Gluten Free Cornbread, Sausage, Fennel & Apple Dressing (Stuffing)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

This year we are heading to a cousin's home for Thanksgiving, but just to play it safe, I've made my own dressing/stuffing that's gluten free.  I made a batch for the office pot luck and it was quite a hit, so I thought it would be nice to pass along the recipe for my fellow GF family and friends. I adapted this recipe from a Mario Battali recipe and the sweetness of the apple and anise flavor of the fennel add an interesting twist to traditional dressing. It truly is the perfect marriage of sweet and savory.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and freshly Ground Pepper
• 1.5 pound Sweet Italian Fennel Sausage (casings removed)
• 1 Yellow Onion (diced)
• 1 rib celery
• 1 bulb Fennel (thinly sliced or diced)
• 1 cup toasted walnuts or chestnuts (roughly chopped- I omitted them the second time as I forgot to get some at the store and they really add something special.)
• 2 large Apples (grated with a cheese grater)
• 5 cups Gluten Free Corn Bread (cubed and toasted about 10 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees)
• 1/4 cup Fresh Italian Parsley (chopped)
• 1 tbs Dried Sage
• 1 tbs Onion Powder
• 1 tsp fennel pollen (you can sub toasted fennel seeds and crush them).
• 2 1/2 cups Chicken Stock
• 1/2 cup melted Butter

Serves 8

In a large saucepan, brown the sausage in the olive oil until cooked through, remove and put it on a platter. Then, saute the fennel, onion, celery and apple until softened. About 10 minutes.

Stir in the sausage, parsley and dried herbs and toss with the bread crumbs and nuts. Pour chicken stock over the dressing (or turkey stock), drizzle with melted butter and cook in a 400 degree oven about 30 minutes until golden and crunchy on top and moist on the bottom.

MAKE AHEAD: Sausage and veggies can be made two days ahead and mixed with bread and stock just before cooking. The cornbread can be made a few weeks ahead and frozen.