Jalapeno Cornbread Stuffing

It might not be much to look at, but if you've ever spent Thanksgiving with me, you're sooo ready for this recipe. I vowed I wasn't going to drive myself nuts this year trying to precook Thanksgiving foods for my food blog. So this year you get stuffing, cranberry sauce and soon there will be super creamy and delicious mashed potatoes. Back to the stuffing... It is good, don't get me wrong... but there is something about this dang stuffing that has people calling me asking for the recipe and asking me if they can come over to watch me make it. Seriously. I'm not kidding. If you're looking to an alternative to the stuffing you're currently serving, survey says, this is it. It still has the celery sausage base that everyone is used to. But I've added cilantro, jalapenos, apples and a cornbread base. It is my little twist on a holiday classic. When I started making my jalapeno cornbread stuffing, it was not something many people had even heard of. Now it is everywhere!!! There is a reason, its legit.

This recipe fills one normal/large casserole dish. I like to cook mine in my cast iron Dutch Oven so that I can use just one dish.

Ingredients:

1 lbs hot sausage

10 gloves of crushed garlic

1/2-3/4 cup diced jarred jalapenos (1/2 cup has a medium spice, its noticeable)

1 1/2- 2 granny smith apples (depends on if they're large or small)

4-6 celery stalks

1 bushel cilantro

1 14 oz package cornbread stuffing (try to find one with as little pre-added flavors/herbs as possible)

1 cup butter (plus more to brown the top if desired)

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

Instructions:

1. Mince/crush the garlic and add the sausage. Use the sausage fat to brown the garlic.

2. Add 2 sticks of butter to the Dutch Oven

3. Stir and break up the sausage until it is cooked and the butter is melted.

4. Dice and add your celery, stir some more.

5. Coarsely chop the cilantro and stir it into the mix.

6. Chop the apples into 1/2" cubes.

7. Add the stuffing mix.

8. Pour the chicken broth in and stir well.

9. If you would like, thinly slice butter and lay it across the top so that it browns the top.

10. Cook roughly 15-20 minutes, covered. Cook an additional 5-1 minutes uncovered or until browned.