Marcia's Cornbread Stuffing

Here is another recipe from my favorite author Marcia Lynn McClure. I am making a GF version of this for Thanksgiving this year!

Cornbread:
2 c. Cornmeal
2 c. Flour
½ c. Sugar
2 t. Salt
6 t. Baking Powder
2 Eggs
½ c. Oil
2 c. Milk
1 t. Black Pepper
4 Fresh Sage Leaves (finely chipped)
1 t. Rubbed Sage
*Note: If fresh sage is unavailable, use 2 t. of rubbed sage.

Combine ingredients and bake in greased 9x13 glass baking dish at 400 for 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool and then crumble cornbread into large bowl and set aside.

Stuffing:
1 Onion (Finely Chopped)
5 Celery Stalks (Finely Chopped)
Leaves stripped from 15-20 Fresh Thyme Branches (or 2-3 t. dried Thyme)
Leaves stripped and chopped from 15-20 Fresh Rosemary Branches (or 2-3 t. dried Thyme)
10-16 Fresh Sage Leaves (Finely chopped) (or 1-2 t. Rubbed Sage)
1-2 t. Dried Marjoram
Water or Warm Turkey Broth to consistency desired. (*I prefer water.)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Add Marjoram into crumbled cornbread. Next, sauté onion and celery in butter. When onion and celery have sautéed a little, add the fresh herbs and finish sautéing. (If using dried herbs, do not sauté them. Instead, add dried herbs directly into crumbled cornbread with marjoram.) Once vegetables and herbs are finished sautéing, mix them into crumbled cornbread. (If necessary, add salt and pepper to taste—but be careful with the salt. The herbs are strong enough to add flavor and it’s easy to over-salt.) Mix in add ½–1 cup of water (my preference) or turkey broth until stuffing is moist but not soggy. (I find turkey broth can cause the stuffing to taste too strong and overpowers the flavor of the cornbread and herbs.)

Place stuffing in glass baking dish or bowl, cover and heat thoroughly before serving.