A couple of Dressing Recipes for Thanksgiving

Here's a couple of dressing recipes if you haven't picked yours yet.  Both look pretty tasty.

Andouille Cornbread Dressing

From Touch Bayou Caterers

Ingredients

•           2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter 
 •           1 pound Andouille sausages, cut into 1/3-inch pieces 
 •           1 12-ounce package breakfast-style bulk sausage 
 •           3 cups chopped onions 
 •           2 cups chopped celery 
 •           2 cups chopped red bell peppers  
•           1 cup chopped green onions  
•           2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
•           1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce  
•           1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage  
•           12 ounces dry corn bread stuffing mix  
•           1 1/2 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth

Directions

1. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add all sausages and cook until brown and cooked through, breaking up bulk sausage with back of a fork, about 5 minutes.

3. Add onions, celery and red bell peppers. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.

4. Stir in green onions, thyme, hot pepper sauce and sage. Transfer sausage mixture to large bowl.

5. Stir stuffing mix into sausage mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

6. This recipe can be prepared one day ahead:  Cover and refrigerate. 

Pear and Date Dressing

Fresh Home’s Magazine

Prep: 30 min. Bake: 50 min. Yield: 6 servings with leftovers

7 cups sourdough bread cubes (about 1 medium loaf)

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 Tbsp. butter

1 large garlic clove, minced

3 medium ripe pears, peeled and chopped (about 3 cups)

1 cup chopped pitted dates

1 cup pear nectar

3 Tbsp. minced fresh thyme

½ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup chicken broth

2 Tbsp. honey

            Spread bread cubes in two 15-in. x 10-in. baking pans.  Bake at 325º for 20 minutes or until dried, stirring once or twice.

            Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, sauté onion in butter until tender.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.  Remove from the heat.  Add the pears, dates, nectar, thyme, pepper and salt; stir to combine. 

            Transfer bread cubes to a large bowl.  Increase oven temperature to 350º.  Add pear mixture to bread cubes; toss gently.  Drizzle with broth; toss gently just until moistened.   Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish.

            Cover and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover; bake 20 minutes longer or until browned and heated through.  Drizzle honey over top.