of the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour over the cornbread. Add the parsley and stir well. Season with the salt and pepper. (The dressing may be prepared to this stage a day ahead and refrigerated, covered.)
Whisk together the egg and remaining 3/4 cup broth and pour over the cornbread mixture, tossing well. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking oil spray. Transfer the cornbread mixture to the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top begins to brown.
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories: 100
Total fat: 3.5 grams
Saturated fat: 1 gram
Cholesterol: 30 milligrams
Sodium: 310 milligrams
Total carbohydrates: 12 grams
Sugars: 4 grams
Fiber: 1 gram
Protein: 3 grams
Click here to download the recipe.
Recipe from "Flavor First: Cut Calories and Boost Flavor with 75 Delicious, All-Natural Recipes" by Cheryl Forberg, RD (Rodale 2011)
